What can I do if my VR&E counselor isn't responding or my MHA subsistence payments are late or missing?

Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) cases are each assigned to a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) who is responsible for approving your plan, authorizing tuition/fees, and certifying enrollment so your school can bill VA and so your monthly subsistence allowance (MHA under Chapter 31, sometimes called VR&E subsistence) can be paid. When a counselor goes quiet or certifications stall, there are several escalation steps that generally work better than waiting.

First, put your request in writing (email through the VR&E case management portal or in writing to the counselor) so there is a timestamped record of your outreach. If you get no response within a reasonable period, contact the VR&E office's supervisor or the Vocational Rehabilitation Officer at that regional office directly — every VR&E office has a chain above the individual counselor. You can also call the general VA benefits line or submit an inquiry through IRIS (Inquiry Routing and Information System) asking for VR&E case escalation, which routes the issue outside your assigned counselor.

If payments remain missing after certification has actually been submitted, ask your school's VA certifying official to confirm the enrollment certification was transmitted through VA-ONCE, since payment delays are often tied to certification not being submitted or processed on the VA side. If internal escalation doesn't resolve things, contacting your Congressional representative's constituent services office (they have a VA liaison) or filing a complaint with the VA Office of Inspector General are legitimate next steps for unresolved service failures. You can also request a change of counselor in writing if the working relationship has broken down — this is a standard, allowed request within VR&E.

Keep copies of every certification, authorization letter, and email exchange, since these become essential if you need to show a pattern of delay to a supervisor, ombudsman, or elected official's office.

As a next step, submit a written escalation to your VR&E office's supervisor or Vocational Rehabilitation Officer and simultaneously open an IRIS inquiry documenting the missed payments and lack of counselor response.