What Does it Mean To Have A 100% VA Disability Rating?
VA disability ratings can make a huge difference in the benefits you receive. That means not just the amount of money that’s available to you monthly, but also other benefits such as health care and dependent benefits.
At a 100% disability rating, a veteran with no dependents receives $3,737.85 in monthly veterans disability benefits. That amount can be increased if the veteran has dependents. At the 100% level, the veteran also has access to healthcare services through the VA. And, the veteran’s dependents may be eligible for healthcare coverage and educational benefits.
In short, it’s to the veteran’s benefit to secure a 100% disability rating. But, that’s what a 100% VA disability rating means to you. To successfully pursue a 100% rating, you need to understand what a 100% rating means to the VA, and what they’ll be looking for to establish the rating.
What Does a 100% Disability Rating Mean?
To receive a 100% disability rating, you must show the VA that you are seriously disabled by your service-connected condition or conditions. You may receive a 100% rating if you meet the schedular requirements for a 100% rating for a single condition, or if two or more service-connected or secondary-connected conditions combine to a 100% rating.
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Combined Disability Ratings
If you have more than one service-connected/secondary-connected condition, it’s important to understand how combined disability ratings work. You might think that if you had a 50% rating for each of the two conditions, that would combine to 100%. But, it doesn’t work that way.
Instead, you start with one 50% rating. Then, the second 50% rating is applied to the remaining capacity–50% instead of 100%, since you’ve already been rated 50% disabled.
50% + (50% x 50%) =
50% + 25% = 75%
However, disability ratings are always rounded to 10. So, the combined disability rating for two 50% ratings is 80.
If you add a third disability with a 30% rating, the calculation looks like this:
50% + (50% x 50%) =
50% + 25% = 75%
75% + (25% x 30%) =
75% + 7.5% = 82.5%
Since your disability rating is rounded to the nearest 10, the assigned rating remains at 80. As you can see, it can be difficult to get to a 100% rating through combined lower ratings for different conditions.
Things You May Not Know About 100% Disability Ratings
“100% disability rating” sounds straightforward, but there may be some surprises. Some important things many veterans don’t realize about 100% ratings include:
- A 100% disability rating doesn’t necessarily mean that the veteran is unable to work and earn money
- While 100% is the highest disability rating, some veterans may receive benefits at a higher level
- Some veterans without a 100% disability rating may still qualify to receive benefits at the 100% level
Disability ratings, separate classifications, and special compensation can be a lot to sort out. To make sure you’re aware of all of the ways you may be able to increase the benefits you receive, you should speak with an experienced disability benefits advocate as early in the process as possible–ideally before you file your initial claim.
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Receiving 100% Disability Benefits Without a 100% Rating
Some veterans can receive VA disability benefits at the 100% level even though they have been rated lower than 100%. For this to happen, the veteran must establish that they are unemployable due to their service-connected conditions, even though they do not have a 100% disability rating. This is known as Total Disability Due to Individual Unemployability, or TDIU.
Showing that a veteran is unable to earn a living due to service-connected conditions can be complicated, particularly if the veteran also has non-service-connected conditions that may contribute to the inability to earn a living. However, the veteran needn’t prove that they are totally unable to work. The ability to perform sporadic or very part-time work won’t disqualify a veteran from TDIU status.
Not every veteran who is unable to work due to service-connected conditions can be classified TDIU. They must also meet certain rating requirements.
The veteran can qualify on ratings in two different ways:
- The veteran has at least one service-connected disability with a rating of 60% or higher, or
- The veteran has a combined disability rating of at least 70%, with at least one disability rated at 40% or higher
In some cases, a veteran who does not meet the rating requirements may qualify for extraschedular TDIU.
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Permanent Disability Ratings
Most VA disability ratings, including most 100% disability ratings and TDIU classifications, are not permanent. In other words, if the disabled veteran’s medical status improves, the disability rating may be adjusted. That could mean a change in benefits, or even loss of veterans disability benefits if the improvement is significant.
However, in some circumstances, a veteran may be deemed permanently and totally disabled. A veteran is considered permanently and totally disabled if they have suffered certain listed losses, such as the loss or loss of use of both hands or both feet. A veteran may also be classified as permanently and totally disabled if they are totally disabled by a long-standing condition with a remote possibility of ever improving.
Give Yourself the Best Chance at Full VA Disability Benefits
Receiving a 100% disability rating, a TDIU classification, or another special classification that increases your benefits depends in large part on the evidence you provide. That includes medical evidence such as test results and doctors’ notes across the history of your disability. It may also include statements from friends, family, and those who served with you who can help establish both the service connection and the severity of your condition.
At Disabled Vets, helping disabled veterans and their families and survivors get the benefits they deserve is all we do. Our advocates have a deep understanding of the type of evidence the VA is looking for and how to best present that evidence on our behalf. To learn more about how we can help, call (888) 373-4722 right now, or fill out our contact form.
Read More About This Topic
- The Easiest Way to a 100% VA Disability Rating
- Appealing a 70% VA Disability Rating to Secure a 100% Rating
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