The records we hold, and how to work with them.
We hold original records about the VA benefits system, obtained under FOIA, and publish all of them. If you are reporting, researching, or making policy in this space, here is what we can share and how a collaboration works.
Who this is for
Journalists
Sourced figures, FOIA records, and background on how VA claims data actually works, on deadline.
Academic researchers
Citable datasets with published methodology, suggested citations, and the raw records behind every figure.
Veteran service organizations
Benefit data for every state and claims trends to support programs and testimony.
Oversight and policy staff
Original records VA does not publish on its own, obtained under FOIA and reproduced in full.
Two standing programs
System Intelligence
Access to what we hold. Our claims datasets obtained under FOIA, the Benefit Access Index covering all 50 states, and a condition library covering all 476 rated conditions, each checked against the current regulation. We can run specific cuts of data we already hold for a story or a study, and we can help scope a new FOIA request when the record you need does not exist yet.
Transparency
Access to how we work. We can walk you through the methodology behind any figure we publish, share the agency response documents behind each report, and show our record of participation in federal rulemaking. If you want to see the workings before you rely on a number, this program exists for you.
On the desk
PACT Act Claims Report
48 months of monthly PACT Act grant and denial data obtained under FOIA, with full CSV.
ViewThe Purchasing Power Report
26 years of statutory VA compensation rates measured against inflation.
ViewThe Benefit Access Index
A comparison of how accessible state veteran benefits are across all 50 states.
ViewState of the System
An annual report assembling our claims data, rule tracking, and access index into one picture of how the benefits system performed for the year.
What we do not do
- We do not sell data or charge for access to any dataset we publish
- We do not produce sponsored or commissioned research
- We do not take positions for hire. Conclusions come from the records
- Editorial control stays with us in every collaboration
The full picture of how we stay independent is on the editorial independence page.
Institutional services, provided through Aurelis LLC
The Veteran Benefit Desk is operated by Aurelis LLC, a veteran-owned research and technology company. Organizations that need dedicated work, such as a defined research brief, a verification audit of public-facing information against current government sources, or ongoing regulatory and data monitoring, contract for it directly with Aurelis. The Desk itself is the working demonstration of those methods: the FOIA record, the published methodology, and the source-verification systems on this site are the same ones applied to client engagements.
How this squares with the rules above: client work is separate work product delivered to the client. It is never published as Desk research, and no engagement buys coverage, conclusions, or placement here. Published reports stay uncommissioned and unsponsored, and everything veterans can read on this site stays free.
Government, university, nonprofit, media, and institutional inquiries: Aurelis LLC, or use the contact page and mention institutional services.
How to start
Write to us through the contact page and mention research collaboration. Say what you are working on, what data or records would help, and your timeline. The operator reads these directly and replies personally.
If you just need to cite our published data, no permission is required. Each report carries a suggested citation, and the licensing terms are in Data Licensing and How to Cite Us.