If you are a veteran reading this blog, chances are you’ve got some VA-rated disabilities and you’re trying to make sense of what options you have. Maybe you’ve heard of something called TDIU – Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability – but you’re not quite sure what it means, how it works, or whether it even applies to you.
What Is TDIU?
TDIU stands for “Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability” and is a benefit that allows veterans who can’t work due to their service-connected disabilities to be paid at a 100% disability rate, even if their combined VA rating isn’t 100%.
That’s right – even if the math on your rating only adds up to 60%, 70%, or 80%, if your disabilities prevent you from holding a job that earns a living wage, you may qualify for this benefit.
Schedular Ratings vs. TDIU
A quick refresher: a schedular rating is the VA’s way of quantifying how much your service-connected disabilities impact your life. If those ratings add up to 100%, then you’re considered totally disabled by the VA — and you can still work if you’re able.
TDIU is different. It’s not based on the math of your ratings, but rather on the impact of your disabilities on your ability to work.
You don’t have to be rated at 100% schedular to get TDIU. What matters is whether your service-connected disabilities prevent you from securing and keeping substantially gainful employment.
What Counts as “Substantial Gainful Employment”?
This term gets thrown around a lot, but here’s what it really means:
- It is not part-time work.
- It is not occasional freelance gigs that pay below the poverty line.
- It IS full-time employment that brings in income above the federal poverty level.
If you can’t maintain that kind of job because of your disabilities, the VA might consider you for TDIU.
HOW TO QUALIFY FOR TDIU:
There are two ways to qualify for TDIU:
1. Schedular TDIU: You meet certain rating thresholds AND can’t work due to your disabilities:
- One service-connected disability rated at 60% or more, OR
- Two or more disabilities, with one rated at 40% or more and a combined rating of at least 70%.
- Extra-Schedular TDIU:
Your ratings don’t meet those thresholds, but you still can’t maintain substantial gainful employment due to your service-connected conditions. This path is harder, but not impossible — and we have helped veterans get approved through it.
HOW TO APPLY
The process isn’t exactly smooth sailing, and unfortunately, this is where many vets hit a wall. Here is what the application process looks like:
Step 1: Fill Out VA Form 21-8940: Application for Increased Compensation Based on Unemployability.
You’ll need to include employment history (or why you haven’t been able to work), education and training background, and information about your service-connected conditions.
Step 2: Fill Out VA Form 21-4192
This form is sent to your past employers. It verifies your employment history and the reasons you stopped working. If you’ve been out of work for years or your employer doesn’t exist anymore, we can help you explain that to the VA.
Step 3: Collect Medical Evidence
This is crucial. You’ll need medical records showing how your disabilities affect your ability to work, statements from doctors (nexus letters help!), and your own lay statements describing your day-to-day struggles. Sometimes, a VA Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam is scheduled to assess your employability.
Step 4: Wait (and if needed, fight)
The VA might take months to respond. They may approve your claim, deny your claim, or request more evidence. If you are denied, don’t give up. Many successful TDIU claims happen on appeal, and that’s a process the VA team at Parmele knows how to handle inside and out.
HOW CAN PARMELE HELP?
Let’s be real: this process is overwhelming. It’s not just filling out paperwork. You’re trying to prove to a bureaucracy that you CANNOT work, while still living with the physical and emotional toll of your service-connected conditions.
This is where Parmele can help. Parmele Disability Advocates has helped countless veterans just like you get approved for TDIU. We know what the VA is looking for, we know how to build a compelling case, and we stand with you and fight for you. We take the time to understand your story, gather the right documentation, and walk you through every step — all while treating you with the respect you earned in uniform.
TDIU isn’t a handout. It’s not something you “game the system” to get. It’s a benefit the VA designed for veterans who gave everything they had and came back with injuries, conditions, and limitations that make working impossible.
If you’re struggling to work because of your service-connected disabilities, you deserve this support. Don’t let confusing forms or complicated VA rules stop you from getting the benefits you’ve earned. Reach out to Parmele Disability Advocates today, and let’s take this journey together. Call us today at 866-841-7459 to schedule your no-cost consultation. Together, we will review your situation, answer your questions, and determine your next best steps.
Parmele Disability Advocates. Disability advocacy for all.