Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E), also called Chapter 31, is administered under 38 CFR Part 21 and run through an assigned vocational rehabilitation counselor at a regional office. Subsistence allowance payments depend on monthly enrollment certification, and delays typically trace back to counselor caseloads, missing certifications, or processing backlogs at the regional office rather than anything the veteran did wrong.
If a case is stalled, a veteran has a few standard options. First, contact should be attempted with the counselor directly and, if unsuccessful, with the regional office's VR&E supervisor or case management chief rather than the general call line. Second, filing an Ask VA inquiry, a congressional inquiry through a senator or representative's office, and a White House VA Hotline complaint are all legitimate escalation paths that regional offices are required to respond to, usually faster than routine channels.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →Regarding closing or interrupting a VR&E plan: a veteran can request that their counselor formally close or interrupt the case. Under Part 21, a veteran has a right to a 30-day period to review a proposed plan before it is finalized, but a veteran can also voluntarily waive that period or request case closure if they no longer wish to continue with VR&E, for example to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) instead.
To switch to the GI Bill, the veteran should submit VA Form 22-1990 (Application for VA Education Benefits) if it has never been used before, or VA Form 22-1995 if switching between GI Bill programs already elected. The school's veteran certifying official also needs written confirmation that VR&E has been closed or interrupted, since a student generally cannot be certified simultaneously under VR&E subsistence and GI Bill housing allowance for the same enrollment period.
A veteran in this situation should get written confirmation from VR&E that the case has been formally closed, then immediately submit the GI Bill application and have the school certifying official switch the enrollment certification to avoid a lapse in payments or being dropped from classes.
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