VA Form 28-1902w, Information for Veteran Readiness and Employment Entitlement Determination, is a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) form used during the comprehensive initial evaluation for Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Chapter 31 benefits. A Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) reviews it with the claimant to gather the information needed for an entitlement determination. On FillingPDF you can fill out the form online and download or print the completed PDF; the form itself is published by the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) at the official source link.
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What is 28-1902w?
VA Form 28-1902w, Information for Veteran Readiness and Employment Entitlement Determination, is the form a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) uses with a claimant during the comprehensive initial evaluation to collect the information needed to decide entitlement to Chapter 31 benefits.
The VRC reviews the form with the claimant and uses it to address several points: a general understanding of the whole individual; the claimant's capacity for suitable employment and independence in daily living under 38 CFR § 21.50; and the entitlement determination to the VR&E Program, including the Employment Handicap (EH) and Serious Handicap (SEH) determinations under 38 CFR § 21.51 and § 21.52. The VRC also looks at how service-connected and non-service-connected disabilities affect obtaining and keeping a job, the claimant's abilities, aptitudes and interests, personal history, and other barriers to employability.
The form has nine sections: contact information, civilian employment history, military employment history, legal history, substance abuse history, education and training, disabilities, miscellaneous information, and comments. Section VIII is marked as not relevant to the entitlement determination; it helps with referrals and resources.
The November 2024 edition supersedes the July 2024 edition of VA Form 28-1902w, which will not be used. The responses are treated as confidential under 38 U.S.C. 5701. The form carries OMB No. 2900-0092.
Who needs to file 28-1902w?
VA Form 28-1902w is for a Veteran or service member with a service-connected disability who is eligible for Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) benefits, according to the VA's page for the form. The information helps the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) identify the claimant's employment and training needs.
The form is not a stand-alone application the claimant completes alone. The VRC reviews it with the claimant during the comprehensive initial evaluation, and the VRC's name, the VRC signature-line name and the date appear at the end. The claimant supplies the answers about employment, military service, legal history, substance abuse history, education, disabilities and benefits.
If the claimant already provided a resume, a DD-214 or military records, or transcripts, certifications and licenses, the form says information from them does not need to be duplicated in the matching section. The form lists no other exclusions and does not say who may complete it on a claimant's behalf.
When to file 28-1902w
The form is used during the comprehensive initial evaluation for VR&E Chapter 31 benefits, so the triggering event is that evaluation meeting with the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC). No separate due date is printed on it.
Gather the material the form refers to before the meeting, such as a resume, a DD-214 or military records, and transcripts, certifications or licenses, so the VRC only needs to cover fields those documents do not answer.
Use the current edition, VA FORM 28-1902w, NOV 2024. The form states that it supersedes the July 2024 edition, which will not be used. The VA estimates an average respondent burden of 45 minutes.
Documents you need
- A resume, if the claimant has one: the form says it is not necessary to repeat in Items 1-9 what the resume already shows, and only fields not on the resume are completed.
- A DD-214 or military records, if the claimant provides them: only fields not shown on them are completed in Section III (Items 10-13).
- Academic or training transcripts, certifications and/or licenses, if provided: the VRC reviews them for Section VI, and not every field in that section needs to be completed.
How to fill out 28-1902w
Enter claimant and VRC names
In the Claimant's Information block, enter the claimant's name (first, middle initial, last), the last four digits of the VA file number and the VRC name.
Verify contact information
Section I: confirm the claimant's address, email address, phone number and marital status. If any of them changed, advise the claimant to update contact information and marital status on the VA.gov profile.
Record employment status and unemployment
Section II: mark whether the claimant provided a resume. Answer Item 1; if "No," complete Item 2 (how long unemployed) and Item 3 (what the claimant did during that period).
Describe each civilian job
Items 4-8: for each job enter title, employer, dates, full-time or part-time, average gross monthly salary and job duties. Also answer whether the duties aggravate service-connected disabilities and give the reason for leaving.
Note workplace difficulties from disabilities
Item 9: for co-worker relations, job performance, job opportunities, job satisfaction, manager relations, missed time at work and others, describe in detail any difficulty due to service-connected disabilities.
