How Claim Raven works with your VSO
Claim Raven is self-service research software for veterans who want to understand their own VA disability claim. It is not accredited representation, and it is built to work alongside the representative you already have. This page says exactly what it does, what it never does, and how a county or state veterans office can put it in front of the veterans it serves.
What Claim Raven does
It reads the records and letters you already have, shows you what they say in plain language, and shows you what the Board of Veterans' Appeals has decided in cases like yours, with the case counts and methodology on the page. You use that to prepare for the meeting with your representative, to understand a decision letter before you decide what to do about it, and to organize evidence before you file.
What Claim Raven never does
Claim Raven works alongside your accredited representative. It never replaces one. We never take a percentage of your back pay. Plans are a flat monthly price you can cancel any time from your billing page. We never contact VA about your claim and never file anything on your behalf. We do not write medical opinions, and no software should: a nexus opinion is medical evidence that only a qualified provider can make, review, and sign.
If you already have a VSO, attorney, or claims agent
Keep them. An accredited representative can do things software cannot: represent you, file on your behalf, and carry an appeal. What Claim Raven adds is preparation. Veterans arrive at their appointment already knowing what their decision letter said, what evidence the Board has looked for in similar cases, and which questions to ask. That makes the representative's time count for more.
If you do not have a representative yet
Start with a free accredited one. County veterans service officers, DAV, VFW, and the American Legion represent veterans at no charge, and VA maintains a public directory of accredited representatives. Claim Raven's free tools, including the statistics pages, the diagnostic-code reference, and the condition guides, need no account and can be used before, during, and after that relationship.
For county and state veterans offices
Claim Raven offers a 90-day pilot to county and state veterans offices at no cost: staff accounts for the officers who want them, a page for the office's veterans that lists the free tools, and a written summary at the end that the office can keep. The office keeps every decision about representation, claim strategy, and filing. Veterans keep authorship of anything they write. Nothing in the pilot sends veteran data to Claim Raven that the veteran did not choose to enter, and nothing is shared with the office that the veteran did not choose to share. Write to help@claimraven.com with "county pilot" in the subject line.
Common questions
Is Claim Raven VA-accredited?
No. Claim Raven is software. It does not represent veterans, does not file claims, and does not contact VA. VA's accredited representatives are listed in VA's public directory.
Does using Claim Raven affect my VSO relationship?
No. Nothing in Claim Raven communicates with your representative unless you choose to share a document with them. Your representative remains your representative.
Does Claim Raven charge a percentage of back pay?
Never. Every paid plan is a flat monthly or annual price with no fee tied to a rating, an award, or back pay.