Veteran Benefits
TDIU: Individual Unemployability
Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) pays you the same as a 100% rating when service-connected conditions keep you from holding steady, gainful work - even if your combined rating is only 60% or 70%.
There’s a free calculator on this page - check if you could be paid at the 100% rate. No sign-up, no cost.
Who this is for
If you are rated 60% or 70% and can no longer hold down a real job because of your service-connected conditions, you may be owed the full 100% check right now. It is called TDIU, and it is one of the most overlooked benefits for older veterans who quietly stopped working years ago.
In plain language
What TDIU: Individual Unemployability covers
- Monthly compensation at the full 100% rate without being rated 100% on paper
- Applies when service-connected conditions - physical or mental - prevent substantially gainful employment
- Can be granted on a schedular basis (the 60% / 70% rules) or extra-schedular when your case is unusual
- Often opens the same add-on doors as a 100% rating: dependent benefits, and if made permanent, Chapter 35 DEA and CHAMPVA for the family
$4,044/mo
2026 payment at the 100% rate for a single veteran
60% or 70%
The rating doors in under 38 CFR 4.16(a)
Full 100% pay
Even when your combined rating is lower on paper
Could you qualify for the 100% rate?
TDIU eligibility screener
Answer a few questions about your ratings and your ability to work. We'll check the schedular door (the 60% and 70% rules under 38 CFR 4.16) and explain your extra-schedular options - so you know whether you may be owed the full 100% payment even without a 100% rating.
Your service-connected ratings
Highest single condition
The one service-connected condition with your biggest rating.
Combined rating
Your overall combined VA rating across all conditions.
The schedular gate: one condition at 60%+, or a combined 70%+ with at least one condition at 40%+. Below that, an extraschedular claim is still possible.
Your work situation
Your dependents
TDIU pays at the 100% rate, and dependents add to that amount - so let us include them.
Are you married?
Dependent children under 18
Include school-age children you support
TDIU pays at the 100% rate
$4,158.17/mo
Tax-free, at the 100% rate with your dependents
You appear to meet the schedular TDIU threshold
Your ratings satisfy the 60% single / 70%-combined-with-a-40% rule. If service-connected conditions keep you from steady work, TDIU can pay you at the full 100% rate shown here.
Educational estimate using current 2026 rates. Eligibility depends on medical and work evidence the VA reviews. Confirm on va.gov.
This calculator is free. No sign-up, no catch.
Most people in this business hide tools like this behind a paywall or a sign-up form. We don’t. Use it as much as you need. And if you want a real accredited agent to look at your actual claim, we’re one call away — it’s free to talk, and free to file your claim.
Albert L. Thombs Jr. — VA-accredited claims agent (#45147), a disabled veteran with a team of advocates who do this every day.
The full picture
Everything you need to know
Nothing hidden behind a click. Here is the whole story in plain language, so you can decide what fits your situation.
Key facts & current figures
- TDIU pays you at the full 100% rate even when your combined rating is lower - in 2026 that is about $4,044/mo for a single veteran and roughly $4,297/mo with a spouse.
- The usual door in (38 CFR 4.16a): one condition at 60%, OR a combined 70% with at least one condition rated 40% or higher.
- If you fall just short of those numbers, VA can still grant it on an extra-schedular basis (4.16b) - the rules bend for real-world unemployability.
- "Unemployable" does not mean bedridden. It means you cannot hold substantially gainful work; odd jobs earning less than the federal poverty line ('marginal employment') do not count against you.
- File VA Form 21-8940 (and your last employer returns a 21-4192). There is no separate exam fee - the whole process is free.
General figures, current as of December 2025 and reviewed each year. Your exact amount depends on your situation - always confirm on va.gov.
What TDIU actually is
- TDIU is a way to be paid at the 100% rate without having a 100% rating on paper. VA recognizes that a combination of conditions can make you unable to work long before the rating math reaches 100%.
- It is authorized by 38 CFR 4.16. The idea is simple: if your service-connected conditions - not your age, not a non-service condition - keep you from earning a real living, VA compensates you as if you were totally disabled.
- "Am I effectively 100%?" is exactly the question TDIU answers. If you are rated 70% but genuinely cannot hold a job because of those conditions, TDIU may put your check at the 100% level.
Do your ratings open the door? (the 4.16a rule)
- One condition at 60% or higher meets the threshold on its own.
- Two or more conditions meet it when your combined rating is 70% or higher AND at least one condition is rated 40% or higher.
