TDIU Toolkit: Building the Work‑Impact Package That Wins

Many vets qualify for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) but lose claims because their paperwork never shows the real day‑to‑day work limits. This episode walks you through the exact evidence the VA trusts and the step‑by‑step filing path: start with VA Form 21‑8940, get the SSA wage and work history, pull performance reviews and personnel actions, collect treating provider functional statements or a VA/ private medical opinion, and where a vocational expert matters. Gary talks like he’s at your kitchen table — naming forms, explaining the statutory threshold for “substantially gainful employment,” and showing how to stitch employment records to service‑connected conditions. You’ll finish knowing the single action to take right now that starts a claim the VA can’t ignore.