What is Permanent and Total Disability?
Permanent and Total disability, or P&T, refers to veterans whose disabilities are total (rated 100 percent disabling by VA) and permanent (have zero or close to zero chance of improvement).Though “Permanent and Total” is often used as a single phrase, veterans can have a total disability that is temporary, or a permanent disability rated less than 100 percent. Permanent and total ratings are protected from being reduced and may entitle you or your dependents to additional VA benefits.
Total — Veterans’ disabilities are rated based on VA’s Schedule of Rating Disabilities. The rating levels for each type of disability are based on how much that disability impairs your ability to function in life and at work. A 100 percent 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, so it can be more difficult for younger veterans to be considered permanently disabled.
There are a few combinations of disabilities that are automatically deemed Permanent and Total, including the irreversible loss or loss of use (for example, amputation or paralysis) of:
- Both hands;
- Both feet;
- One hand and one foot;
- Sight in both eyes; or
- Becoming permanently helpless or bedridden.
- VA awards temporary total disability (100 percent rating) to veterans who are hospitalized for more than 21 days for a service-connected condition and for the six months following that hospitalization.
- Some totally disabling mental health disorders and cancers are not considered permanent because, according to VA, they are expected to improve with treatment.
- Can VA Reduce a Permanent and Total Rating?
Many veterans fear having their rating reduced once it has been established. For some, a rating reduction could mean the difference between financial stability and instability. It is important to know that veterans have the ability to fight proposed rating reductions. Still, the possibility of a reduction can be overwhelming, frightening, and add substantial stress to a veteran’s life.
Those who are awarded Permanent and Total disability VA benefits are protected from the possibility of a reduction. If the rating was issued as Permanent and Total, the veteran will continue to receive the benefits for that rating for the rest of their life.
In cases involving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), the spouse will need to have been married to the veteran for at least 10 years prior to the veteran’s death, otherwise the benefits will stop upon the veteran’s death. This rule applies even if the veteran was rated with a Permanent and Total rating.
How to Tell if Your VA Disability Rating is Permanent
Look at the decision letter VA sent you when granting benefits (your Rating Decision). On some Rating Decisions, there is a Permanent and Total box that will be checked if your 100 percent disability rating is permanent. On others, there may be a language like “Eligibility to dependents Chapter 35 DEA / CHAMPVA are established” or “No future exams are scheduled” – both of which indicate permanence. The exact language may vary with different VA regional offices.If, however, the letter says that future exams are scheduled, then your total disability rating is considered temporary by VA.
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