If you are a veteran who has served our country, you deserve the best. However, many veterans who have become disabled in the line of duty find it difficult to find work or stay employed after service. TDIU (Total Disability for Individual Unemployability) VA benefits may be available.
If you are a veteran who is suffering from a disability and feel you may be eligible for benefits, it is best to consult an advocate to find out more about your rights and eligibility. Find out more about TDIU benefits and how an advocate can help you get the financial help you need.
How to Get TDIU Benefits for a Disabled Veteran
TDIU benefits can be awarded to veterans with service-related mental and physical disabilities who are unable to work because of those disabilities. Some veterans who are eligible may also find they are owed Individual Unemployability back pay when they are awarded their benefits.
What Veteran Disabilities Are Eligible for TDIU Benefits?
Veterans who have service-connected disabilities are eligible for TDIU benefits. Benefits can also cover those who actively served in the National Guard or Reserves. Those who received dishonorable discharges are not eligible.
Veterans Not Actively Serving: Some veterans are discharged and may have impairments that seem minor at the time but worsen over the years. If these impairments get to a point where veterans feel they can no longer work, they can apply for benefits at that time, even they haven’t been in active duty for years, or even decades.
Spouses of Deceased Veterans: Some spouses of veterans who were receiving TDIU benefits can continue getting benefits after their spouse has passed. These benefits are known as DIC (Dependents Indemnity Compensation) benefits. They pay different amounts than TDIU benefits and will require different evidence to determine if spouses qualify.
Those Receiving Social Security Benefits: If you are receiving Social Security benefits, you can still receive TDIU benefits. Veterans Administration benefits and Social Security benefits are completely different federal entities, and each has its own rules and regulations. However, even though you can receive both benefits at the same time, just because you are getting one benefit, it doesn’t mean you will automatically qualify for the other.
Difficulties That Can Arise When Trying to Qualify for Total Disability for Individual Unemployability
Even though getting TDIU benefits shouldn’t be difficult for veterans, many find that they are met with a lot of red tape when trying to get their benefits to go through. There are thousands of regulations that could affect your chances of receiving benefits. Laws are complex, paperwork is excessive and there are deadlines involved which veterans can miss if they’re not careful.
All of this results in confusion that can cause veterans to be denied benefits even if they are eligible.
Often times, veterans are denied benefits. If this happens to you and you feel you were wrongly denied, you can appeal the decision. However, you have a limited amount of time to file an appeal. If you do not appeal within a year, you will have to start the application process all over again.
Hiring a Veteran TIDU Advocate to Help You Qualify for Benefits
As you can see, obtaining TDIU benefits isn’t as easy as it should be. That’s why it’s so important to hire an advocate to help you out in this process.
An advocate will make sure that all your paperwork is correctly filled out and submitted on time. He or she will help you get through any red tape. They will also be there to help you appeal a decision if your benefits were denied.
A veterans disability advocate should not charge you unless you win your disability benefits. The fee is a percentage of backpay and case expenses.
And even if you are getting benefits, an advocate may be able to increase the benefits you are already receiving.
Many veterans aren’t getting all the benefits they are entitled to and many veterans are entitled to a higher disability rating that can get them thousands more in income every month. This could include TDIU and other benefits.
An advocate will fight to get you more benefits as well as any back benefits you may be owed.
According to recent statistics, about 17.3% of veterans are unemployed. Many of those included are unable to work due to mental and physical disabilities that resulted due to service. If you are included in this group, benefits are available to help you and your family get the financial help you need.
An advocate can cut through the red tape to make getting benefits easy and take some of the financial burdens off your family. They can help you with the veterans disability process, help you appeal a decision, get an accurate disability rating and provide valuable information that can give you the answers you need. Call today to find out how an advocacy group can improve your quality of life by getting you the assistance you deserve.
