How ‘claim sharks’ cost Ohio veterans thousands as they seek VA benefits – Signal Cleveland

How ‘claim sharks’ cost Ohio veterans thousands as they seek VA benefits  Signal Cleveland

Unaccredited veterans’ claims services violate federal law when they charge Ohio veterans thousands of dollars to file disability claims. For-profit, unaccredited veterans’ claims services, often dubbed “claim sharks” by veterans’ affairs officials, are violating federal law by charging Ohio veterans thousands of dollars in fees — in many cases far higher than the benefits they receive — when they file disability claims. Many of these organizations are at work in Northeast Ohio, local officials said, even though area veterans can receive help with their applications for free. Veterans should never pay to obtain the benefits they have earned, said Jon Reiss, executive director of the Cuyahoga County Veterans Service Commission. In Ohio, he said, there are organizations, both government and nonprofit, that provide services to veterans free of charge.

Every county in the state has a Veterans Service Commission funded by taxpayers. The commissions do not charge veterans for help navigating benefits. Commissions in each county must hire a Veterans Service Officer to assist with applications for local, state and federal veterans benefits. Cuyahoga County has 10 individuals who are accredited. Signal Cleveland stays free for everyone because readers like you believe in accessible, community-powered journalism. As one donor put it: "We need more news that actually cares about us." “Claim sharks” exploit the complex and time-consuming nature of the