Complete military history
Section III: mark whether a DD-214 or military records were provided. Enter enlistment history (Item 10), job title or specialty (Item 11), and for each branch the dates of service and rank (Items 12A-12C and 13A-13C).
Review legal and substance abuse history
Items 14 and 15: select each item that applies and describe it below, or select NOT APPLICABLE. For substance abuse treatment, describe progress with dates and locations.
Record education and training
Section VI: mark whether transcripts, certifications or licenses were provided. Enter the highest education level (Item 16), field of study (Item 17) and certifications or licenses (Item 18).
List disabilities and treatment
Section VII: list service-connected disabilities and impairments (Item 19), answer the IU/TDIU question (Item 20) and the driver's license question (Item 21), then name treatment facilities (Item 22) and visit frequency (Item 23).
Answer miscellaneous questions
Section VIII: mark Yes or No for Items 24-26 and check each benefit in Item 27 that the claimant receives or has applied for, specifying any other benefit.
Add comments, counselor name and date
Section IX: enter other relevant information from the initial evaluation (Item 28), the VRC's name (Item 29) and the date in MM/DD/YYYY format (Item 30).
Review and download the completed PDF
Check every section against the claimant's answers, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and provide it as your VRC directs.
How to submit 28-1902w
The form prints no mailing address, portal or appointment rule: it is completed and reviewed with your Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) during the comprehensive initial evaluation, and the VRC's name and the date close the form (Items 29 and 30).
For questions about the form or the evaluation, the form directs you to:
- Online: https://ask.va.gov
- Phone: 1-800-827-1000 (toll-free). If you use a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD), the Federal relay number is 711.
- Forms: VA forms are available at www.va.gov/vaforms.
Do not send the completed form to the VA Reports Clearance Officer email ([email protected]) on the form; that address is only for comments on the burden estimate, and the form says not to send the completed VA Form 28-1902w there. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the VA's channels and your VRC's instructions.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Completing every field of Section II when a resume was provided; the form says to complete only the fields not on the resume.
- Skipping the Yes/No routing in Item 1: "Yes" goes to Item 4, "No" goes to Item 2.
- Leaving "If Yes, how?" unanswered when job duties aggravate service-connected disabilities, or the explanation blank when the claimant has no valid driver's license (Item 21).
- Entering a full VA file number instead of the last four digits requested at the top of the form.
- Treating Section VIII (Items 24-27) as part of the entitlement determination; the form says it is not relevant to it and only helps with referrals and resources.
- Using the superseded July 2024 edition instead of the November 2024 edition.
- Emailing the completed form to the VA Reports Clearance Officer address printed for burden comments.
- Writing the date in Item 30 in a format other than MM/DD/YYYY.
Frequently asked questions
What is VA Form 28-1902w used for?
VA Form 28-1902w gathers information for an entitlement determination to Chapter 31 VR&E benefits. A Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor reviews it with the claimant during the comprehensive initial evaluation, covering work history, education, disabilities and barriers to employment.
Who fills out Form 28-1902w, the claimant or the counselor?
Both take part. The Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor reviews the form with the claimant during the initial evaluation, using the claimant's responses; the counselor's name and the date close the form (Items 29 and 30).
Who should use VA Form 28-1902w?
Veterans and service members with a service-connected disability who are eligible for Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) benefits, according to the VA's page for the form. It helps the counselor identify employment and training needs.
Can I fill out 28-1902w online?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of the VA and does not submit the form; follow your Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor's instructions and the VA's channels.
Where do I send VA Form 28-1902w?
The form prints no mailing address or portal. It is completed with your counselor during the initial evaluation. For questions, use https://ask.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000; do not email it to the Reports Clearance Officer address on the form.
Do I have to repeat my resume information on the form?
No. If you provide a resume, the form says it is not necessary to duplicate it in Items 1-9, but employment history still must be reviewed and discussed. The same applies to a DD-214 or military records in Section III.
Does Section VIII affect my VR&E entitlement determination?
No. The form states that the Section VIII questions are not relevant to the entitlement determination. They are asked to help with referrals, resources and the claimant's needs, such as HUD-VASH or homeless program referrals.
Which edition of Form 28-1902w is current?
The edition printed on the form is VA FORM 28-1902w, NOV 2024. It states that it supersedes the July 2024 edition, which will not be used. The VA's page lists the revision date as November 2024.
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