Real people, real credentials, and tools that cost you nothing
I built this because too many veterans leave benefits on the table when nobody explained the system in plain English. We fix that with free calculators, honest guidance, and a VA-accredited claims agent — me, Albert Thombs, #45147 — when you want a hand on your claim.
Who we are
We are a VA-accredited claims practice paired with a free education hub. On one side, calculators and guides help any veteran see their rating, their back pay, and the benefits they qualify for in real dollars, with nothing to buy and nothing to sign up for. On the other, Albert L. Thombs Jr. (accredited claims agent #45147) and a team of advocates represent veterans who need experienced help with a claim or appeal.
Both sides share one rule: the VA system is adversarial whether anyone admits it or not, and a veteran who understands the rules gets a fairer outcome. That is why every calculator returns a real number instead of a lead-capture form, every guide cites the actual regulation behind it, and the accreditation number is printed in plain sight on this page.
We are not a call center and we are not a claim shark. We are a small, accountable team that treats your claim the way we would want our own family's handled: honestly, thoroughly, and with respect for the years of service that earned the benefit in the first place.
Albert Thombs
VA Accredited Claims Agent #45147
U.S. Army veteran, 100% service-connected disabled, medically discharged after 12 years of service. He spent over a decade fighting the VA for his own benefits — now he and a team of 10 advocates do it the right way for veterans and families nationwide.
20+ helping veterans
A decade of VA claims advocacy
From the accredited practice behind vadisabilityadvocate.com — trusted by veterans and their families for over a decade.
vadisabilityadvocate.comWhy families trust this help
Real credentials. Real accountability. No claim sharks.
There is a lot of noise out there — unaccredited consultants who charge illegal fees and disappear when it matters. Here is the difference, in facts you can verify yourself.
VA-accredited, and you can check
Albert L. Thombs Jr. is VA Accredited Claims Agent #45147. Look it up yourself in the VA Office of General Counsel database. Accreditation is not a marketing badge. It is federal authorization to represent veterans and access your claims file.
Federally accountable
Accredited agents answer to the VA General Counsel and are bound by 38 CFR standards of conduct. That is a level of oversight the claim sharks who cold-call veterans simply do not have.
No upfront fees, ever
By law, no one may charge you to file an initial claim — and we never do. Representation on an appeal is contingency-based under 38 CFR §14.636: you pay nothing unless we win, and every fee is disclosed in writing first.
Free tools, no email wall
Every calculator, screener, and benefit guide on this site is free and open — no account, no email harvesting, no paywall. The information belongs to you because you earned it.
The system is adversarial. These tools level the field.
The VA claims process is adversarial whether anyone admits it or not. Decisions ride on a single exam, effective dates default to the least generous reading of the file, and the regulations that decide your check are buried in language most people never get to read. A veteran who does not know the rules is at a permanent disadvantage — not because their claim is weak, but because nobody showed them how the game is scored.
We built this hub to level that field before money ever changes hands. The calculators run the same math the VA uses to combine ratings, figure back pay, and test for TDIU. The guides translate the actual regulations — 38 CFR Part 4, 38 CFR §4.16, the PACT Act, and more — into plain English you can act on. Nothing is gated, nothing is sold, and nothing pressures you to hire anyone.
If, after all that, you decide you want an experienced hand on your claim, a VA-accredited agent is one tap away. But that is your call to make — from a position of knowledge, the way it should have been from the start.
How VA disability compensation works
A short official overview from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on how disability compensation works — the same foundation our calculators are built on. Watch it, then run your own numbers with the free tools. Want to talk it through with a person? Albert is one tap away.
What makes us different
Let me be straight with you. A lot of companies say they want to help with your claim, and plenty of them are counting on the fact that you are tired, hurting, and do not know the rules well enough to tell the difference. Some are unaccredited “claim coaches” who charge illegal fees the VA never authorized, and some are call centers that file a form and vanish the moment the decision gets hard. Here is what actually sets this practice apart, in plain facts you can check for yourself — not slogans. Every one of these differences exists because I lived the other side of it: a decade fighting the VA for my own benefits before I ever fought one for you.
Free tools, no sign-up wall
Combined rating, TDIU, back pay, toxic-exposure screener, and more. Run them right now, see real dollar estimates, and walk away with no strings attached.
- No account required
- Nothing to install
- Instant dollar estimates
Plain English, real regulations
The VA speaks in acronyms and buried CFR sections. We translate the parts that decide your rating and your check into language any veteran can act on, and we cite the reg behind every claim.
- Step-by-step benefit guides
- Real examples, not jargon
- Ask Albert 24/7
Accredited, not anonymous
VA-accredited claims agent #45147, held to federal standards of conduct and fee rules. Not an unaccredited "claim coach" who charges illegal fees and disappears.
- VA-accredited agent
- Fees follow federal law
- Your file, your control
We read the whole file
Most veterans are under-rated because a secondary condition was missed, an effective date was set too late, or back pay was never claimed. We look at every page, not just the obvious rating.
- Secondary conditions
- Effective dates & back pay
- Special monthly compensation
What we stand for
Four principles guide every tool we build and every claim we fight, and I do not treat them as a wall poster. They are the reason a calculator here hands you a real dollar number instead of a lead-capture form, the reason every guide cites the actual CFR section behind it, and the reason my accreditation number, #45147,is printed in plain sight where any veteran can verify it. When you understand what a practice stands for, you can hold it accountable — so read these, and then hold me to every one of them.
Education before representation
A veteran who understands the rules gets a fairer outcome. We explain the ratings, the regulations, and the money in plain English before we ever talk about hiring us.
Free means free
Every calculator, screener, and benefit guide is open. No account, no email wall, no drip campaign. The information belongs to you because you earned it.
Accountable by federal law
When a veteran hires us, they work with a VA-accredited claims agent bound by federal standards of conduct under 38 CFR. Our accreditation number is public so you can verify it yourself.
The whole claim, not just one rating
We look past a single decision to secondary conditions, effective dates, back pay, and special monthly compensation. If the evidence supports it, we fight for it.
Meet the team
Behind the calculators is a small, accountable team that works directly with veterans — not a call center and not a rotating cast of strangers. These are the people who answer the phone, build the case, and stand behind every claim we touch.
Albert L. Thombs Jr.
CEO, Founder & VA-Accredited Claims Agent
VA Accreditation #45147U.S. Army veteran, 100% service-connected disabled, medically discharged after 12 years. Albert spent over a decade navigating the claims system himself before founding the practice to do it the right way for other veterans. His accreditation number is public so any veteran can verify exactly who they are working with.
Toni Crawley
VA Disability Advocate
VA-accredited teamToni works directly with veterans to gather evidence, organize medical records, and keep claims moving forward. She is the steady hand who makes sure nothing you are owed falls through a paperwork crack.
Shawnda Fischer
VA Disability Advocate
VA-accredited teamShawnda digs into the details that decide claims: secondary conditions, effective dates, and the exam findings the rating schedule actually requires. Every case she touches is built to be evaluated on its merits.
Vangie Thombs
CFO & Administrator
Operations & client careVangie runs the operations and client-care side of the practice. Every veteran who reaches out is answered quickly and treated with the respect their service earned, from the first call to the final decision.
Have a question about your benefits?
No cost, no obligation, and no sales pitch waiting on the other end. If something on this site raised a question — about your rating, your back pay, a secondary condition you think got missed, or whether you should even file at all — ask it. You can chat with Albert right now, send an email, or pick up the phone, whatever is easiest for you. A real person who understands the VA system will answer, and if the honest answer is “you do not need to hire anybody, here is what to do next,” that is exactly what you will hear.
