M21-1 Manual  /  Part II, Subpart iii, Chapter 4, Section B

Stakeholder Enterprise Portal (SEP) Claims

M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, Chapter 4, Section B

Overview

In This Section

 This section contains the topic “Introduction to ARP.”

1. Introduction to ARP

Introduction

This topic contains information about ARP and how it interacts with Veterans Benefits Administration systems, including
  • purpose of ARP
  • establishment of power of attorney (POA) through ARP
  • failure to upload VA Form 21-22, Appointment of Veterans Service Organization as Claimant’s Representative, for ARP-established POAs, and
  • form submission via ARP.

Change Date

 September 24, 2026

II.iii.4.B.1.a. Purpose of ARP

 The Accredited Representative Portal (ARP) is a secure online tool for accredited representatives (including Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), private attorneys, and agents) to efficiently establish representation and support claimants through the benefits claim process. Through ARP these representatives can
  • digitally submit an intent to file
  • manage representation requests and agreements received online through a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) claims submission service website
  • submit VA forms, documents, and supporting evidence to the Centralized Mail Portal
  • view submission history, and
  • review claimant details.
Important: With the exception of VA Form 21-22, Appointment of Veterans Service Organization as Claimant’s Representative, ARP does not generate VA forms. Accredited representatives must manually complete the forms and can subsequently submit the files via ARP. Select forms are eligible for data validation to ensure accurate form completion. Notes: References: For

II.iii.4.B.1.b. Establishment of POA Through ARP

 Accredited representatives utilize ARP to complete the power of attorney (POA) establishment process once a claimant initiates the process in VA.gov. ARP functionality
  • allows accredited representatives to
    • accept the representation request, and
    • complete required fields on VA Form 21-22
  • automatically update the corporate record with the POA information, and
  • generate and upload the VA Form 21-22 directly to the claimant’s electronic claims folder (eFolder).
The table below outlines the process that occurs after a claimant selects an accredited representative as the POA through VA.gov.
StageDescription
1 VA Form 21-22 loads into the selected representative’s portal for review.
2 The organization has sixty days to review the representation request.
3 ARP acts based on the representative’s selection. If POA representation is
  • rejected, the claimant is notified of the rejected representation via VA Notify, or
  • accepted, the
    • VA Form 21-22 is uploaded to the eFolder within minutes
    • corporate database is immediately updated to include the newly elected POA information, and
    • claimant is notified of the accepted representation via VA Notify.
Exception: If the representative does not approve or reject representation within sixty days, the
  • request is removed from ARP due to inaction, and
  • claimant is notified through VA Notify.
Important:
  • Any automated POA established through ARP is valid for VA purposes and not subject to the requirements of paper VA Form 21-22 processing.
  • The VA Form 21-22 will indicate electronic submission using the Lighthouse via api.va.gov watermark with the time and date of the submission.
  • As mentioned in M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, 4.B.1.a, private attorneys and claims agents are not able to use this process to manage POA establishment in ARP.
Note: The signature blocks on the VA Form 21-22 will format the signature text as indicated by
  • First Name + Last Name of claimant
  • First Name + Last Name of the accredited representative, and
  • the notation “Signed via api.va.gov” following each signature.

II.iii.4.B.1.c. Failure to Upload VA Form 21-22 for ARP-Established POAs

 In rare circumstances, the VA Form 21-22 may not correctly upload to the eFolder. Claims processors may presume that a POA was legitimately established using the ARP process if a review of the POA history in the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS) shows that the POA appointment update was performed by VAGOVAPI. Claims processors must contact [email protected] if the VA Form 21-22 is not of record and more than 48 hours have passed since the appointment of the POA via ARP. In this specific situation, do not follow the failure-to-upload procedure described in M21-1, Part II, Subpart ii, 2.A. The email to the ARP help desk must Notes:
  • Add a permanent Veteran-level note indicating the VA Form 21-22 failed to upload and actions are being taken to recover the document.
  • Upload a copy of the email to the claimant’s eFolder.
  • The approximate date and time of submission can be determined by reviewing when the update was performed by VAGOVAPI in the POA history.
Reference: For more information on locating the claimant’s ICN or viewing POA information in VBMS, see the VBMS Core User Guide.

II.iii.4.B.1.d. Form Submission via ARP

 ARP directs the accredited representative to the VA Forms publication webpage to download the current version of VA forms. The representative completes the form and uploads the document to ARP. Additional supporting documents (such as VA Form 21-4138, Statement in Support of Claim, medical records, etc.) may be uploaded with the claim in different media formats. All documents uploaded through ARP are processed by VA mail automation services and uploaded to the claimant’s eFolder. Important: When a claims processor becomes aware that documents (other than VA Form 21-22) failed to upload properly, follow the failure-to-upload procedure described in M21-1, Part II, Subpart ii, 2.A.

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Source: VA M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual, M21-1, Part II, Subpart iii, Chapter 4, Section B (U.S. government work, reproduced for reference). Browse all sections →