I.i.2.C.1.f. Action Required to Revoke or Change POA | | Take the following actions when a request to revoke POA is received or a new POA is appointed: - update all systems as described in M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 2.C.2.a, and
- notify the revoked representative.
The electronic copy of VA Form 21-22 or VA Form 21-22a must be edited to show that the POA status has been revoked. Follow the steps in the table below to properly annotate and identify the revoked form in the eFolder. | Step | Action |
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| 1 | Open the electronic copy of the form. | | 2 | Print the document, selecting Adobe PDF as the printer. | | 3 | Open the document in Adobe Acrobat Pro. | | 4 | Click the ADD TEXT function and click inside the box where the revocation reason and date is entered. | | 5 | Type in the reason for revocation and the date it is being processed. | | 6 | Save the document on your desktop. | | 7 | Print a copy of the annotated form and send to the former representative. | | 8 | Upload the annotated document to the eFolder with the following attributes: | In the document field … | Enter … |
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| SUBJECT | Revoked. | | CATEGORY – TYPE | the same type as the electronic form being revoked. | | SOURCE | Veteran. | | DATE OF RECEIPT | the same receipt date as the electronic form being revoked. | | 9 | Add a note indicating which POA was revoked. | Notes: - Only the most recent POA must be notified when the representation has been revoked. Do not take action to notify prior POAs that were not previously informed of the revocation.
- Notice of revocation is not required when representation ends due to the death of the beneficiary, however, the POA must be removed from the record. If the beneficiary is
- the Veteran (payee code 00), processing the first notice of death (FNOD) is sufficient, as the FNOD command terminates the POA of record, or
- a non-payee code 00 beneficiary, the POA must be manually removed from the record using VBMS after processing the notice of death.
References: For more information on - updating POA in electronic systems, see M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 2.C.2
- revoked or terminated representation, see M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 2.A.6
- uploading eFolder documents or changing the subject line of a document in an eFolder, see the VBMS Core User Guide, and
- Veteran FNOD processing, see M21-1, Part XI, Subpart i, 1.A.
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I.i.2.C.1.g. Handling an Outdated VA Form 21-22 or VA Form 21-22a | | Send a development letter requesting completion of the current version of the VA Form 21-22 or VA Form 21-22a, when a claimant submits an outdated version of the form. With the letter- provide the current version of the form for completion, and
- return the outdated form.
Important: If the outdated form was received in the Centralized Mail (CM) portal, print a copy of the form, create the development letter, and associate a copy of the development letter and the mail with the eFolder. Reference: For more information on handling outdated forms, see M21-1, Part II, Subpart i, 2.B.4. |
I.i.2.C.1.h. Handling an Incomplete VA Form 21-22 or VA Form 21-22a | | Use the procedure below if VA Form 21-22 or VA Form 21-22a is incomplete. | If the VSO is ... | Then ... |
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| located in the same building as the RO | - forward the form to the VSO for completion, and
- check all necessary incomplete items on the form.
| - not located in the same building as the RO, and
- there is an end product (EP) pending
| return the incomplete form to the claimant with a letter listing all necessary items on the for completion. | - not located in the same building as the RO, and
- there is no EP pending
| - establish an EP 400 Correspondence
- return the incomplete form to the claimant with a letter listing all necessary items for completion, and
- clear the EP 400.
| Important: If the incomplete form was received in the CM portal, print a copy of the form, take the appropriate action identified in the table above, then associate the mail with the eFolder. Note: The VBMS development action Form incomplete can be found under the category GENERAL. Reference: For more information on VBMS development actions, see the VBMS Core User Guide. |
I.i.2.C.1.i. Acknowledging Receipt of VA Form 21-22 or VA Form 21-22a | | The current versions of VA Form 21-22 or VA Form 21-22a no longer have multiple copies to be acknowledged and sent to the POA or representative. Upload the form from the CM portal to the eFolder. No further action to acknowledge receipt of the form is required. Notes: - The documents uploaded from the CM portal are shown in VBMS.
- The service organization is able to view the eFolder claims for Veterans or claimants they represent.
- Veteran Readiness and Employment Service, Education, Insurance, and Loan Guaranty have access to VBMS.
