How do I know if I'm 100% schedular P&T or TDIU, and can I work either way?

The key document to check is your actual rating decision (not just the benefits summary page), which you can find in your VA.gov claim status letters or by requesting your C-file. A schedular 100% rating means your combined disability ratings under 38 CFR Part 4's rating schedule add up to 100% on their own. TDIU (Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability), governed by 38 CFR 4.16, is different: it is awarded when your combined schedular rating is less than 100% (usually at least 60% for one condition or 70% combined with one condition rated 40%+), but the VA determines you cannot maintain substantially gainful employment because of your service-connected conditions. The VA then pays you at the 100% rate even though your schedular rating may be lower. Your rating decision letter will explicitly state whether the 100% was reached schedularly or through a TDIU grant under 4.16(a) or 4.16(b), and it is common to apply for TDIU and schedular increases simultaneously, sometimes resulting in the schedular rating overtaking the TDIU grant.

Work rules differ significantly. If you are 100% schedular, there is no work restriction at all — you can work any job, full or part time, with no risk to your rating. If you are on TDIU, you generally cannot engage in "substantially gainful employment," though marginal employment (typically defined as earning under the poverty threshold, or work in a protected/sheltered environment) is allowed. Working above that threshold for TDIU recipients can trigger a follow-up review and potential reduction, especially if sustained over 12 consecutive months per 38 CFR 4.16(a).

The concrete next step is to pull your full rating decision letter (or request it through VA.gov or your VSO) and look specifically for whether 38 CFR 4.16 is cited as the basis for the 100% rating.