Achieving a 100% VA permanent and total disability rating is considered the pinnacle of all VA ratings.
Why?
- First, a 100 percent P&T rating means you won’t be scheduled for routine future examinations, which means your rating will likely never be re-evaluated or lowered.
- Second, it unlocks some incredible veteran benefits for you and your dependents.
Here’s everything you need to know about what P&T status means, how to qualify for it, extra benefits for veterans with a 100% P&T rating, and why it’s considered the crème de la crème of all VA disability ratings.
Let’s begin!
Table of Contents
Summary of Key Points
- Getting a 100% Permanent and Total (P&T) VA disability rating ensures lifetime compensation and exemption from routine future exams, meaning you probably won’t be re-evaluated or ever have your VA rating reduced.
- A Permanent VA Disability Rating means the veteran’s condition is unlikely to improve over time, while a Total VA Disability Rating prevents the veteran from maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Veterans with 100% P&T status are entitled to some incredible additional benefits, including free CHAMPVA healthcare for dependents, property tax exemptions, and educational assistance for family members, among others.
- To apply for a 100% P&T rating, veterans should submit medical evidence, secure a physician’s supporting statement for permanent and total status, and provide a personal statement emphasizing the permanence and impact of their conditions.
What is a Permanent and Total (P&T) Disability Rating?
A 100 percent Permanent and Total (P&T) disability rating from the VA represents two key factors: “permanent” and “total”—each with distinct meanings.
What is a Permanent VA Disability Rating?
This signifies that your condition is long-term, and the VA has determined it is unlikely to improve over time. A disability is considered permanent when medical evidence suggests it will continue throughout your lifetime. A permanent rating is also marked as static, meaning you won’t be scheduled for routine future evaluations or re-examinations. To confirm this, check your VA rating code sheet to see if your individual conditions are classified as static.
What is a Total VA Disability Rating?
A total rating indicates that your disability is severe enough to prevent you from maintaining substantially gainful employment. In simple terms, your condition makes it impossible to work a job that provides a living wage. However, veterans with a 100% P&T rating face no income restrictions—you can earn any income without jeopardizing your P&T status.
This combination of both permanence and totality is the VA’s way of acknowledging that the veteran’s condition is both severe and long-term, ensuring long-term benefits and protections.
Understanding the Difference Between Permanent and Total VA Disability
It’s crucial to distinguish between “Permanent” and “Total” when it comes to VA disability ratings, as these terms define different aspects of a veteran’s condition and benefits:
- Permanent But Not Total: You can have a permanent disability without reaching a 100% total rating. For example, a condition like GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) might be rated at 30% and classified as static, meaning it’s unlikely to improve over time. However, it does not meet the severity required for a total disability, as it doesn’t completely prevent you from working or performing daily activities.
- Total But Not Permanent: Conversely, some veterans may have a total disability that is temporary. For instance, after a total knee replacement, you might be rated at 100% temporarily while recovering, with the expectation that your condition will improve over time. In these cases, the VA may schedule future evaluations to reassess your rating once recovery is complete.
- Both Permanent and Total (P&T): Some veterans reach the highest designation of being both Permanent and Total (P&T). This means their condition is severe enough to warrant a 100% disability rating and is considered permanent, with no expectation of improvement. Veterans with P&T status enjoy lifelong compensation without the need for future reevaluations. Once you are deemed 100% P&T, it is highly unlikely that the VA will re-examine or lower your rating, providing long-term financial stability.
This distinction is essential because it affects your benefits and the likelihood of reevaluation by the VA.
A P&T designation offers peace of mind and financial security, knowing that your disability rating is locked in for life.
How to Apply for a 100 Percent P&T Disability Rating Online
While the VA usually grants permanent and total disability status if a veteran meets eligibility requirements, sometimes they don’t or get it wrong.
If that happens, you can also apply for a 100% Permanent and Total (P&T) VA disability rating online, here’s a simple step-by-step process based on expert guidance:
- Open a New Claim on VA.gov: Log into your VA.gov account and begin a new VA disability claim. You’ll want to add a new disability called “Request for 100% Permanent and Total Disability Status” to your claim if you’re already receiving disability compensation but don’t yet have the P&T designation.
- Submit Medical Evidence: Upload any medical records that support your claim that your disabilities are both permanent and total. This includes showing that your condition(s) have reached the maximum level of impairment and are unlikely to improve.
- Obtain a Supporting Statement from a Physician: It’s highly recommended to get a letter from your doctor or other private medical professional that explicitly states your conditions are permanent and not expected to improve over time. This will strengthen your claim for P&T status. This is called a 100% P&T request letter.
- Write a Strong Personal Statement: Draft a personal statement that outlines your disability’s impact on your daily life and emphasizes that your condition is static and not subject to re-evaluation or future examinations. Reference your VA rating code sheet and give specific examples of your disabilities that have been deemed “static.”
By following these steps, you increase your chances of being approved for a 100% P&T rating, ensuring that you receive the lifelong benefits you deserve.
List of the Top 100 P&T Benefits
Veterans who are rated 100% Permanent and Total (P&T) by the VA are entitled to a wide range of additional benefits that can significantly enhance their financial security and quality of life.
