TDIU stands for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability. It is also called IU and Unemployability.
TDIU is based on a regulation that allows veterans who have less than a 100% schedular rating to receive 100% disability pay where the veteran’s service connected disability causes a total inability to work.
In order to qualify for this rating, the veteran must have one service connected of 70% or a combination of ratings totalling 60% with one of the included ratings being at least 40%. Once these rating qualifications are met, the veteran is entitled to the benefit if he or she can show that the service connected disability has caused a total inability to work.
If the veteran has service connection disability that doesn’t meet the schedular rating noted above but the disability prevents the veteran from working then the veteran can still file a claim for IU. The VA rates some diseases as total at less than 100%. For example, the max rating for migraines is 50%. If a veteran had migraines that were so debilitating that they prevented the veteran from working then a request for IU would be appropriate.
This regulation is one that we use all of the time for our seriously injured veterans. It allows a disabled veteran to obtain full benefits even though the scheduled rating would not allow it.
