TDIU: Total Disability Individual Unemployability — 2026 Guide

TDIU — Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability — pays at the 100% rate even if your combined rating is 60%, 70%, or 80%. If your service-connected conditions prevent you from holding a steady job, TDIU may entitle you to an extra $1,000–$2,000 per month.

TDIU Pay in 2026

Schedular TDIU Requirements (38 CFR 4.16(a))

You qualify if you have:

• One service-connected condition rated at 60% or higher, OR
• Two or more conditions with a combined rating of 70% or higher, with at least one condition rated 40% or higher

Examples: 60% PTSD alone. Or 50% PTSD + 40% sleep apnea. Or 70% PTSD + 10% tinnitus + 10% knee.

Extraschedular TDIU (38 CFR 4.16(b))

If you don't meet the numerical thresholds but your conditions make you unemployable, you can apply for extraschedular TDIU. This requires referral to the VA's Director of Compensation Service and is harder to win, but it's available.

What Counts as Unable to Work?

The standard is "substantially gainful employment" — work above the federal poverty line at a competitive job. Marginal employment (family business, sheltered workshop, income below poverty line) does not disqualify you. Part-time or occasional work generally doesn't either.

How to Apply

File VA Form 21-8940 (Application for Increased Compensation Based on Unemployability). Describe your last date of full-time work, why you stopped, and how your service-connected conditions prevent employment. Attach letters from former employers and your treating physicians describing your functional limitations.

P&T Status

TDIU awarded as permanent and total (P&T) means the VA won't schedule future re-examinations. P&T also makes your dependents eligible for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) and allows DIC payments to a surviving spouse.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is TDIU?

TDIU pays at the 100% VA disability rate when your service-connected conditions prevent you from maintaining substantially gainful employment, even if your combined rating is below 100%.

How much does TDIU pay in 2026?

TDIU pays $3,938.58 per month (veteran alone) — the same as a 100% disability rating. With a spouse it is $4,158.17 per month.

Who qualifies for TDIU?

One service-connected condition rated at 60% or higher, OR two or more conditions with a combined rating of 70% or higher with at least one rated 40% or higher.

Does TDIU affect Social Security disability?

TDIU and SSDI are separate programs. VA TDIU does not automatically qualify or disqualify you for SSDI, but your VA medical records may support an SSDI application.