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Legal advocates urge California funding for no‑cost VA representation as claims backlog grows
Summary
Legal directors and nonprofit advocates told the Assembly committee that attorney representation at the initial claim stage improves approval rates and speeds benefits; they recommended state funding to expand no-cost legal help for low‑income and unhoused veterans.
Legal-services providers and county veteran service officers told the Assembly Committee on Military and Veteran Affairs that the VA claims process increasingly needs attorney involvement and that California should fund free legal representation to prevent delays and erroneous denials.
Moe Seeder, legal director at Swords to Plowshares, described a sharp rise in claims since the PACT Act and said private attorneys cannot charge for initial VA claims, creating a gap that nonprofit legal clinics fill. "Access to free legal assistance to veterans in the claims process increases a veteran's chance of having their claim approved, helps them get access to benefits faster, and timely address the VA's mistakes and erroneous claims denials," Seeder testified.
Seeder and others reported that rising claims volumes and longer VA wait times — average initial decision times of roughly 142 days and longer appeals timelines — leave vulnerable veterans waiting months or years for compensation or health-care eligibility. Seeder said Swords' county MHSA grants, where available, fund attorneys who handled appeals and initial claims that returned substantial back pay to clients and increased ongoing monthly benefits.
Jim Zenner and Roberto Herrera described county veteran service officers' role as the first point of contact in many communities; Zenner said CVSOs generated nearly $580 million in new and recurring payments last year through claims work. Zenner and Seeder urged the state to enlarge sustainable funding (through MHSA or other mechanisms) so local offices can expand representation capacity instead of relying on limited or time-limited grants.
Ending: Witnesses emphasized that state investment in no-cost legal representation would likely return federal dollars to California and reduce reliance on county safety nets by accelerating veterans' access to federal benefits.
