COLUMBIA, SC (SCDVA) - Four days, 24 counties, and 54 accredited claims representatives, all to give benefits and claims representatives across South Carolina more tools to advocate for Veterans.

These representatives are certified by Veteran service organizations or through the South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs (SCDVA). They provide Veterans with free help filing a claim, gathering evidence, requesting decision reviews, and so much more.

SCDVA and National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) partnered to enhance representatives' knowledge of the claims process by educating them on how to present written arguments, leverage benefits laws, and providing concrete steps to follow when preparing an appeal. All of these lessons will help accredited claims representatives advocate for Veterans and work toward providing the most qualified help available to assist them with filing claims and accessing their benefits for free.

NVLSP is a nonprofit organization that operates with the goal of ensuring Veterans, active-duty personnel, and their families receive the benefits to which they are entitled. Through our partnership, we are able provide South Carolina's Veterans with free legal counsel and advice for claims that have surpassed Veterans Board of Appeals process. NVLSP works pro-bono to gain settlements and represent cases all the way to the Supreme Court. This means that Veterans who file with SCDVA accredited representatives do not have to pay for their own lawyers should their case require it, and those representatives also have access to NVSLP's 911-VSO hotline. Additionally, the organization trained more than 7,500 representatives in 2025 alone, and SCDVA is excited to be a part of that number for 2026.

The success and benefit of this training partnership is the result of months of planning, communication, and cooperation between SCDVA, VSOs across the Palmetto state, and NVLSP. SCDVA's Deputy Directorof Claims and Benefits, Patricia Wortherly-Foye previewed NVLSP's training and met with various county officers to determine South Carolina's specific training needs. She and NVLSP worked together to tweak the training, so it was impactful, relevant, and beneficial to South Carolinians. Wortherly-Foye said, "the idea was to allow as many representatives as possible to access high-quality relevant claims and benefits information." With representatives from 35 out of 46 counties in attendance, the event was a success. 

Wortherly-Foye, says "those who attended the training are excited to bring the information back to their counties," and reported that participation and energy throughout the week was incredible to witness.

Looking to the future, SCDVA plans to continue its partnership with NVLSP by hosting another training in 2027, ensuring that, as new representatives are appointed, they receive access to this high-quality training.