“Disability” is not just a medical issue. Frequently, the d-word has educational, vocational, legal, and other implications, as well. Because disabilities are subjective, the VA’s disability rating system is not always appropriate. In these cases, the Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) VA benefits system might be more appropriate. So, even if you are not rated at 100% disabled, …

In many cases, eligibility for VA benefits is completely objective. Applicants must have the proper service background along with a current disability, and there must be a nexus (direct or indirect connection) between these two things. Total Disability due to Individual Unemployability, however, is a bit different. As the name implies, this area is more subjective. Benefits depend not on …

Filling out paperwork isn’t what you planned to do as a military member, and filling out paperwork after your discharge to obtain disability benefits can seem overwhelming sometimes. We get it, but if you want a favorable TDIU decision, some dreaded paperwork is necessary.   The VA is now requiring that veterans submit Form 21-8940 at some point prior to …

As a military member, you get used to accomplishing what seems impossible every day and so it’s hard to acknowledge that you may meet the VA’s criteria for a TDIU rating of 100% unemployability. It may seem like you are giving up, but it isn’t. It’s just making sure you and your family are receiving benefits to which they are …

Now that you or your spouse have completed your active military duty and returned to the civilian world, you may feel like you have merely exchanged one set of stresses for another, including navigating the VA’s application process for any disability benefits to which you might be entitled. You might have heard about TDIU – total disability individual unemployability – …

TDIU is a benefit awarded to service members who can no longer work due to their military-related conditions. However, there are some specific situations in which a veteran can work and still collect benefits for TDIU. Known as the “marginal employment” exception, a former service member can work and collect TDIU so long as the veteran earns less than the …

If you have worked with the VA long enough, it probably comes as no surprise to learn that the VA often disagrees about claims of total disability individual unemployability (TDIU). Vocational experts can go a long way in proving that a veteran does in fact qualify for TDIU. In cases without vocational experts, the VA relies on VA doctors to …

How to Find an Independent Medical Examiner for My TDIU Claim Total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is a disability benefit that allows disabled veterans to be compensated at a 100% rate, even if the combined scheduler rating does not equal 100%. TDIU is only awarded in circumstances in which disabled veterans are unable to secure substantially gainful employment …

  1) What Are Retroactive/Back Benefits?   Back pay or what the VA calls retroactive benefits is the lump sum payment for benefits which have been accruing since the filing of a granted claim.  The retro benefits come in a lump sum – paid all at once — after the grant of benefits. All other benefits awarded in connection with …

  The VA processes huge volumes of paperwork on veteran disability claims and because of that, sometimes information gets overlooked and inappropriate denials of benefits made. You can assist the Decision Review Officer determining your TDIU claim for 100% disability, by assembling a solid package of evidence for the VA for both the medical/disability factor, and for the unemployability factor. …