Frequently asked questions about VAC claims and 270 West Consulting

Things veterans ask us most.

Answers to the most common questions about Veterans Affairs Canada benefits, our services, pricing, and process.

About 270 West

No. 270 West is an independent, Canadian-owned company with roots in veterans helping veterans navigate the VAC process. We work collaboratively within the system and help veterans understand their options, prepare their claim information and navigate next steps. VAC independently makes decisions about benefits and eligibility.

We are headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with offices in communities across Atlantic Canada and Ontario. Wherever you are in Canada, our team can support you by phone or virtually.

Yes. We are BBB Accredited.

Our team has supported more than 1,700 clients through thousands of claims. That experience gives us a broad understanding of a process that can involve different application routes, service and medical information, follow-up requests and decisions. It helps us know what questions to ask, what information may be relevant and where a claim may need closer attention. Every claim is considered individually, and VAC makes all decisions about eligibility and benefits.

We can connect clients with health-care professionals for medical assessments and treatment related to their claim where appropriate. Whether a practitioner can take someone on as an ongoing patient depends on that practitioner’s availability and capacity.

Yes. We take on preparation, organization and follow-up, but it remains your claim. We review the information with you, and you decide what will go to VAC. When it is ready, we help you file it.

Yes, if you want them involved. Partners, family members and caregivers can play an important role in helping you manage appointments, information and decisions.

Pricing & process

Conversations with our team are always free. If you choose to work with us on a claim, our fee is 10% on a successful claim. The fee reflects the full support we provide: research, preparation, appointment coordination, documentation, helping you file, tracking what is outstanding, explaining VAC updates and decisions, and helping you understand benefits and supports. You only pay if the claim is successful, and we explain the fee and terms before you decide to proceed.

No. The 10% success fee applies to the claim support described above. Some other guidance and resources are available at no charge, and we explain what is included before you decide whether to work with us.

Yes. The Status Checker and conversations with our team are free. If you later choose to work with us on a claim, we explain the 10% success fee, what it covers and the terms before you decide whether to proceed.

The VAC status check is about two minutes. From there, timelines depend on your situation and on VAC’s review process. We set realistic expectations together in our first meeting.

We help Canadian veterans and their families understand and navigate VAC disability benefits. That can include understanding your options, organizing the information a claim needs, preparing the paperwork with you, connecting you with medical professionals and resources, helping you get ready to file, and supporting you through VAC’s decision and what may come next.

VAC programs

VAC offers a range of programs, including Disability Benefits, Income Replacement Benefit, the Veterans Independence Program (VIP), Caregiver Recognition Benefit and other health, rehabilitation and support programs. Eligibility varies by program. We can help you understand which programs may be relevant to your situation.

We can still help. We go through the decision with you, explain the review routes that may apply and look at what supporting information may be missing. Bring us your story and we will walk through it together.

Yes. Veterans can apply directly to VAC, and free support options are available. Some veterans choose 270 West because the process can involve different routes, records, medical information, appointments and follow-up. Our team brings experience from thousands of claims and can coordinate the practical work while keeping you informed and in control.

Yes. Applying for benefits does not take anything away from another veteran. VAC considers your service, your diagnosed condition and how the two are connected, not whether someone else is more injured or more deserving. If you have learned to live with a service-related health issue, it is still worth understanding what support may be available to you.

Privacy & confidentiality

Yes. Everything you share with us is treated as confidential. We do not share your information with third parties without your written consent.

We maintain client records securely and only for as long as necessary to provide our services. See our Privacy Policy for details.

Filing a VAC claim

Yes. A Benefit Navigator can talk through your situation and what a claim may need. VAC requires a diagnosed condition before it can decide entitlement to disability benefits, and the diagnosis comes from a health-care professional. We can help you arrange that assessment.

It is your opportunity to explain how your condition relates to your service. We help you present the relevant details clearly, and you review and approve the statement before we help you send it to VAC.

A doctor or other health-care professional completes and signs the relevant questionnaire. We help you understand where it fits in the claim and what you need to follow up on.

No. Most claims can move forward without you personally obtaining your full service health records. VAC can request service health records from the Department of National Defence or Library and Archives Canada. If additional records are needed, we can help you understand what to request and where to request it.

Yes. VAC requires each condition to be addressed separately in the application. We help keep the description, medical information and service connection for each condition clear.

VAC Reviews & Appeals

No. VAC conducts a departmental review of its own decision, often considering new information. VRAB is an independent tribunal. Its first stage is a review hearing. An appeal hearing may follow if you disagree with the Board’s review decision.

Yes, a disability assessment can be reviewed or appealed. If your condition has worsened since the assessment, you may instead need a reassessment. The distinction depends on what has changed and which decision you want examined.

