Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability, commonly called TDIU, is a VA benefit that allows a veteran to be paid at the 100 percent disability rate even if their combined schedular rating is less than 100 percent, when service-connected conditions prevent them from maintaining substantially gainful employment. This is governed by 38 CFR 4.16.
There are two paths to TDIU. Under 38 CFR 4.16(a), you can be considered for schedular TDIU if you have one service-connected disability rated at least 60 percent, or two or more disabilities with a combined rating of at least 70 percent, with at least one of those disabilities rated 40 percent or more. If you do not meet these percentage thresholds but still cannot work because of your service-connected conditions, you can be referred for extraschedular consideration under 38 CFR 4.16(b), which is decided by VA's Director of Compensation Service rather than the local rating board.
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 →To apply, you file VA Form 21-8940, Veteran's Application for Increased Compensation Based on Unemployability. This form asks about your work history, education, and how your conditions limit your ability to function on the job. It is often helpful to submit supporting evidence such as statements from former employers, vocational assessments, or medical opinions specifically addressing occupational impairment, not just symptoms. A diagnosis alone does not establish unemployability; the record needs to show how the specific service-connected conditions translate into an inability to sustain gainful work, considering your particular occupational background.
Employment that is only marginal, such as sporadic or low-income work, or employment in a protected environment like a family business, generally does not count against TDIU eligibility. However, working substantially gainfully, meaning above the poverty threshold in ordinary competitive employment, will generally preclude TDIU while that employment continues.
TDIU is separate from vocational rehabilitation and separate from Social Security Disability, though evidence from either can sometimes support a claim. It is also worth noting that a grant of TDIU does not require you to first reach a 100 percent schedular rating; it is an alternative path to that same monthly compensation rate when the schedular ratings themselves do not fully capture the impact on employability.
The concrete next step is to file VA Form 21-8940 along with current medical evidence describing functional and occupational limitations, and to consider requesting a Disability Benefits Questionnaire or independent medical opinion that directly addresses your ability to perform work consistent with your trade background.
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