Here’s a list of the 8 best benefits available to veterans with a 100% Permanent and Total (P&T) disability rating:
- Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC): A tax-free benefit for surviving spouses, children, or parents of veterans who died either on active duty or due to service-connected disabilities. This ensures financial support for the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
- Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA): Through Chapter 35, dependents of 100% P&T veterans can receive up to 45 months of educational benefits. This helps with tuition for degrees, vocational programs, apprenticeships, and more, plus career counseling.
- CHAMPVA Healthcare for Dependents: This health coverage provides access to medical care for the spouses and dependents of veterans with 100% P&T status, significantly reducing healthcare costs.
- Expedited Social Security Disability Processing: Veterans with a 100% P&T rating receive expedited review for Social Security Disability claims, reducing the wait time to receive benefits.
- Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) Discharge for Federal Student Loans: Veterans can have their federal student loans completely discharged without tax consequences, offering significant financial relief.
- State Property Tax Exemptions: Many states provide property tax exemptions for veterans with 100% P&T ratings, which can reduce or eliminate property tax on their primary residence. The amount varies by state but offers considerable savings.
- Commissary and Exchange Privileges: Veterans with a 100% P&T rating and their dependents are eligible for lifelong access to military commissaries and exchanges, providing significant savings on groceries and other goods.
- State-Level Veteran Benefits: States often offer unique benefits for 100% P&T veterans, including discounted hunting and fishing licenses, reduced fees for vehicle registration, and free access to state parks.
These benefits can greatly enhance the quality of life and financial security for veterans and their families.
If you’re a veteran with a 100% P&T rating, be sure to take full advantage of these valuable programs.
What Does It Mean to Have a 100% Permanent and Total (P&T) VA Disability Rating?
A 100% Permanent and Total (P&T) VA disability rating means that the VA has determined that a veteran’s service-connected disabilities are both completely disabling and unlikely to improve over time. “Total” refers to the fact that the veteran’s disabilities are severe enough to prevent them from maintaining substantially gainful employment, which is defined as employment that provides an income above the poverty threshold. “Permanent” indicates that the VA does not expect the veteran’s condition to improve in the future, and as a result, the veteran is exempt from routine future exams for those disabilities. This designation provides lifelong benefits and a higher level of financial security.
How Can I Qualify for a 100% Permanent and Total Disability Rating?
To qualify for a 100% Permanent and Total disability rating, a veteran must first achieve a 100% disability rating, unless you qualify through Individual Unemployability. This can be through a single service-connected disability or a combination of disabilities that reach 100% when combined according to the VA’s Combined Ratings Table. Once a veteran is rated 100%, they can then request Permanent status by providing medical evidence that their condition is unlikely to improve. This can include statements from healthcare providers, a history of prolonged treatment without significant improvement, and evidence showing the stability of the condition. In some cases, the VA may automatically assign a P&T rating, particularly for veterans with severe, clearly permanent conditions or older veterans whose conditions are not expected to improve.
What Additional Benefits Are Available to Veterans with a 100% Permanent and Total Disability Rating?
Veterans with a 100% Permanent and Total disability rating are eligible for several significant additional benefits. These include Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses and children, which provides tax-free monetary support if the veteran dies due to a service-connected condition. They also qualify for Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA), which offers education benefits for their dependents, including college tuition, vocational training, and apprenticeships. Additionally, dependents can receive healthcare coverage through CHAMPVA, which significantly reduces medical expenses. Veterans are also eligible for property tax exemptions in many states, and they can have their federal student loans discharged through the Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) Discharge program.
Can My 100% Permanent and Total Disability Rating Be Reduced?
While a 100% Permanent and Total disability rating offers substantial protection, it is extremely rare but not impossible for the VA to reduce this rating. The P&T designation means that the VA does not plan to re-evaluate the veteran’s condition in the future, providing strong protection against reductions. However, if new evidence suggests that the veteran’s condition has improved significantly, or if the veteran files a new claim that prompts a re-evaluation, there is a small chance that the VA could re-assess the rating. Veterans are generally advised to be cautious about filing new claims after receiving a P&T rating to avoid triggering a review.
What Is the Difference Between TDIU and a 100% Permanent and Total Rating?
Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) allows veterans who are unable to work due to service-connected disabilities to receive compensation at the 100% rate, even if their combined disability rating is less than 100%. However, TDIU is not necessarily permanent. The VA may periodically re-evaluate the veteran’s condition to determine if they are still unemployable. In contrast, a 100% Permanent and Total rating means the VA has determined that the veteran’s condition is both completely disabling and unlikely to improve. This status offers more stability, as the VA will not conduct future evaluations and the rating is less likely to be reduced. Veterans with TDIU may eventually be granted P&T status if their condition is determined to be permanent.
Conclusion & Wrap-Up
Securing a Permanent and Total (P&T) disability rating is a significant achievement for any veteran.
It not only ensures lifetime benefits but also provides financial and healthcare security for your family.
The process can be complex, but with thorough documentation, medical support, and advocacy, you can achieve this rating.
If you believe your condition qualifies for a P&T rating, take action—whether it’s filing a new claim or appealing a decision.
Being proactive and informed is the key to securing the benefits you’ve earned!
Fellow veterans, don’t ever forget: YOU SERVED; YOU DESERVE!
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.
