Fill out VA 21-8940 (Veteran's Application for Increased Compensation Based on Unemployability) online
VA Form 21-8940 is used by veterans to apply for Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU), which provides compensation at the 100% disability rate to veterans whose service-connected disabilities prevent them from maintaining substantially gainful employment, even if their combined disability rating is less than 100%. TDIU recognizes that certain disabilities, while not rated at 100%, can still render a veteran unable to work.
How to fill out VA 21-8940 (Veteran's Application for Increased Compensation Based on Unemployability)
Enter personal and service information
Provide your full name, Social Security number, VA file number, date of birth, and contact information. Enter your military service details including branch and dates of service.
List your service-connected disabilities
Identify each service-connected disability that prevents you from working. Include the VA rating percentage for each condition and describe how each condition limits your ability to perform job duties.
Provide employment and education history
List your employment history for the past five years, including employer names, job titles, dates of employment, hours worked per week, and the reason you left each job. Report your highest level of education and any additional training or certifications.
Describe the impact on employability
Explain when you last worked full-time and when your disability began preventing employment. Describe any attempts to find or maintain employment and why they were unsuccessful due to your service-connected conditions.
Sign and submit with supporting evidence
Sign and date the form. Submit it along with supporting medical evidence, statements from former employers, and any other documentation that demonstrates your inability to maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.
About VA 21-8940 (Veteran's Application for Increased Compensation Based on Unemployability)
Who needs this form
Veterans with service-connected disabilities who are unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment due to their service-connected conditions. To qualify, a veteran generally needs at least one disability rated at 60% or more, or a combined rating of 70% or more with at least one disability rated at 40%.
Where to submit
Submit to the VA by mail to the Evidence Intake Center, by fax, online at va.gov, or through your Veterans Service Organization (VSO). This form is typically submitted alongside VA Form 21-526EZ or as a supplemental claim for increased compensation.
Source and content freshness
- Reviewed: 2026-02-24
- Filing deadlines may shift for weekends and holidays. Verify due dates with official instructions.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Not providing detailed information about how service-connected disabilities specifically prevent employment
- Failing to list all employment attempts and the reasons they ended due to the disability
- Omitting education and training history that the VA uses to assess employability
- Not submitting supporting medical evidence or statements from former employers confirming the inability to work
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What is the difference between a 100% disability rating and TDIU?
A 100% schedular disability rating means the VA has determined your combined service-connected disabilities meet the criteria for a total rating based on the rating schedule. TDIU provides compensation at the same 100% rate, but it is granted when your disabilities prevent you from working even though your combined rating is less than 100%. Both result in the same monthly compensation amount, but TDIU additionally requires that you demonstrate you cannot maintain substantially gainful employment.
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