In the two years that the landmark expansion of veterans benefits known as the

Pact has been in effect, more than 1 million disability claims have been

approved and more are on the way. But as Lisa DeJardin reports, a number of for-profit companies are also

reaping benefits even though what they do is against the law. The Bipartisan Pact Act

is the largest expansion of veterans benefits in a generation,

including care for veterans exposed to burn pits. Some 3.5 million people could benefit

and the program could near a trillion dollars in spending.

As the disability claims grow,

so have the profits of private firms

pledging to help those with claims.

That's despite a federal law banning companies from charging vets

for those types of services.

According to a Washington Post report, scores of uncredited

for-profit companies are making hundreds of millions of dollars helping

veterans file disability claims. Patrick Murray is legislative director at

the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Patrick let's just back up how is it that these firms are making money off of this work with veterans?

What they do is falsely offer veterans hope that they can get their claims done better and faster if you pay for it.

As you mentioned it is illegal, but right now there's no penalty for actually breaking the law in 2006 that was removed so these companies are

operating in a legal loophole that allows them to charge exorbitant fees and not be

held accountable. That's really odd to have a law with no sort of penalty or criminal punishment.

We've talked about this a Pact Act before, but the idea that the federal government is prohibiting anyone from charging these benefits,

we see that the companies involved, however, are advertising that they, that this, as if this service was legal.

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