4. Extent of Authority and Duties of Representatives Introduction This topic contains information on the extent of a representative’s authority, including general duties of a representative assistants to attorney representatives access to federal tax information (FTI), and representative’s questions or disputes about representatives. Change Date December 14, 2015 a. General A representative is authorized to prepare, present, and prosecute a claimant’s Duties of a claim and has the authority to Representative review the records claimant’s present evidence on behalf of the claimant submit an intent to file, non-original claim, a notice of disagreement (NOD), or a substantive appeal on behalf of the claimant, and withdraw an appeal. A POA may not sign applications for Veterans benefits Important: original or other forms such as eligibility requiring claimant certification, verification reports. Other forms a POA may not sign include, but are not limited to, the following: VA Form 21-4140, Employment Questionnaire VA Form 21-8940, for Increased Compensation Veteran’s Application Based on Unemployability VA Form 21-4142, Authorization to Disclose Information to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) VA Form 21-4192, Request for Employment Information in Connection With Claim for Disability Benefits VA Form 21-0538, Status of Dependents Questionnaire VA Form 21-8951, Notice of Waiver of VA Compensation to Receive and Military pay, VA Form 21-651, Election of Compensation in Lieu of Retired Pay or Waiver of Retired Pay to Secure Compensation from Department of Veterans Affairs. Prior to March 24, 2015, a POA representative could sign and Exception: submit an informal claim because under the prior regulation, , an informal
4. Extent of Authority and Duties of Representatives Introduction This topic contains information on the extent of a representative’s authority, including general duties of a representative assistants to attorney representatives representative’s access to federal tax information (FTI), and questions or disputes about representatives. Change Date December 14, 2015 a. General Duties of a Representative A representative is authorized to prepare, present, and prosecute a claimant’s claim and has the authority to review the claimant’s records present evidence on behalf of the claimant submit an intent to file, non-original claim, a notice of disagreement (NOD), or a substantive appeal on behalf of the claimant, and withdraw an appeal. Important: A POA may not sign original applications for Veterans benefits or other forms requiring claimant certification, such as eligibility verification reports. Other forms a POA may not sign include, but are not limited to, the following: VA Form 21-4140, Employment Questionnaire VA Form 21-8940, Veteran’s Application for Increased Compensation Based on Unemployability VA Form 21-4142, Authorization to Disclose Information to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) VA Form 21-4192, Request for Employment Information in Connection With Claim for Disability Benefits VA Form 21-0538, Status of Dependents Questionnaire VA Form 21-8951, Notice of Waiver of VA Compensation to Receive Military pay, and VA Form 21-651, Election of Compensation in Lieu of Retired Pay or Waiver of Retired Pay to Secure Compensation from Department of Veterans Affairs. Exception: Prior to March 24, 2015, a POA representative could sign and submit an informal claim because under the prior regulation, , an informal
Historical_M21-1I_3_SecA_12-14-2015.docx