C&P examiners are not required to use the exact phrase "at least as likely as not" (the 50/50-or-greater standard VA raters apply to nexus and medical opinions). Language like "has the potential to interfere with his/her ability to procure and/or maintain gainful employment" is softer than that standard terminology, and by itself it does not guarantee a grant. It is evidence that will go into the file alongside everything else: your service-connected diagnoses, the rating percentages assigned under 38 CFR Part 4, your work and education history, and any vocational or lay evidence you submitted about why you cannot sustain substantially gainful employment.
For TDIU specifically, the rater applies 38 CFR 4.16, which asks whether your service-connected disabilities alone (not age or non-service-connected conditions) prevent you from securing or following substantially gainful employment, in light of your education, training, and work history. A favorable-leaning examiner statement about symptoms interfering with both active and sedentary work is helpful, but the rating decision will weigh the whole record, and raters sometimes read "has the potential to interfere" as less definitive than language stating the condition "does" prevent employment. The strength of the symptom list that follows matters as much as the headline sentence.
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 |
Does your rating decision hold up under a real audit?
Upload your decision letter and C&P exams — VetAid's analyzer reads the full file, checks every examiner statement word-for-word against your records, and shows which arguments for a higher rating actually hold. Free, and we never take a cut of your back pay.
Analyze my claim free →If the decision comes back less favorable than expected, you have options: a Supplemental Claim (VA Form 20-0995) with new and relevant evidence, such as a vocational expert opinion or updated treatment records; a Higher-Level Review (VA Form 20-0996) if you believe the existing evidence was misapplied; or a Notice of Disagreement to the Board (VA Form 10182). For context, Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions measured by VetAid (vetaid.ai/bva/outcomes) show that among TDIU issues already on appeal, 22.2% were granted, 16.5% denied, and 55.1% remanded for further development — but that population is only appealed cases, not a reflection of how initial claims are decided, so it should not be read as your odds.
While you wait, request a copy of the full C&P exam report and keep gathering supporting evidence, such as statements from former employers or a vocational assessment, so it is ready if a Supplemental Claim or appeal becomes necessary.
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