VA claims agent income estimator
Quick answer: Enter the past-due benefits you expect to win per case and how many cases you handle per month. The estimator shows your fee per case at 20%, the amount presumed reasonable under 38 CFR 14.636(f), plus monthly and annual projections at 1, 5, and 10 cases per month. For example, $25,000 in past-due benefits per case at 5 cases per month projects to $25,000 a month and $300,000 a year before expenses and the cases you lose.
TL;DR
- Fee per case is 20% of past-due benefits (presumed reasonable, and the direct-pay cap).
- Monthly and annual projections shown at 1, 5, and 10 cases per month.
- These are estimates only. Agents are paid only after winning past-due benefits.
A typical planning figure, not a promise. Real cases vary enormously.
Before the 5% direct-pay assessment (capped at $100 per case), before expenses, taxes, and the cases you lose.
Honest caveats, read these first
- These are simple arithmetic estimates, not predictions. Nothing here is guaranteed.
- Agents are paid only after winning past-due benefits. A lost case produces no fee.
- VA pays fees directly only up to 20% of past-due benefits. Anything above 20% must be collected from the claimant, and over 33 1/3% is presumed unreasonable (38 CFR 14.636(f)).
- When VA pays directly, it withholds 5% of the fee as an assessment, capped at $100 per case, which the agent may not recover from the claimant (38 U.S.C. 5904(a)(6)).
- No fee may be charged before the claimant receives notice of the initial decision (38 U.S.C. 5904(c)(1)).
- Real income depends on case volume, win rate, average past-due amounts, and how long cases take to resolve. Claims can take months or years.
How the math works
Under 38 CFR 14.636(f), a fee of 20% or less of past-due benefits is presumed reasonable, and 20% is also the most VA will pay an agent directly from past-due benefits. So fee per case equals past-due benefits times 0.20. Multiply by cases per month for monthly gross, and by 12 for annual. That is the entire model, which is why the projections above are honest arithmetic and not a business plan.
Learn the full fee framework in what fees VA claims agents can charge and how much claims agents make.
Frequently asked questions
How much do VA claims agents make per case?
It varies widely. A fee of 20% of past-due benefits is presumed reasonable under 38 CFR 14.636(f), so $25,000 in past-due benefits produces a $5,000 fee at 20%. Actual fees depend on the past-due amount, the fee agreement, and whether VA pays directly (capped at 20%).
When do VA claims agents get paid?
Agents are paid only after winning past-due benefits for the claimant. With direct pay, VA withholds the fee from the past-due award and pays the agent, minus a 5% assessment capped at $100.
Can a VA claims agent charge more than 20%?
Between 20% and 33 1/3%, VA decides reasonableness case by case. Over 33 1/3% is presumed unreasonable. VA pays agents directly only up to 20%, so any amount above 20% must be collected from the claimant.
Are these income estimates guaranteed?
No. These are simple arithmetic projections, not predictions. Real income depends on case volume, win rate, average past-due amounts, and how long cases take to resolve. Agents are paid only after winning past-due benefits.