PTSD and Veterans: Understanding the 100% Disability Rating Requirements

Post-traumatic stress disorder is common among veterans, and many veterans receive veterans disability benefits for the condition. However, most are rated less than 100% disabled.

The Difference a 100% Disability Rating Makes

Small differences in your VA disability rating can make a big difference in the benefits you receive. The difference a 100% disability rating makes is most readily apparent in the monthly monetary benefits a veteran with a 100% disability rating receives compared with other rating levels. Here’s what that difference looks like in 2025: 

Most notably, you can see that the jump from a 90% disability rating to a 100% disability rating gets the veteran an additional $1,533.34 in monthly monetary benefits. If the 100% disability rating is permanent, that opens up additional benefits, including educational and healthcare benefits for dependents. But achieving a 100% VA disability rating for PTSD isn’t easy.

How to Secure a 100% Disability Rating for PTSD

There are three separate paths to receiving PTSD benefits at the 100% level. They are: 

• Receiving a 100% disability rating for PTSD alone
• Combining a lower PTSD rating with other service-connected disability ratings to reach 100%
• Receiving a classification of totally disabled due to individual unemployability (TDIU)

100% Rating for PTSD Alone

The standard for receiving a 100% rating for PTSD alone is stringent: total occupational and social impairment. That’s characterized by symptoms like: 

• Gross impairment of thought processes or communication
• Persistent delusions or hallucinations
• Grossly inappropriate behavior
• Persistent dangers of hurting self or others
• Intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living
• Disorientation to time or place
• Memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name

If you’re pursuing a 100% disability rating based on this condition alone, you must have excellent documentation of your condition and limitations. That means both medical records and statements from people close to you who have observed the changes and limitations.

Combined VA Disability Ratings

If you don’t meet the criteria for a 100% disability rating for PTSD alone, you may qualify for a 100% rating by combining two or more VA disability ratings. If you have service-connected PTSD and aren’t sure you can secure a 100% rating, make sure to consider any other condition you have that may be service-connected. You should also educate yourself about conditions secondary to PTSD to make sure you don’t miss any service-connected or secondary conditions that could increase your rating. 

If you do have additional service-connected conditions, your two (or more disability ratings won’t just be added together. The VA applies a formula that deducts the existing percentage of disability before applying the next one. For example, if you have two conditions each rated at 50%, your overall disability rating won’t be 100%–it will be 80%. Here’s how the VA gets that number: 

1. 100% – the 50% disability rating for the first condition leaves 50% to work with.
2. The second 50% disability rating is applied to the remaining 50% (.50 x .50) for a total of 25%.
3. The 25% is added to the original 50% rating for a total of 75%.
4. The rating is rounded to the nearest 10, or 80%. 

Veterans with a TDIU Classification Get Benefits at the 100% Level

Another possibility is to secure a classification of total disability due to individual unemployability (TDIU). A veteran with a less than 100% rating may receive benefits at the 100% level if they are unable to work due to service-connected disabilities and either: 

• Are rated 60% or higher for a single condition, or 
• Are rated 70% or higher for two or more conditions, with one condition rated at 40% or higher

Occasionally, a veteran who doesn’t meet those minimum rating requirements may receive an “extraschedular” TDIU classification. 

In short, being rated 100% disabled based on PTSD alone is not the only way for a disabled veteran suffering from PTSD to receive veterans disability benefits at the 100% level. However, determining the best way to approach your claim and assembling sufficient documentation can be difficult, especially if you are not experienced with the VA process.

2025 PTSD Disability Rating Update

The current system for rating PTSD and other mental health conditions is heavily dependent on two areas: social and occupational function. However, a proposal to change the way the VA rates mental health conditions was introduced in 2022 and has been working its way through the system. The final rule may yet be published in 2025. 

If/when the new rule is implemented, the VA will assess five spheres instead of just two. These are: 

• Cognition
• Interpersonal interactions and relationships
• Task completion and life activities
• Navigating environments
• Self care

Each domain will be assigned a level 0 through 4, and each will receive equal weight. VA disability ratings will be assigned as follows:

Veterans who already have a VA disability rating for PTSD or another mental health condition won’t automatically be re-evaluated, but will be able to request reassessment under the new system.

Get the Help You Need With Your VA Disability Claim for PTSD

Securing a 100% VA disability rating for PTSD can be a challenge, but the benefits are worth the effort. At Veterans Help Group, we have helped thousands of veterans and their family members pursue the benefits they deserve. Call us today at (855) 855-8992 to learn more about how we can help or contact us here now.

Frequently Asked Questions About 100% VA Disability Ratings for PTSD

1. Can PTSD alone qualify me for a 100% VA disability rating?

Yes, but it’s difficult. To receive a 100% rating for PTSD alone, you must show total occupational and social impairment. This means your symptoms prevent you from holding a job or maintaining relationships, and you experience severe issues such as delusions, hallucinations, or disorientation.

2. What if my PTSD rating isn’t high enough for 100% on its own?

You may still qualify for benefits at the 100% level through combined ratings or by applying for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU). Both options take into account the impact of multiple service-connected conditions or your inability to work.

3. How can I improve my chances of getting a higher PTSD rating?

Strong documentation is key. Submit thorough medical records, personal statements, and “buddy letters” from family, friends, or coworkers who can describe how PTSD affects your daily life and ability to work.

Veteran Resources:

• Most Commonly Approved VA Disability Claims
• Free VA Disability Guidebooks
• VFW SSDI Qualifications Questionnaire