spouse21 –
Here is what looks like a good summary of P&T facts, taken from a veterans assistance site. (It states it more clearly than anything I found on the official VA website). (Boldfacing is mine).
"…a 100 percent “permanent and total” rating. This is when the VA acknowledges that the service-connected conditions have no likelihood of improvement and the veteran will remain at 100 percent permanently with no future examinations. The P&T rating provides additional benefits, such as Chapter 35 education benefits for dependents, among others.Veterans sometimes make the mistake of requesting a P&T rating simply because they want education benefits for their dependents. Veterans need to keep in mind that when P&T is requested, all of their service-connected disabilities will be re-evaluated. If improvement is noted during the subsequent examinations, a reduction from 100 percent can be proposed.Because many veterans are service-connected for conditions that VA says have a “likelihood of improvement,” most ratings are not considered permanent and are subject to future review.The only time veterans can’t work a full-time, gainfully-employed job is if they were awarded 100 percent disability through a claim for IU (Individual Unemployability).Also, a 100 percent rating under either IU or combined ratings may or may not be rated as permanent and total. A temporary 100 percent rating is just that: temporary due to being hospitalized or recovering from surgery on a service-connected condition.It is always best for a veteran to work with an accredited veterans service officer who can explain the complex workings of the VA benefit system.These seem to me to be the highlights of what you need to know (and think about
) right now, items I gathered from a little searching:
O the VA does not have a timetable, system, or such for moving veterans
automatically from temporary into permanent status (unless the veteran has already held temporary status for something like 20 years). The veteran needs to initiate the request to be moved into permanent status (by submitting VA Form 21-526EZ, among other things). Submitting this request results in the scheduling of an examination meeting to determine eligibility for increase to permanent status
O
do note, as stated in above text, that scheduling such an evaluation session for the purpose of being examined in hopes of increasing status to permanent,
opens up all previous disability evaluations for current review. This means that the attempt could backfire, as not only increase to permanent status is denied, but existing disability status could be downgraded we well
O it is
essential to have good supportive documentation from personal physician(s) supporting a P&T status, which leads to:
O it is a very, very good idea, as the above text suggests, to obtain the services of a good VSO (Veterans Service Officer) to assist in any effort to achieve P&T status. You can look for one in your area. (There should be one, and making inquiries at a nearby VA hospital would be a good place to start, in order to find one).
Also, something else I came across, here is some useful specific advice on how to evaluate terminology used in any evaluation award letters your husband may have received so far:
/www.vawatchdog.org/permanent-and-total---p---t-.html