Can’t work because of service-connected conditions? You could be eligible for VA unemployability, or TDIU, and you may also qualify for a wide range of additional benefits from the VA as well as your state government. These benefits range from discounted park passes to free prescriptions, special parking privileges, tax exemptions, and more.
Let’s get started today
In this article, we explain what VA unemployability is, who is eligible, and the full range of benefits you can access as a veteran considered totally disabled by the VA.
In this article about what benefits come with VA unemployability:
VA unemployability, or TDIU
Total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is a benefit for veterans who can’t work because of a service-connected condition or combination of conditions, but don’t meet the criteria for a 100% schedular rating. TDIU is also sometimes called individual unemployability or IU, but all these names refer to the same VA benefit.
Veterans who receive TDIU benefits are compensated at the same level as those with a 100% disability rating, even though their combined rating is below 100%. Currently, veterans receiving TDIU are paid $3,938.58 or more each month.
Veterans will typically be eligible for VA unemployability if they have:
- At least one service-connected disability rated at 60% or more disabling, OR
- Two or more service-connected disabilities with at least one rated at 40% or more disabling and a combined rating of 70% or more.
What benefits come with VA unemployability?
Veterans receiving VA unemployability can receive both disability compensation and a wide range of other federal benefits. In addition to $3,938.58 or more a month in disability payments, benefits include:
- No-cost VA health care and prescriptions. Veterans receiving TDIU get free access to the VA health care system, which can include doctor visits, readjustment counseling, mental health care, and more. They can also receive prescriptions for free.
- Travel allowance. The VA travel allowance program reimburses travel costs like mileage, fares, parking fees, tolls, and other approved expenses for veterans going to VA health facilities. You can learn more about the program’s limits and deductible on the VA’s website.
- Waiver of VA funding fee for VA home loan. VA funding fees are one-time payments on VA-backed or VA direct home loans paid by the veteran. Veterans receiving TDIU are eligible for waiver of this cost.
- Burial and plot allowance. The VA will pay up to a certain amount toward a veteran’s burial costs. This amount varies depending on when the death occurred and whether or not it was caused by a service-connected condition.
- G.I. Bill. Like many other veterans, vets receiving TDIU can access G.I. Bill benefits that help pay for schooling and job training expenses.
In certain circumstances, veterans receiving TDIU may also be eligible to shop online or in person at MWR, commissary, and exchange facilities.
Downloadable
VA Benefits Matrix
Want to know what other VA benefits you may be eligible for based on your VA disability rating?
Click the image to download or print your own copy of our VA benefits matrix here.
VA unemployability and state benefits
In addition to all of the federal benefits listed above, each state offers unique benefits to its residents. These benefits can include free or low-cost hunting and fishing licenses, specialized license plates, property tax deductions or exemptions, and much more.
Each state is responsible for deciding and distributing these benefits, separate from the VA. Typically, any benefit that refers to veterans receiving “total disability” should be available to TDIU veterans as well as those who receive 100% VA disability.
State benefits are too numerous to list here, but our handy map can help you find benefits in your state for veterans receiving TDIU.
My husband was treated with such respect and was helped beyond what we could have ever hoped for. The staff is very reliable and returns calls in a timely fashion. Thank you for all the help with my husband’s case.
E.M., a veteran’s wife in South Carolina
From a Google review for Woods & Woods
How Woods & Woods can help
Our TDIU lawyers have helped thousands of veterans nationwide who can no longer work because of their service-connected conditions. Call us today for your free, confidential TDIU case evaluation. You won’t pay us unless we win your claim.
Let’s appeal your VA decision today
Frequently asked questions
Benefits that come with VA unemployability include:
– $3,938.58 or more a month in disability payments
– No-cost VA health care and prescriptions
– Travel allowance
– Waiver of VA funding fee for VA home loan
– Burial and plot allowance
– G.I. Bill
– A variety of state-specific benefits
State benefits vary widely from one state to the next. Some benefits are available to all veterans, while others have stricter requirements based on discharge and disability level. You can learn more about benefits in your state using our map.
Neil Woods
Neil Woods is a VA disability attorney and the owner and president of Woods & Woods. He received his law degree from Western Michigan University.
