How to Fill Out and Submit VA Form 28-0588: VR&E Memorandum Rating

VA Form 28-0588, “Getting Ahead After You Get Out,” is a one-page notice you attach to your Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) application when you do not yet have a service-connected disability rating on file. It asks the VA Veterans Service Center to issue a memorandum rating, which is a preliminary disability assessment used to decide your Chapter 31 eligibility without waiting for a full rating decision. You submit it together with VA Form 28-1900, the main VR&E application.¹

Who the Form Is For

The form is meant for service members who want to start VR&E but have no formal disability rating yet. The VA’s own guidance says to file Form 28-0588 rather than wait for the rating.²

At least one of the following must apply to you:

You are going through the Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) process.
You expect an other-than-dishonorable discharge and already have a VA memorandum rating of at least 20 percent.
You are entered in the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES).

If you already have a formal disability rating, skip this form. Apply directly with Form 28-1900, either online through VA.gov or by mail.³ Severely injured active-duty service members can receive VR&E benefits automatically before any formal rating is issued, under Section 1631(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 110-181).⁴

What the Memorandum Rating Does

A memorandum rating is an abbreviated rating decision the VA produces for one narrow purpose. When you attach Form 28-0588 to your application, you are asking the Veterans Service Center to issue one so VR&E staff can decide whether you meet the Chapter 31 disability threshold while your formal claim is still in process. It does not entitle you to disability compensation or any other benefit on its own.

Chapter 31 eligibility generally requires a service-connected disability rated at 20 percent or more combined with an employment handicap, or a 10 percent rating combined with a serious employment handicap.⁵ The memorandum rating gives VR&E enough information to make that call sooner.

How to Fill Out the Form

The form’s front page is an informational letter about VR&E. The back page, labeled “Notice to VA Veterans Service Center,” is what you actually complete. It has four fields, and pre-printed language already states that you are attaching the notice to your Chapter 31 application and requesting a memorandum rating.

Name of Service Member or Veteran: your full legal name as it appears in your military records.
VA File Number: the number the VA assigned to your records, which appears on any prior VA correspondence. Leave it blank if you don’t have one yet; the VA will assign one when it processes your application.
Signature: sign in ink. An unsigned form will not be processed.
Date: the date you sign.

Nothing else needs to be written on the form.¹ Download the current fillable PDF from the VA website and check the expiration date printed in the upper-right corner. An expired version can delay processing.²

How to Submit It

Form 28-0588 is never submitted on its own. Attach it to a completed VA Form 28-1900 and send them together. The form itself directs you to the nearest VA regional office or to VA staff at any military discharge center.¹

For mail, use the VR&E Intake Center:

Department of Veterans Affairs
VR&E Intake Center
PO Box 5210
Janesville, WI 53547-5210²

This box is different from the general Claims Intake Center used for disability claims, so double-check the address before sealing the envelope. Certified mail gives you a delivery receipt if the paperwork ever needs to be tracked down. You can also walk both forms into a VA regional office, where staff can confirm nothing is missing, and discharge center VA representatives handle these submissions routinely if you are still on a military installation.

What Happens After You Submit

Once the VA receives your application with Form 28-0588 attached, the Veterans Service Center reviews whether a memorandum rating is needed. If one is prepared, it sets a preliminary disability percentage so VR&E can evaluate your eligibility without waiting for the full rating decision.

The VA then schedules a meeting with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. At that appointment, the counselor decides whether you have an employment handicap, meaning your service-connected disability limits your ability to prepare for, find, or keep a suitable job. If you qualify, you and the counselor develop a rehabilitation plan together.²

Common Mistakes That Delay Processing

Because the form itself is short, most problems come from how it is submitted rather than how it is filled out.

Sending Form 28-0588 without Form 28-1900. The notice only works when attached to the main application. On its own, it gives the VA nothing to act on.
Forgetting the signature. An unsigned notice will be returned.
Mailing to the wrong address. The VR&E Intake Center in Janesville is not the same as the general Claims Intake Center.
Filing this form when you already have a formal disability rating. In that case, use Form 28-1900 by itself.

1
Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Form 28-0588 – Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Getting Ahead After You Get Out
2
Department of Veterans Affairs. How To Apply For Veteran Readiness And Employment
3
Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Form 28-1900
4
Department of Veterans Affairs. Eligibility For Veteran Readiness And Employment
5
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 USC 3102 – Basic Entitlement