- Certain related conditions are treated as one disability for this rule - for example, disabilities from a single accident, from one body system, or both legs - which can help you reach that 40% or 60% figure.
What if you fall just short? (extra-schedular, 4.16b)
- If you do not meet the 60% / 70% math, VA can still grant TDIU on an extra-schedular basis when your conditions clearly prevent gainful work.
- These cases go to VA's Director of Compensation Service for a special look. The numbers are not the final word - your real ability to work is.
- This is where a well-documented claim matters most: medical opinions, work history, and a clear picture of why you cannot stay employed.
What "unable to work" really means
- The standard is substantially gainful employment - work that pays above the federal poverty threshold for one person.
- Marginal employment does not disqualify you. Odd jobs, a few hours here and there, or a protected job where an employer makes special allowances can still be consistent with TDIU.
- It is about your service-connected conditions. Being retired by age alone is not the test; the test is whether those conditions would keep you from working if you tried.
TDIU vs. Permanent & Total (P&T) - the difference
- A 100% schedular rating and TDIU pay the same monthly amount. The difference is how you got there.
- "Permanent" is a separate label from TDIU. TDIU can be temporary (subject to future reviews) or marked permanent when VA does not expect improvement.
- Yes - you can be P&T under TDIU. When TDIU is granted as permanent, it unlocks the same family doors as a permanent 100% rating: Chapter 35 DEA education benefits and CHAMPVA health coverage for your dependents, and it generally stops routine re-examinations.
Benefits for your dependents
- Because TDIU pays at the 100% rate, your monthly check includes the dependent add-ons for a spouse, children, and dependent parents - just like a 100% rating.
- If your TDIU is permanent, your spouse and children may qualify for Chapter 35 (DEA) education and training benefits and CHAMPVA health coverage.
- Aid and Attendance (SMC) can be added on top if you need daily help - TDIU does not cap you out of higher special monthly compensation.
Step by step: how to file (this is always free)
- Step 1: Gather your rating decision, your recent work history (employers and dates), and any medical records that speak to why you cannot work.
- Step 2: File VA Form 21-8940. VA will mail VA Form 21-4192 to your recent employers to confirm your earnings and the reason you left.
- Step 3: Ask your treating doctor for a short statement linking your service-connected conditions to your inability to hold gainful work - this is often the deciding evidence.
- Step 4: If you were already unable to work earlier, say so; TDIU can be paid back to an earlier effective date when the evidence supports it.
Your complete benefit picture
$4,044/mo
what TDIU can pay a single veteran - the full 100% rate - even when your combined rating is only 60% or 70%.
One of the most overlooked benefits
You may be owed the 100% rate right now
Many older veterans sit at 60% or 70%, no longer able to work, and never realize TDIU can pay them at the full 100% rate. It is one of the most under-claimed benefits for seniors who quietly stopped working years ago.
"Unemployable" does not mean bedridden - it means you cannot hold substantially gainful work. Odd jobs earning below the poverty line (marginal employment) do not count against you.
Fall just short?
If you miss the 60% / 70% math, the VA can still grant it on an extra-schedular basis (4.16b) - your real ability to work is what matters.
If made permanent
Permanent TDIU can unlock Chapter 35 education and CHAMPVA health coverage for your family.
A clear path forward
Your step-by-step action plan
No rush and no pressure - but a little order helps. Applying is always free.
First
Gather your records
Pull your rating decision, your recent work history (employers and dates), and medical records that speak to why you cannot work.
File the form
Submit VA Form 21-8940
The VA will mail Form 21-4192 to your recent employers to confirm your earnings and why you left.
Strongest evidence
Get a doctor’s statement
Ask your treating doctor to link your service-connected conditions to your inability to hold gainful work - this is often the deciding evidence.
Do not forget
Ask for an earlier date
If you were unable to work earlier, say so - TDIU can be paid back to an earlier effective date when the evidence supports it.
Who to call & where to go
These are free, official VA lines. Have your Social Security number handy when you call.
VA Benefits Hotline
Compensation, pension, and general claim questions.
MyVA411 - Main VA Line
Not sure who to call? Start here. One number for anything VA - they route you to the right office.
Rather have us handle it?
No phone tag, no hold music. Call our office and a real, VA-accredited person walks you through it - start to finish.
702-992-4883Not sure where to start?
File VA Form 21-8940 (Application for Increased Compensation Based on Unemployability). VA will send VA Form 21-4192 to your recent employers to confirm your work history. A statement from your doctor tying your conditions to your inability to work is powerful evidence.
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