What does Permanent & Total means?

[neferaM]

Hello fellow Vets! 

I received approval for unemployability but it says that I got approved for unemployability in June of last year until October. Then it says that from October on, I am 100% P&T (permanent and total).  The letter says that P&T is my status since P&T is a higher award. I got a military  this week ID and it says indefinite. What does P&T really means? Should I expect any reevaluation in the future? Can my rating be lowered? Thanks. 

[Buck52]

Yes they can  if a VA Dr suggest or a Private one can show that you have shown improvement or you stop going to treatments (therapist) they will usually send you a proposal  letter to reduce  depending on the evaluation report  from a C&P Examiner.

  It don't matter how you got the 100% P&T scheduled or of  increase for the PTSD & They combined your rating? and made it 100%  P&T with combined Ratings. IU ??

Basically, if you have had a VA service-connected disability rating for 5 years or more, the VA must prove your condition has improved on a sustained basis before they can reduce or terminate your disability rating. After 10 years, the VA can only reduce your rating; they cannot terminate it (absent proof of fraud) 

After 20 consecutive years your protected  and this  can go by your EED (Earliest effective Date), if you had to appeal your claim and it took 15 years  then you only have 5 more years to go for the 20 year rule.

If it took 20 years to win your S.C. Claim  then they go back to the date you first filed for this S.C. Condition  and walla your home free with the 20 year protection Rule.

But the standard is the 20 year rule for full protection    you being 37   then when you turn 57 your protected.  but in between those years  they have to prove your condition has improved by medical documentation. 5 year/10 year  20 year Rules of protection.

So in essence the longer you have the S.C. Ratings  the harder it is for them to reduce you.

 

 so if you got an increase on your PTSD and Could no longer work because of this S.C. Condition   this is why they boosted you up to either 100% p&t  or 70% increase to 100% P&T IU, But usually they give the 70% Combined for IU with P&T also.

None of us are safe until we have 20 consecutive years in  for the 20 year Rule.

[broncovet]

The VA can do a proposed reduction on anyone, whether they are P and T or not.  You  posted, 

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I ask because I am 37 and I would really hate to spend the next 5 years unemployed and have VA reduce my rating in the future when I'm 42 and 5+ years of no work history. 

 

 This is why I suggest you work if you can, and only if you CAN NOT work should you go on TDIU.  

Its my humble opinion that if you are able to work, you should do so.  Only if you are unable to work due to sc conditions are you eiligble for TDIU.  

If you "slipped through the cracks" and got approved for TDIU while you CAN still work, its my opinion that VA will likely find this out anyway and cut the TDIU, so you should be prepared and hone your skills for the work force.  

My advice would be:

Train for a great job (that you can perform), getting ready for an inevitable reduction if you actually can work.  Of course, I do not know if you CAN work or not, but if you think you can, then you should go for it.  

The VA will allow you to overcome odds and work.  Max Cleland, Senator Duckwort, and others have worked when they had siginificant disabilities and still got 100 percent.  So, if you are missing 2 legs, then by all means persue employment to the max, its unlikely you will be reduced if you are able to work.  

However, unfortunately, "mental" disabilities are another story.  The world seems to think you are a hero if you overcome missing legs and work, but they world thinks you are a malingerer if you have 100 percent PTSD or TDIU and manage to work.  I did not say its fair, but it seems to be the way it is.