TDIU

Question:

I am age 76 and plan on applying for TDIU benefits due to my not being able to work. Is it probable that due to my age I will be denied this benefit? I am currently at 70 percent disability due to service connected disabilities.

 

Jim's Reply:

Your age won't be an officially recognized factor in your TDIU application but the length of time you've been retired may.
 

For example; A healthy 76 year old who has elected to work on far past the usual retirement age in America is forced out of his continuous work habit because of a flare of a service connected condition and he is unable to find and hold gainful employment. This veteran will have a very good chance of being awarded the TDIU benefit. 
 

Out 2nd veteran is also 76 years old and he retired from work at age 68, took his 401k benefits, SS retirement and Medicare and has no record of employment since that time. In 2022 he decides that as he has a total of a 70% rating he's eligible for TDIU and applies and is surprised to be denied.
 

The TDIU benefit isn't a retirement supplement, it's a bridge built into the veterans disability rating that is intended to help veterans who can't obtain gainful employment because of a service connected disabling condition yet they don't have the necessary underlying ratings for a 100% rating.
 

Any veteran, no matter your age, who can show that they are denied gainful employment because of a service connected disabling condition may be eligible and should apply. Good luck!