Editor’s note: This article first appeared on The War Horse , an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service, under the headline, “VA Warned These Companies They May Be Breaking the Law. Most Are Still in Business.” Subscribe to their newsletter .

Helping veterans get through the red tape of applying for VA disability benefits has become a multibillion-dollar industry over the past decade. Which might be surprising, because charging vets for such help may be against federal law.

An investigation by The War Horse and NPR reveals that over the past 10 years, the Department of Veterans Affairs has sent more than 40 letters to dozens of claims consulting companies, sometimes called “claims sharks” by critics, warning them to review the

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