Adapted from Chapter 3 of The 100% Playbook (2027 Edition). Work down it with a pen: do the first section, then only the sections that describe your life.
First, for everyone rated 100%
- Download your Benefit Summary letter at va.gov and confirm it shows your combined rating and whether you are permanent and total (P&T). Download a fresh one every December after the cost-of-living adjustment.
- Know which 100% you have: schedular, with or without P&T, or TDIU, with or without P&T. Several benefits depend on the difference.
- Check for a temporary total rating. A 100% that came from a hospital stay or surgery may not be permanent.
- Check your codesheet for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) and claim any level you meet. SMC is paid on top of the 100% rate.
- Enroll in VA health care on VA Form 10-10EZ. A rating decision does not enroll you.
- Ask for a VA dental exam as a Class IV veteran.
- Confirm your dependents on your VA award match your household today.
- Apply for each state benefit you qualify for. No state benefit is automatic.
- Get the DoD ID card marked 100% DAV if you were honorably discharged.
- Attend every VA exam you are scheduled for, and answer any proposed reduction in writing within the deadline.
- Before anyone works on your VA claim, look them up in VA's accreditation directory.
If you are permanent and total
- Enroll your spouse and children in CHAMPVA (VA Form 10-10d), unless they qualify for TRICARE.
- Have your spouse or children apply for Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (VA Form 22-5490).
- If you apply for Social Security disability, tell SSA you are a 100% P&T veteran and give them your VA letter.
- P&T is not a bar to a reduction. Open all VA mail and go to any exam.
If you are paid through TDIU
- Read your decision letter for the word "permanent." That is what opens CHAMPVA for your family.
- Return VA Form 21-4140, the employment questionnaire, by the date in VA's letter.
- Before you take a job or start a business, read the TDIU work rules and keep records of your earnings.
If you have a spouse or children
- Add every dependent on VA Form 21-686c and get the proof to VA within one year of the marriage, birth, adoption or rating notice.
- For a child in school after 18, file VA Form 21-674.
- Get DoD dependent ID cards for your spouse and eligible children.
If you are a military retiree
This is the section most 100% retirees skip, and it can be the most money on the list.
- Confirm Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) is being paid. If you have 20 years and are rated 50% or more and it is not on your statement, call DFAS.
- If any disability is combat-related, apply for CRSC on DD Form 2860. Chapter 61 retirees under 20 years cannot get CRDP, so CRSC is the only way to recover the waived pay. See CRSC vs. CRDP: which pays more.
Use the CRSC calculator to see what CRSC could pay on top of what you receive now.
Frequently asked questions
Are 100% disabled veteran benefits automatic?
Most are not. VA health care, CHAMPVA, dependents' education benefits, SMC, state benefits and CRSC all require an application.
What is the difference between 100% and 100% P&T?
Permanent and total (P&T) means VA does not expect your condition to improve. P&T opens family benefits such as CHAMPVA and dependents' education assistance.
Can a 100% disabled military retiree get both VA pay and retired pay?
Often, yes, through CRDP (20 or more years and a 50% or higher rating) or CRSC (combat-related conditions, including Chapter 61 retirees under 20 years). You receive one or the other, not both.
This article is provided for general educational purposes and is not legal advice, financial advice, or a guarantee of eligibility, approval, rating, or payment amount. Rules can change. Verify current requirements with your military department, DFAS, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Standfast Veterans Group is not affiliated with the VA or DoD.