When a veteran files a claim for disability compensation, a rating specialist will review the application, decide to accept or deny the claim and assign ratings for the veteran’s service-connected disabilities. When veterans receive a decision letter rating them at 80 percent VA disability compensation, they may wonder what this rating means, what they are owed, and what they can do if they disagree with the decision.
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In this article on 80 percent VA disability:
What is an 80% VA disability rating?
Rating decisions reflect how severe a veteran’s condition is. This is based on criteria set by the VA and listed under the diagnostic codes in the Schedule of Ratings. The VA describes a rating as “representing how much your disability decreases your overall health and ability to function.” They must also consider how this decrease in health and functioning affects a veteran’s ability to work and support themselves.
An 80% disability rating may refer to a rating for one condition or a total rating from multiple service-connected conditions, combined using “VA math.” In both cases, the VA has determined that the veteran’s condition or conditions are 80% disabling.
“The firm got me to 70%, and I was happy. Individual unemployability was awarded to me and to this day, I’m so grateful. My future is no longer bleak. These people work very hard for you.”
R.C., a Navy veteran in Hawaii
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How much does an 80% VA disability benefits rating pay?
The current monthly payment for an 80% VA disability rating is $2,044.89 for a single veteran without children or special monthly compensation (SMC). This amount is reviewed and adjusted each year. Veterans with spouses or dependent children or parents are eligible for additional compensation each month.
Can veterans receive any other benefits at 80%?
Veterans may be eligible for additional benefits at an 80% rating, beyond disability compensation. These benefits include SMC, disability housing grants, VA travel pay reimbursement, home loan programs, and the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program, among others. Different VA benefits have their own eligibility criteria.
What can I do if I’m rated at 80% and can’t work?
Total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) benefits are available for veterans who cannot work due to their service-connected conditions. TDIU pays at the same rate as a 100% disability rating from the VA, but without the veteran being rated at that level.
Qualifying for TDIU typically requires you to have at least one service-connected disability rated at least 60% OR two or more service-connected disabilities, with at least one disability ratable at 40% or more, with a combined rating of 70% or more.
Therefore, a veteran with an 80% VA disability rating may qualify for TDIU benefits, if their rating decision meets the criteria.
How can I increase my VA disability from 80% to 100%?
Veterans who disagree with a rating decision have the option to appeal. A rating decision letter should explain why a condition was rated at that level and what evidence was used to draw that conclusion. If you receive an 80% rating and think you deserve 90% or 100%, you should look into how to appeal.
Another way to increase VA disability from 80% to 100% can be by adding an additional service-connected condition. As veterans deal with the complications of their service-connected conditions or age with these conditions, they may find they develop secondary conditions related to those that developed during, or as a result of, their service.
How can the VA disability lawyers at Woods and Woods help?
Our team of VA-accredited attorneys, case managers, and other support staff have helped thousands of U.S. veterans around the country and the world since 1985. We will only charge your case expenses and a percentage of your back pay if you win. We never touch your future incoming disability payments. Call us today for your free case evaluation.
“They brought me from being stuck at 30%. Denial after denial. Finally rated at 70%. Appealed for total and unable to work disability since 2014. Without Woods and Woods, I would still be stuck at 30%.”
F.H.
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(812) 426-7200
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Veterans looking to increase their VA disability rating can appeal the rating of a condition, apply for TDIU, or apply for benefits for secondary service-connected conditions.
Veterans with a combined rating of 80% receive $2,044.89 each month in tax-free checks from the VA. At 100% or with TDIU, those checks increase to $3,831.30. It often goes up every year, and in 2023 it took a historical leap.
Neil Woods
VA disability attorney
Woods & Woods
Neil Woods is the firm’s owner and president. He received his law degree from Western Michigan University.
