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Understanding whether you were awarded 100 percent Permanent and Total (P&T) disability status is critical to unlocking a host of additional VA disability benefits for you and your dependents.
But how do you know if the VA awarded 100% Permanent and Total (P&T) disability?
To determine if your VA disability is 100% Permanent and Total (P&T), review your VA Rating Decision Letter for specific language indicating eligibility for Chapter 35 Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits or a note stating no Routine Future Examinations (RFE) are required.
Alternatively, download your VA Benefits Summary Verification Letter from VA.gov and check for the statement confirming “you are considered to be totally and permanently disabled due solely to your service-connected disabilities.”
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2-Minute Video: How Do I Know If My VA Disability Is 100% Permanent and Total (P&T)?
How Do I Know If My VA Disability is Permanent and Total?
There are two main ways to determine whether your VA disability rating is 100 percent permanent and total:
#1. Review Your VA Rating Decision Letter
Your VA rating decision letter formally explains the VA’s rationale for approving, denying, or deferring your VA disability claim.
The letter includes the VA’s final rating decision and analysis as well as why and how the VA Rater and C&P examiner arrived at their opinions and conclusions for your VA claim.
To identify if you’ve received a 100% P&T rating:
- Check for Specific Language: Look for statements indicating eligibility for Chapter 35 Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits. This signifies P&T status.
- Routine Future Examinations: If the letter mentions that no Routine Future Examinations (RFE) are scheduled, this indicates that your disability is considered static and permanent.
#2. Download Your VA Benefits Summary Verification Letter
Your VA benefits summary verification letter is an official document that summarizes your military service dates, discharge status, and combined VA disability rating.
You can download your latest VA benefits summary verification letter to check for permanent and total disability status.
Toward the end of the letter, look for text that says:
- “You are considered to be totally and permanently disabled due solely to your service-connected disabilities.”
- It will either say yes or no in this block.
About the Author
Brian Reese
Brian Reese is a world-renowned VA disability benefits expert and the #1 bestselling author of VA Claim Secrets and You Deserve It. Motivated by his own frustration with the VA claim process, Brian founded VA Claims Insider to help disabled veterans secure their VA disability compensation faster, regardless of their past struggles with the VA. Since 2013, he has positively impacted the lives of over 10 million military, veterans, and their families.
A former active-duty Air Force officer, Brian has extensive experience leading diverse teams in challenging international environments, including a combat tour in Afghanistan in 2011 supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
Brian is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from the United States Air Force Academy and earned his MBA from Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business, where he was a National Honor Scholar, ranking in the top 1% of his class.
