VA disability benefits can come as great help for veterans who are suffering from their service-related conditions. Among them, the ones with 60% can get extra advantages, such as the TDIU. While we don’t have the up-to-date number, a recent survey shows that around 8.9% of disabled veterans have a 60% rating.
When a veteran goes through a Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam, the VA tries not to give them any higher rating than the veteran deserves. However, thanks to this tendency, many veterans are stuck at a lower rating, even though their disability calls for a raise in their combined rating.
If you are unfortunate enough to face this, this article will help you find solutions.
Chances of VA Raising Your Rating from 60% to 100%
It is possible to increase your VA rating from 60% to 70% or 90%. But when it comes to 100%, it may be tricky, albeit not impossible. Any option you take, you need to meet specific criteria or have enough disability for it.
For example, if you want to file for increased compensation, hoping to raise your rating to 100%, the VA may only deem the condition worthy enough for 80%. The more the difference between a rating from 100%, the harder it is to reach it. But fear not because there are methods you should try.
How Much of an Increase Will You Get by Raising VA Rating from 60% to 100%?
To answer our question, we must first see the compensation VA pays to veterans with a 60% and a 100% rating. For the former, the payment amount in 2023 is $1,319.65 for 60% and $3,621.95 for 100% (without any dependents).
So, if we do the calculation, the difference is $2,302.30. That is a very significant difference. And we haven’t even talked about dependents. Each dependent you add to your VA account will give you extra compensation based on your VA rating. So, the amounts will be way higher for 100% than for 60%.
How to Increase VA Disability from 60% to 100%?
Based on your situation, there are several options you can go for in your quest for a 100% rating. Let’s have a look-
Applying for a TDIU Benefit
The Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is a benefit where the VA pays the veteran an amount equal to the 100% VA rating. Once you get it, the VA won’t separately pay you for your disabilities but provide the monthly compensation for the TDIU. We added it first because if you manage to get it, you don’t need to try any other method.
The Criteria You Must Meet for a TDIU Benefit
- Your service-connected disability renders you unable to get gainful employment. A gainful employment is when the work is a standard in your place and brings you an annual income over the federal poverty threshold. Any odd jobs or jobs in a protected environment don’t count.
- If you have only one service-connected condition, your overall VA rating must be at least 60% or more.
- If there are more than one service-connected condition, then your combined VA rating must be at least 70% or more, and at least one or more disability must be 40% disabling or more.
As you can see, if you have more than one condition, you can’t go for the TDIU benefit with a 60% disability since the minimum requirement here is 70%. You can only go for it if you have a single condition.
Are TDIU Benefits Permanent?
The permanency of the TDIU benefit depends on your disability. Usually, the VA doesn’t take it down, even if your disability improves, as long as you still can’t work. So, you shouldn’t worry about it too much.
Meanwhile, let’s say that the VA found out that your disability improved after reevaluating your health to the point that you can join gainful employment and/or the disability rating drops below the eligibility point. Then, the VA may terminate your TDIU benefit.
But don’t make the mistake of not attending any reexamination that VA schedules for you. It can result in a worse outcome, like the VA reducing your rating as they see fit. They have the right to do that if you don’t take the exam.
Filing a Claim for an Increased Compensation
If you feel like your service-connected disabilities have worsened to a point where you should receive higher compensation from the VA, it is ideal to file an increased compensation claim. You may go to their website for it. We at VA Disability Coach can arrange an eligibility review for you to show you how much your rating may increase (or decrease).
You will find a radio button there mentioning that you want to file for an increased payment. After clicking on it, another radio button comes that says that you are either filing for a new disability or one that worsened. Select that one.
Then, fill out the form that appears. Log in with your account to keep your progress saved as you fill out the form within one year of starting. Submit all necessary documents and evidence proving your disability or its worsening, as well as its connection to your service.
You may need a Nexus letter, up-to-date medical reports, and supporting letters. Once you gather and upload every piece of evidence, submit the claim. Finally, wait for the VA to schedule a health examination via a C&P exam.
Going for a Supplemental Claim
Suppose you filed for increased compensation before, but the VA denied it for different reasons. In that case, you can file a supplemental claim to request that the VA reevaluate your previous application. Usually, the VA denies a claim if you fail to give them the necessary evidence and information or if they can’t find any connection between your condition and your service.
So, when filing a supplemental claim, you ought to collect evidence you couldn’t provide before. There are some criteria to meet before submitting one of these. They are-
- VA must have declined one of your claims before, which you are requesting to reevaluate.
- Your previously denied claim isn’t a contested claim. A contested claim is when more than one person claims the right to a benefit when only one person deserves it.
- Either you have new evidence or information to back up or against something in your previously denied claim, or you are requesting to reevaluate your previous claim because it may get approved now for some changes in the law.
If the VA declines your option this time again, but you think you really deserve a higher rating, like 100%, you can hire a VA-accredited lawyer and file a court appeal.
Conclusion
Among the various options that may help your rating go from 60% to 100%, you should try the TDIU benefit first. Afterward, go for the increased claim, and if the VA denies that one, opt for a supplemental claim.Gathering evidence to back up your application may take a lot of work. However, if you want to get the high rating you are worthy of, it is something you must face first. Get your friends and family to help you. We are here for you, too.