Permanent and Total disability, or P&T, refers to veterans whose disabilities are considered total (rated 100% disabling by VA) and permanent (zero or close to a zero chance of improvement) and will not require no future examinations. Permanent and total ratings are protected from being reduced and may entitle you or your family to additional VA benefits.

• Total. Veterans’ disabilities are rated based on VA’s Schedule of Rating Disabilities. The ratings levels for each type of disability are based on how much the residuals of said disability impair your ability to function in life and at work. A 100% rating indicates that your disability is completely, or “totally,” disabling
• Permanent. VA deems a disability “permanent” when it is reasonably certain, based on medical evidence, that the level of impairment will continue for the rest of the veteran’s life. For this reason, VA is allowed to take age into account when determining whether a disability is permanent and it can be more difficult for younger veterans to be considered permanently disabled.

100% but NOT permanent and total:

Rating in Effect Five Years or More
• If you have had the same rating for five or more years, the VA cannot reduce your rating unless your condition has improved on a sustained basis. All the medical evidence, not just the reexamination report, must support the conclusion that your improvement is more than temporary.

Rating in Effect 20 Years or More
• If your disability has been continuously rated at or above a certain rating level for 20 or more years, the VA cannot reduce your rating unless it finds the rating was based on fraud. This is a very high standard and it's unlikely the rating would get reduced.

Individual Unemployability (IU) is a unique part of VA’s disability compensation program. It allows VA to pay certain Veterans compensation at the 100 percent rate, even though VA has not rated their service-connected disabilities at that level.

Eligibility for Individual Unemployability

• You must be a Veteran.
• You must be unable to hold a job as a result of service-connected disabilities. This means maintaining substantially gainful employment. (VA considers odd jobs as marginal employment. They do not affect your eligibility for IU.)
• You must have either:
  1. One disability that is rated at 60 percent or more
  2. Multiple disabilities, with one disability rated at 40 percent or higher, and a total rating of 70 percent or more.

Individuals who have a disability and meet medical criteria may qualify for Social Security Administration disability benefits under these two programs:

• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program

  In addition to meeting Social Security's definition of disability, the individual must have worked long enough--and recently enough--under Social Security to qualify for disability benefits. In general, to get disability benefits, the individual must meet two different earnings tests:

  • 1. A recent work test based on the individual's age at the time the Service member became disabled
  • 2. A duration of work test to show that the Service member worked long enough under Social Security.

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.

  SSI is a program run by Social Security that pays monthly checks to the elderly, the blind, and people with disabilities who have very limited resources and income. Individuals who receive SSI also usually receive food stamps and Medicaid. There is no online application for SSI.

• If you're a disabled Veteran rated 100 percent P&T, you must: Identify yourself as a "Veteran rated 100 percent P & T" when you apply for benefits. If you apply in person or over the phone, tell the Social Security representative that you are a Veteran rated 100 percent P & T. If you apply online, enter "Veteran 100% P&T" in the "Remarks" section of the application; and Provide Social Security with your Veterans Affairs notification letter which verifies our rating.

APPLY FOR BENEFITS

You may apply for disability benefits at any time while in military status or after discharge, whether you are still hospitalized, in a rehabilitation program, or undergoing out-patient treatment in a military or civilian medical facility. You may apply online or in person at the nearest Security office, by mail, or by telephone.

Information for Wounded Warriors and Veterans Who Have a Compensation Rating of 100% Permanent & Total (P&T): Social Security Veterans

If you qualify for VA dental care benefits, you may be able to get some or all of your dental care through VA. Find out how to get VA dental care or how to buy dental insurance if you don’t qualify.

You’re in: Class IV
You may qualify for: Any needed dental care*

Click Here to locate the nearest dental clinic to you

The Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) is available to eligible Federal and U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees, annuitants, survivor annuitants, and compensationers. FEDVIP eligibility has also expanded to include certain retired uniformed service members, active duty family members, and survivors. done

Uniformed Services

• Most retirees are eligible for dental coverage.
• Most retirees and active duty family members are eligible for vision coverage, if enrolled in a TRICARE health plan.
• Most retirees and active duty family members are eligible for vision coverage, if enrolled in a TRICARE health plan.
• Premiums are paid post-tax.
• Dependent children are covered until age 21 (non-students) or 23 (full-time students).