No. For VAC disability benefit decisions, there is no time limit to request a review of the Department’s decision. If the matter proceeds to VRAB, the first Board stage is a Review Hearing, followed by an Appeal Hearing if you disagree with the Review decision. Bring the decision letters you have and we can help you understand which route you are at.

Veterans have access to free legal representation through the Bureau of Pensions Advocates for VRAB hearings. A BPA lawyer can advise you, prepare the case and represent you before the Board. Other representation options exist, but the free BPA service is the primary option to explain first. 270 West can help you gather supporting information requested for the case.

VAC reassessments

A VAC reassessment is a new evaluation of the severity of a condition VAC has already recognized. A condition can be entitled even if the earlier assessment was 0% or did not result in a payment. A reassessment may be appropriate when the condition has worsened and current medical information can show the change.

No. A VAC reassessment looks at how an entitled condition has changed since it was assessed. A departmental review asks VAC to look again at an earlier decision. The right route depends on the decision, the information available, and when the change occurred.

A new condition may require a new disability benefits application, even when you believe it is related to an already entitled condition. We can help you distinguish a new claim from a reassessment.

VAC may need a current medical assessment or other clinical information describing the severity of your condition and its impact on your quality of life. The specific reports or questionnaires depend on the condition and the information already available.

No. VAC decides whether the current information supports a higher assessment. A reassessment can affect the level of disability benefits and may also be relevant to treatment coverage connected with the entitled condition.

We help you understand what VAC is asking for, identify who needs to provide the information and, where medical information is needed, connect you with an appropriate provider for an assessment or documentation.

Ongoing support for veterans and families

Yes. We can help you understand the decision letter, look at relevant programs and work through the next practical steps. If you disagree with the decision, we can also help you understand the review and appeal processes.

Yes. Our support for veterans includes explaining general information to family members. To discuss a veteran’s personal case or act on their behalf, we first confirm the veteran’s permission and any authorization needed.

Yes. With the appropriate authorization, 270 West can obtain information from VAC about your account and help you understand it. We can help you prepare questions or information you may need to provide, but we do not relay information to VAC on your behalf.

The veteran applies and designates an informal caregiver. Both the veteran and caregiver complete and sign their respective parts of the application. We can help you understand the steps and what information may be needed.

Working with us

No. You can book a conversation directly. The short online form is an optional starting point.

We look at what you have completed and what remains. Then we explain where our help could be useful. You do not have to start over simply because you contacted us partway through.

Bring the decision letter to a conversation with us. We can help you understand what VAC decided and discuss the routes that may still be available.

Yes. You can apply directly through VAC, and free support options are available. Some veterans choose 270 West because the process can involve different routes, information sources, appointments and follow-up. Our service is for people who want experienced, hands-on help managing those moving pieces while staying informed and in control.

Yes. A person you trust can join the conversation. We confirm your permission before discussing your personal case with them or acting on your behalf.

Absolutely. We respect the support you already have and, with your permission, can coordinate with others where helpful.

Yes. With the appropriate authorization, 270 West can obtain information from VAC about your account and help you understand it. We can help you prepare questions or information you may need to provide, but we do not relay information to VAC on your behalf.

270 West is independent of Veterans Affairs Canada. VAC administers and decides benefits and services; our role is to help veterans understand their options, prepare the information they need and navigate the steps around a claim. We share the same end goal: helping veterans access the benefits and support available to them.

Our services

No. The first meeting is a conversation. We listen, answer questions and explain where we may be able to help. Then you decide whether there is a fit.

No. It remains your claim. We take on much of the preparation, organization and follow-up, but you review the information, ask questions and approve what will go to VAC. When it is ready, we help you file it.

No. VAC makes the decision, and no responsible organization can guarantee the outcome. What we bring is experience across thousands of claims, careful service-history and supporting-information review, relevant precedent research where useful, and hands-on coordination so the claim is as complete and clearly supported as the available information allows.

No. 270 West is an independent, Canadian-owned company with roots in veterans helping veterans navigate the VAC process. We work collaboratively within the system and help veterans understand their options, prepare their claim information and navigate next steps. VAC independently makes decisions about benefits and eligibility.

The VAC status checker

VAC benefits may be available to serving or former Canadian Armed Forces members, eligible RCMP members and, for some programs, family members or survivors. For disability benefits, VAC generally looks at whether there is a diagnosed condition and a connection between that condition and service. Eligibility varies by program and type of service. We can help you understand which programs may be relevant; VAC makes the eligibility decision.

Based on your service and what you share with us, a 270 West team member can discuss VAC benefits and supports that may be relevant and explain what each one generally requires. The online checker is a starting point for that conversation; VAC makes the formal eligibility decision.

Yes. You can use it if you want to discuss a decision, are considering a review or appeal, or have a condition that has changed since your assessment.

The checker helps us understand your service, claim history and what you are trying to do so our team can have a more useful follow-up conversation. It does not connect to My VAC Account or retrieve live application updates.

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