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I.i.2.C.1.j. Unclear Declaration | | If a private attorney’s declaration of representation is unclear whether it is limited to a certain claim/appeal or unlimited, write to the attorney and ask for clarification. |
I.i.2.C.1.k. Handling Appointment Forms When There Is No Record of a Claims Folder | | Use the table below to handle the receipt of VA Form 21-22 or VA Form 21-22a when there is no record of a claims folder or a pending claim. | If … | Then update the POA and… |
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| the form indicates a claim for benefits administered by another business line | send the form to the appropriate business line as indicated in M21-1, Part II, Subpart i, 2.D. | | there is no indication of a claim for benefits being submitted with the form | associate the form with the eFolder after the Veteran is established in the corporate record. |
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I.i.2.C.1.l. Processing Claims From a POA Without Appointment Forms | | For a POA to be authorized to submit claims on behalf of a claimant, there must be an appointment form executed at the time of claim submission. A claim filed by an accredited representative of a VSO, agent, non-licensed individual, or attorney prior to the completion of the necessary VA Form 21-22 or VA Form 21-22a is invalid and has no legal effect. Use the table below to determine how to process claim submissions from a POA when the required appointment form is not of record. | If ... | Then ... |
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| the submitted claim form contains the claimant’s signature | accept the submission as a valid claim. | | the submitted claim form does not contain the claimant’s signature | process the submission as a request for application under M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 2.G. | - the submitted claim form does not contain the claimant’s signature, and
- the RO subsequently receives an appointment form dated on or before the submission of the claim in question
| accept the submission as a valid claim, if the POA has authority to submit it. | Reference: For more information on POA authority to submit claims, see M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 2.A.4.b. |
2. Updating Electronic Systems for POAIntroduction | | This topic contains information on updating electronic systems for POA, including- required system updates for changes in POA appointments
- updating the POA and POA permissions in VBMS
- handling preexisting representative relationships, and
- actions to take when the POA code cannot be found.
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I.i.2.C.2.a. Required System Updates for Changes in POA Appointments | | The following system updates are required when a claimant appoints a new representative or revokes a current representative: - VBMS, and
- Veterans Appeals Control and Locator System (VACOLS) (if there is an active legacy appeal pending at the RO).
References: For more information on- updating the POA in VACOLS, see the VACOLS User Guide
- updating the POA and POA permissions in VBMS, see M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 2.C.2.b, and
- using flashes in attorney fee cases, see M21-5, Chapter 8, Section A.2.e.
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I.i.2.C.2.b. Updating the POA and POA Permissions in VBMS | | Use VBMS to reflect the appointment of a POA, as well as the POA’s permission to change a claimant’s address and/or access to a Veteran’s eFolder. Navigate to the Veteran’s profile and access the POA screen from the VETERAN drop-down menu. Click the EDIT GENERAL POA button and make the appropriate selections. Important: - Private attorneys accredited by VA and assigned a POA code will be listed under the VSO option, not Private.
- Do not allow POA access to the Veteran’s eFolder if the claimant has not provided specific authorization to release all records protected by 38 U.S.C. 7332 (including cases where the claimant has provided a limited authorization).
Exception: When the POA is appointed to assist the claimant on a specific claim (limited representation), open the specific EP from the CLAIMS drop-down menu and click EDIT CLAIM DETAILS. Select the POA code and update the POA’s authority to change the claimant’s address and/or access the Veteran’s claim folder (as appropriate). References: For more information on- editing POA information in VBMS, see the VBMS Core User Guide
- identifying if the POA should have permission to
- limited representation by a POA, see
- M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 2.A.2.d
- M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 2.C.1.b, and
- M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 2.C.2.c, and
- accessing EP and claim details in VBMS, see the VBMS Core User Guide.
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I.i.2.C.2.c. Handling Preexisting Representative Relationships | | When a claimant files a limited declaration of representation with respect to a particular claim or claims, continue any preexisting representative relationship with a VSO, agent, or other licensed attorney with respect to all other claims unless specifically revoked by the claimant. Note: Update the EP in VBMS to reflect the limited representation by adding the limited representative’s POA code to the EP(s) for the particular claim(s) covered by the declaration of representation, as indicated in M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 2.C.2.b. |
I.i.2.C.2.d. Actions to Take When the POA Code Cannot Be Found | | Locate the POA using the Office of General Counsel (OGC) Accreditation Search. If the POA was ...| Then ... | |
|---|
| found | - use POA code 099
- add a VBMS note explaining the situation and actions taken, and
- follow the procedure in M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, 2.C.3 to have the POA added to the corporate database.
