| Matthew Hill: |
Hello I’m Matthew Hill from Hill and Ponton. This is our VA video blog. I’m here with Carol Ponton, and we’re doing a series on the big mistakes we see, or the misunderstandings that get in the way between a veteran and his benefits. Today we want to talk to you about unemployability versus 100%. |
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The overwhelming number of clients we represent are so disabled that they can’t work, and we are trying to get them total benefits, be it 100% or unemployability. We are asked all the time … |
| Carol Ponton: |
What’s the difference? There’s a schedular 100%, that means you add up all of the ratings you have and they reach 100% … |
| Matthew Hill: |
Well, you don’t add them. |
| Carol Ponton: |
You combine them. |
| Matthew Hill: |
The VA does this percentage math, right. |
| Carol Ponton: |
Or you have 100% because you’re not working and you’re not working because of a service connected problem. They’re essentially the exact same thing except under unemployability, you can’t work. That’s the only difference, and you just have to, every year, say I’m not working, and the 100% continues. |
| Matthew Hill: |
Well you can work, and we have more information on this on our blog. Check it out. You can work only a little bit, but you are able to work. |
| Carol Ponton: |
Right. Basically, they are the same things, but our veterans are very confused about that. They are not sure why is one better than the other. If you want to work and be 100% disabled, then yes, you don’t want the unemployability. If you’re not working because of the service-connected problem, it makes no difference whatsoever if you’re getting unemployability or 100%. |
| Matthew Hill: |
Right. |
| Carol Ponton: |
That’s the confusion that we have with the clients. |
| Matthew Hill: |
If they are permanent and total, they get all the same other benefits: tax breaks … |
| Carol Ponton: |
That’s permanent and total. That’s not unemployability and 100%. |
| Matthew Hill: |
Right, but it applies to both. |
| Carol Ponton: |
Right. |
| Matthew Hill: |
You don’t have to be 100% schedular to get that. |
| Carol Ponton: |
Right. |
| Matthew Hill: |
As far as back to what we were saying as what schedular is and how you combine ratings, we have a VA disability calculator now that actually takes your ratings and combines them just to help. Because a lot of times, we’ll see veterans with ratings that add up to 210%, but they are getting paid 80% or … |
| Carol Ponton: |
Not. |
| Matthew Hill: |
We’ll link to that in these notes. It’s just important to know to have all options on board. |
| Carol Ponton: |
Exactly. |
| Matthew Hill: |
If you’re eligible, or you think you’re eligible for 100%, but you might be eligible for IU, we’ll put them out there. |
| Carol Ponton: |
IU is unemployability. |
| Matthew Hill: |
Unemployability. Don’t take them out just because you don’t think it’s going to be as good getting one benefit or the other because you’re basically tying one hand behind your back. |
| Carol Ponton: |
Right. |
| Matthew Hill: |
Well, thank you for tuning in on our Hill and Ponton VA blog. We are, again, talking about big mistakes we see that interfere with veterans getting the benefits they deserve. |