• Retired active Service members are eligible for Space-A travel.
• Family members (with a valid identification card) of retired Service members are eligible when accompanied by a sponsor. Retired Service members are not eligible for Space-Required travel.
• Reservations will not be made for any Space-A passenger. Travel opportunity shall be afforded on an equitable basis to officers, enlisted personnel, civilian employees, and their accompanying dependents without regard to rank or grade, military or civilian, or branch of Uniformed Service.

Category VI: Retired, Dependents, National Guard/ Reserve, Reserve Officer Training Corps, Nuclear Power Officer Candidate and Civil Engineer Corps members. Family members (with a valid identification card) of retired members when accompanied by a sponsor.

Available Travel Priority of Category VI (6) Authorized Veterans with a permanent service-connected disability rated as total traveling in the Continental United States (CONUS) or directly between the CONUS and Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa (Guam and American Samoa travelers may transit Hawaii or Alaska); or traveling within Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Space-A seats are normally identified as early as 3-4 hours and as late as 30 minutes prior to departure. Recommend you check with the passenger service center for the space available show time for your flight prior to departing the terminal. Be ready for immediate processing and boarding. Request SPACE A HERE

Family Caregivers provide crucial support in caring for our Nation's Veterans by allowing them to stay in the homes and communities they defended, surrounded by the loved ones they fought for. Caregivers in a home environment can enhance the health and well-being of Veterans under VA care. Additional VA services are available to those Family Caregivers who share VA's daily charge to serve those who have "borne the battle." The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers helps the Families and Veterans injured on or after September 11, 2011.

Veteran eligibility for Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers Program:

• The Veteran incurred or aggravated a serious injury (including traumatic brain injury, psychological trauma, or other mental disorder) in the line of duty, on or after September 11, 2001.
• Because of the qualifying serious injury, the Veteran requires another person (a Caregiver) to assist the Veteran with the management of personal care functions required in everyday living.
• The serious injury renders the Veteran in need of personal care services for a minimum of six continuous months based on a clinical determination that takes into account various factors.
• It is in the best interest of the Veteran to participate in the Caregiver Support Program.
• The Veteran will receive ongoing care from a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) or other VA health care team as a requirement for participation in the program.
• The Veteran agrees to receive ongoing care at home after VA designates a Family Caregiver.
• Personal care services that would be provided by the Caregiver will not simultaneously be provided through another individual or entity.

Caregiver Eligibility

• The Caregiver must be at least 18 years of age.
• The Caregiver must be either:
  • The Veteran's Spouse, son, daughter, parent, step-Family member, or extended Family member
  • Someone who lives with the Veteran full time.
• Prior to approval, the Caregiver will be provided with training and must be able to demonstrate the ability to assist the Veteran with personal care functions required in everyday living.

If you’re the child or spouse of a Veteran or service member who has died, is captured or missing, or has disabilities, you may be able to get help paying for school or job training through the DEA program—also called Chapter 35.

You may be able to get these benefits if both you and the Veteran or service member meet certain eligibility requirements:

• Is permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected disability

If you’re the child of a Veteran or service member

• You can get benefits if you’re between the ages of 18 and 26, except in certain cases. You may be married or unmarried.

If you’re the spouse of a Veteran or service member

• Your benefits start on the date we conclude that you qualify or on the date of the Veteran’s death, and last for 10 years.
• If we rated the Veteran as permanently and totally disabled, with an effective date that’s 3 years after discharge, you’ll qualify for benefits for 20 years from that effective date. This new policy began on October 10, 2008. We won’t pay benefits for training you started before this date.

Benefits

Monthly payments to help you cover the cost of

• College or graduate degree programs
• Career-training certificate courses
• Educational and career counseling
• Apprenticeships
• On-the-job training

POST 911

Click HERE For information regarding the GI BILL

VETTEC

You can get training in one of these high-demand training areas:

• Computer software
• Computer programming
• Data processing
• Information science
• Media applications

Click HERE to Apply for VETTEC Currently there are no funds until OCTOBER 2021

Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)

Click HERE for information regarding VR&E

Advice for using education benefits

• When using VETTEC, you only need 1 day on your GI BILL to qualify and recieve full BAH
• When applying to Vocational Rehab if you have 1 day remaining on your GI BILL you will be paid 12 months of Post 911 BAH rather than VR&E stimulus
• If you enroll into a STEM degree you recieve an extra 12 months of education benefits from the Post 911

• Army Benefits
• Social Security
• Veteran Affairs
• Student Aid
• Air Mobility Command