| | not found | - add a VBMS note explaining why the POA could not be updated, and
- forward the information to the Agent and Attorney Fee Coordinator (AAFC) for follow-up with the POA. No further action is required.
| Reference: For more information on the AAFC’s responsibilities in handling non-accredited POA submissions, see M21-5, Chapter 8, Section A. |
3. POA Codes
Introduction | | This topic contains information on the POA codes, including- general information on POA codes
- adding POA codes to the corporate database
- updating an incorrect private attorney/agent address in the corporate database
- National organization POA codes listed
- alphabetically, and
- numerically, and
- State organization POA codes listed
- alphabetically, and
- numerically.
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| Change Date | | March 20, 2025 |
I.i.2.C.3.a. General Information on POA Codes | | Accredited POAs are assigned an alphanumerical code after validation by OGC. These POA codes are displayed in the - corporate record as either alphanumeric codes or by the name of the organization, and
- Beneficiary Identification and Records Locator Subsystem using the alphanumeric codes prefixed by a zero.
Most state VSO codes are based on the last two digits of the RO number. Only one number is used when there is more than one RO to a state. States not listed have no recognized VSO. Important: Private attorneys or agents submitting requests to represent a VA claimant must be verified as accredited by OGC, per 38 CFR 14.629 . Reference: For a list of accredited VSOs, attorneys, and agents, see the OGC Accreditation Search. |
I.i.2.C.3.b. Adding POA Codes to the Corporate Database | | Data Architecture is responsible for adding new POA codes to the corporate database. This occurs when a POA is not located in corporate but is found in the OGC Accreditation Search. Follow the procedures in the table below to have the POA added to the corporate database. | Stage | Description |
|---|
| 1 | Report an issue in the YourIT Service Portal and include the- POA code
- name of agent, attorney, or representative
- role, such as
- claims agent
- an attorney, or
- VSO representative
- POA’s contact information (address, phone, fax, and e-mail), and
- a request to route the ticket to the VBA CORP DA team for processing.
| | 2 | Update the claimant’s profile to include POA code 099 as a placeholder until the corporate database is updated. Note: YourIT will open a trouble ticket to track the issue. When the POA code has been added to the corporate database, YourIT will notify the employee who submitted the request and close the ticket. | | 3 | Upon receiving the notification of a newly established POA code, the AAFC will- contact the individual attorney or agent to identify any other Veterans or claimants represented
- verify the validity of the other client's VA Form 21-22a, and
- update all records as necessary.
Note: Historically, these individuals may have been assigned a 099 (no exclusive contact) or 066 (exclusive contact) code and will not automatically be displayed for the specific attorney in Share, VBMS, or SEP. |
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I.i.2.C.3.d. National Organization POA Codes Listed Alphabetically | | The table below lists the POA codes for National VSOs alphabetically. | National Organization Name | POA Code |
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| African American PTSD Association | 091 | | American Legion | 074 | | American Red Cross | 075 | | American Veterans/AMVETS | 077 | | Armed Forces Services Corporation | 078 | | Army and Navy Union, USA | 079 | | Blinded Veterans Association | 080 | | Catholic War Veterans of the U.S.A. | 081 | | Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation | HW0 | | Disabled American Veterans | 083 | | Fleet Reserve Association | 085 | | Gila River Indian Community Vet and Family Services Office | JVC | | Gold Star Wives of America, Inc. | 012 | | Green Beret Foundation | HTC | | Italian American War Veterans of the United States, Inc. | 095 | | Jewish War Veterans of the United States | 086 | | Legion of Valor of the United States of America, Inc. | 087 | | Marine Corps League | 088 | | Military Officers Association of America | A21 | | National Association for Black Veterans, Inc. | 084 | | National Association of County Veterans Service Officers | 064 | | National Law School Veterans Clinic Consortium | FYT | | National Montford Point Marine Association, Inc. | JLW | | National Veterans Legal Services Program | 082 | | National Veterans Organization of America | 094 | | Navajo Nation Veterans Administration | IP4 | | Navy Mutual Aid Association | 093 | | Paralyzed Veterans of America, Inc. | 071 | | Polish Legion of American Veterans, U.S.A. | 003 | | Swords to Plowshares, Veterans Rights Organization, Inc. | 043 | | The Retired Enlisted Association | 007 | | United Spanish War Veterans of the United States | 096 | | United Spinal Association, Inc. | 090 | | Veterans of Foreign Wars | 097 | | Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans Coalition | 4R4 | | Veterans of World War I of the U.S.A., Inc. | 098 | | Veterans’ Voice of America | J3C | | Vietnam Veterans of America | 070 | | The Wounded Warrior Project | 00V |
