VA Form 21-4140, Employment Questionnaire, exists so the VA can periodically confirm that a veteran receiving total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is still not engaged in substantially gainful employment. Whether it needs to be filed on a recurring basis depends on how your TDIU is coded in the VA's system, not just on your combined schedular rating of 80%/100%.
If your TDIU has been designated Permanent and Total (P&T) and marked as static, that generally means the VA has determined your unemployability is not expected to improve and future medical or employment reviews are not scheduled. In that situation, the VA typically does not send annual 21-4140 requests, because the rating is considered protected from routine future development under 38 CFR 3.343 and related M21-1 adjudication procedures. Many veterans with P&T static TDIU never receive another 21-4140 after the initial grant.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →That said, "P&T" and "static" have to actually be reflected correctly in your file. Occasionally a veteran is told verbally or believes their award is permanent, but the coding in the VA's system does not match, and a future audit or system-generated review still triggers a request for the form. If you ignore a 21-4140 request when one is actually sent, the VA can propose reducing or discontinuing TDIU for failure to cooperate with development, even if the underlying disability rating itself is protected. So the risk is not that P&T/static TDIU normally requires annual paperwork, it's that a veteran could miss a rare request if their status isn't clearly flagged as permanent in VA's records.
Separately from any form requirement, TDIU recipients always have an ongoing duty to report if they return to work at a level that could be considered substantially gainful employment, regardless of whether a 21-4140 has been requested. Marginal employment, sheltered work, or income below the poverty threshold generally does not affect TDIU, but sustained gainful work can.
The concrete next step is to log into VA.gov or check your official decision letter/eBenefits award letter to confirm your TDIU is explicitly listed as Permanent and Total, and if there is any ambiguity, call the VA at 800-827-1000 or contact your regional office directly to confirm no outstanding 21-4140 request exists on your file.
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