Fiduciary program

What’s a fiduciary?

A fiduciary is a person or organization we trust to help you manage your VA benefit payments. When needed, we may appoint a fiduciary to protect the financial interests of any of the beneficiaries listed here.

Beneficiaries who may need a fiduciary:

• A Veteran
• A surviving spouse
• A dependent parent
• A minor child who is entitled to receive VA benefits
• A helpless child (a child who is permanently unable to support themself) who is entitled to receive VA benefits, including proceeds of VA insurance

How does VA decide I need a fiduciary?

If we determine that you’re unable to manage your VA benefits yourself, we’ll make the decision to appoint a fiduciary to help you.

These are some of the reasons you may need help from a fiduciary:

• You have an injury or disease that prevents you from being able to manage your finances
• You have challenges and limits related to getting older
• You’re limited in what you can do yourself because you’re a minor (under age 18)
• A court or judge decided that you can no longer manage your finances yourself

We sometimes decide you need a fiduciary when we’re reviewing your medical records and other evidence to decide your eligibility for VA benefits. If we decide you need help, we’ll tell you this in your benefit decision letter.

What happens after I get my decision letter?

After you receive your benefit decision letter saying you need a fiduciary, we wait 60 days before notifying the VA Fiduciary Program. This waiting period gives you time to request a hearing or submit additional evidence.

If you don’t appeal during this 60-day period, we’ll notify the VA Fiduciary Program. They’ll send you a letter to explain the next steps.

How do I get ready for my fiduciary field exam?

If we decide you need help managing your VA benefits, we’ll schedule a field exam. This exam helps us understand your needs and select the right fiduciary for you.

Have this information ready for your field exam:

• A government-issued photo ID 
• The source and amount of all your monthly bills, expenses, and income
• A list of all your assets, including bank accounts, owned property, stocks, bonds, life insurance, and burial plans
• The name, phone number, and address of your next of kin or a friend

Note: You can have someone you trust with you during the field exam. This could be a family member, caregiver, or someone you want to recommend as your fiduciary.

How does VA choose the person who will be my fiduciary?

When we contact you before your field exam, you may suggest a person you trust to be your fiduciary. If you don’t have someone to recommend, or the person you suggest doesn’t meet VA requirements, we’ll appoint a professional fiduciary. We consider your preference when selecting a fiduciary whenever possible.

We may consider these people to serve as your fiduciary:

• Your spouse, a relative , a qualified caregiver, or another person you trust who will serve without a fee
• A chief officer of a public or private institution where you get care
• A professional fiduciary

This is how we assess whether that person qualifies:

• We interview the person
• We confirm the person is willing to serve as your fiduciary and to follow VA rules
• We may perform a credit check
• We may perform a criminal background check

What’s a fiduciary responsible for?

A fiduciary helps manage your VA benefits and has several responsibilities.

These are some of a fiduciary’s responsibilities:

• Paying your bills on time
• Establishing a properly titled bank account that shows the money belongs to you and is managed by the fiduciary
• Protecting your private information
• Communicating regularly with you about your VA benefits and needs
• Staying in contact with us and responding to requests
• Reporting changes that may affect your contact information, VA benefits, or ability to manage your affairs
• Maintaining a general understanding of VA benefits you may be eligible for

A fiduciary helps manage VA benefits only. A fiduciary doesn’t manage your non-VA finances.

If we decide you need a fiduciary, it won’t affect these rights:

• Your right to manage your non-VA finances
• Your right to vote
• Your ability to sign legal documents

What should I do if I disagree with VA’s decision to appoint a fiduciary for me?

If you disagree with our decision about your ability to manage your VA benefits or who we choose as your fiduciary, you can request a decision review within 1 year of the date on your decision letter.

We’ll review your case and consider any additional evidence you provide. If we change our decision, we’ll contact you.

Note: If you don’t request a decision review within 1 year of the date on your decision letter, our decision will become final.

Learn about choosing a decision review option

What if I don’t want a fiduciary anymore?

If you believe you can manage your own VA benefits again, you can ask us to review your case. You’ll need to send us a written request and any medical evidence (like a doctor’s report) that supports your request.

Send your request and supporting evidence to this address:

Fiduciary Intake Center
PO Box 5211
Janesville, WI 53547-5211

When is a VA fiduciary allowed to charge a fee?

We may allow a fiduciary to charge a fee in limited situations. We authorize a fee only when no qualified person or organization is willing to serve without one and appointing a paid fiduciary is in your best interest.

We won’t authorize a fee in these cases:

• The fiduciary is your spouse, dependent, or other relative
• The fiduciary receives any other payment for providing fiduciary services to you

An authorized fiduciary fee can’t exceed 4% of your monthly VA benefit payment.

A fiduciary may collect a monthly fee only if all these are true:

• The fiduciary provided services for you, and
• The fiduciary received a recurring VA benefit payment for you, and
• We authorized the fiduciary to receive a fee

A fiduciary can’t take fees from any of these sources:

• One-time, retroactive, or lump-sum payments
• Funds conserved for you, including investments and interest income
• Funds transferred from a previous fiduciary, from the personal funds of patients or any other source

What if I have other questions about the fiduciary program?

You can call us or ask a question online through Ask VA:

• Call the VA Fiduciary Contact Center at
• Use Ask VA to ask a question online