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I.i.2.C.3.e. National Organization POA Codes Listed Numerically | | The table below lists the POA codes for National organizations numerically. | POA Code | National Organization Name |
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| A21 | Military Officers Association of America | | FYT | National Law School Veterans Clinic Consortium | | HTC | Green Beret Foundation | | HW0 | Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation | | IP4 | Navajo Nation Veterans Administration | | J3C | Veterans’ Voice of America | | JLW | National Montford Point Marine Association, Inc. | | JVC | Gila River Indian Community Vet and Family Services Office | | 00V | The Wounded Warrior Project | | 003 | Polish Legion of American Veterans, U.S.A | | 007 | The Retired Enlisted Association | | 012 | Gold Star Wives of America, Inc. | | 043 | Swords to Plowshares, Veterans Rights Organization, Inc. | | 064 | National Association of County Veterans Service Officers | | 070 | Vietnam Veterans of America | | 071 | Paralyzed Veterans of America, Inc. | | 074 | American Legion | | 075 | American Red Cross | | 077 | American Veterans/AMVETS | | 078 | Armed Forces Services Corporation | | 079 | Army and Navy Union, USA | | 080 | Blinded Veterans Association | | 081 | Catholic War Veterans of the U.S.A. | | 082 | National Veterans Legal Services Program | | 083 | Disabled American Veterans | | 084 | National Association for Black Veterans, Inc. | | 085 | Fleet Reserve Association | | 086 | Jewish War Veterans of the United States | | 087 | Legion of Valor of the United States of America, Inc. | | 088 | Marine Corps League | | 090 | United Spinal Association, Inc. | | 091 | African American PTSD Association | | 093 | Navy Mutual Aid Association | | 094 | National Veterans Organization of America | | 095 | Italian American War Veterans of the United States, Inc. | | 096 | United Spanish War Veterans of the United States | | 097 | Veterans of Foreign Wars | | 098 | Veterans of World War I of the U.S.A., Inc. | | 4R4 | Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans Coalition |
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I.i.2.C.3.f. State Organization POA Codes Listed Alphabetically | | The table below lists the POA codes for State organizations alphabetically by State. | State | State Organization Name | POA Code |
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| Alabama | Department of Veterans Affairs | 022 | | American Samoa | Veterans Affairs Office | 067 | | Arizona | Department of Veterans’ Services | 045 | | Arkansas | Department of Veterans Affairs | 050 | | California | Department of Veterans Affairs | 044 | | Colorado | Division of Veterans Affairs | 039 | | Connecticut | Department of Veterans' Affairs | 008 | | Delaware | Commission of Veterans Affairs | 060 | | Florida | Department of Veterans Affairs | 017 | | Georgia | Department of Veterans Service | 016 | | Guam | Office of Veterans Affairs | 056 | | Hawaii | Office of Veterans Services | 059 | | Idaho | Division of Veterans Services | 047 | | Illinois | Department of Veterans Affairs | 028 | | Indiana | Department of Veterans Affairs | E5L | | Iowa | Department of Veterans Affairs | 033 | | Kansas | Commission on Veterans Affairs | 052 | | Kentucky | Center for Veterans Affairs | 027 | | Louisiana | Department of Veterans Affairs | 021 | | Maine | Veterans' Services | 002 | | Maryland | Department of Veterans Affairs | 013 | | Massachusetts | Executive Office of Veterans Services | 4R3 | | Michigan | Veterans Affairs Agency | 8FE | | Minnesota | Department of Veterans Affairs | 035 | | Mississippi | Veterans Affairs Board | 023 | | Missouri | Veterans Commission | 031 | | Montana | Veterans Affairs Division | 036 | | Nebraska | Department of Veterans Affairs | 034 | | Nevada | Department of Veterans Services | 054 | | New Hampshire | Division of Veteran Services | 073 | | New Jersey | Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs | 009 | | New Mexico | Veterans' Service Commission | 040 | | New York | Division of Veterans' Affairs | 006 | | Northern Mariana Islands | Veterans Affairs Office | 053 | | North Carolina | Department of Military & Veterans Affairs | 018 | | North Dakota | Department of Veterans Affairs | 037 | | Ohio | Department of Veterans Services | 025 | | Oklahoma | Department of Veterans Affairs | 051 | | Oregon | Department of Veterans Affairs | 048 | | Pennsylvania | Department of Military and Veterans Affairs | 010 | | Puerto Rico | Public Advocate for Veterans Affairs | 055 | | Rhode Island | Division of Veterans Affairs | 004 | | South Carolina | Division of Veterans Affairs | 019 | | South Dakota | Department of Veterans Affairs | 038 | | Tennessee | Department of Veterans Services | 020 | | Texas | Veterans Commission | 049 | | Utah | Office of Veterans Affairs | 041 | | Vermont | Veterans Affairs Section, Military Department | 005 | | Virgin Islands | Office of Veterans Affairs | 302 | | Virginia | Department of Veterans Services | 014 | | Washington | Department of Veterans Affairs | 046 | | West Virginia | Department of Veterans Assistance | 015 | | Wisconsin | Department of Veterans Affairs | 030 | | Wyoming | Veterans Commission | 869 |
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I.i.2.C.3.g. State Organization POA Codes Listed Numerically | | The table below lists the POA codes for State organizations numerically. | POA Code | State | State Organization Name |
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| E5L | Indiana | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 002 | Maine | Veterans' Services | | 004 | Rhode Island | Division of Veterans Affairs | | 005 | Vermont | Veterans Affairs Section, Military Department | | 006 | New York | Division of Veterans' Affairs | | 008 | Connecticut | Department of Veterans' Affairs | | 009 | New Jersey | Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs | | 010 | Pennsylvania | Department of Military and Veterans Affairs | | 013 | Maryland | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 014 | Virginia | Department of Veterans Services | | 015 | West Virginia | Department of Veterans Assistance | | 016 | Georgia | Department of Veterans Service | | 017 | Florida | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 018 | North Carolina | Department of Military & Veterans Affairs | | 019 | South Carolina | Division of Veterans Affairs | | 020 | Tennessee | Department of Veterans Services | | 021 | Louisiana | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 022 | Alabama | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 023 | Mississippi | Veterans Affairs Board | | 025 | Ohio | Department of Veterans Services | | 027 | Kentucky | Center for Veterans Affairs | | 028 | Illinois | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 030 | Wisconsin | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 031 | Missouri | Veterans Commission | | 032 | Virgin Islands | Office of Veterans Affairs | | 033 | Iowa | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 034 | Nebraska | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 035 | Minnesota | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 036 | Montana | Veterans Affairs Division | | 037 | North Dakota | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 038 | South Dakota | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 039 | Colorado | Division of Veterans Affairs | | 040 | New Mexico | Veterans' Service Commission | | 041 | Utah | Office of Veterans Affairs | | 044 | California | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 045 | Arizona | Department of Veterans’ Services | | 046 | Washington | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 047 | Idaho | Division of Veterans Services | | 048 | Oregon | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 049 | Texas | Veterans Commission | | 050 | Arkansas | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 051 | Oklahoma | Department of Veterans Affairs | | 052 | Kansas | Commission on Veterans Affairs | | 053 | Northern Mariana Islands | Veterans Affairs Office | | 054 | Nevada | Department of Veterans Services | | 055 | Puerto Rico | Public Advocate for Veterans Affairs | | 056 | Guam | Office of Veterans Affairs | | 059 | Hawaii | Office of Veterans Services | | 060 | Delaware | Commission of Veterans Affairs | | 067 | American Samoa | Veterans Affairs Office | | 073 | New Hampshire | Division of Veteran Services | | 4R3 | Massachusetts | Executive Office of Veterans Services | | 869 | Wyoming | Veterans Commission | | 8FE | Michigan | Veterans Affairs Agency |
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Source: VA M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual, M21-1, Part I, Subpart i, Chapter 2, Section C (U.S. government work, reproduced for reference). Browse all sections →
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