VA Form 21-8940 is the application veterans use to apply for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU). TDIU pays VA disability at the 100% rate — about $3,938 per month for a single veteran in 2026 — for veterans whose service-connected conditions prevent them from working.
What is VA Form 21-8940?
VA Form 21-8940 is the “Application for Increased Compensation Based on Unemployability.” You use it to ask the VA to pay disability compensation at the 100% rate even if your combined rating is below 100%.
When to file VA Form 21-8940
File this form when your service-connected disabilities keep you from holding a full-time job. The VA also looks at the form during regular disability claims if your evidence suggests you can't work.
TDIU eligibility before filing
To meet the schedular TDIU criteria under 38 CFR 4.16(a), you generally need:
- One condition at 60% or higher, OR
- A combined rating of 70% or more, with at least one condition rated 40% or higher.
Veterans who don't meet those thresholds can still apply under extraschedular TDIU (38 CFR 4.16(b)).
What VA Form 21-8940 asks
The form gathers information the VA needs to decide if you can hold substantially gainful work.
- Your service-connected conditions that prevent work.
- The last date you worked full-time.
- Your last 5 years of employers — name, address, dates, hours per week, and gross earnings.
- Highest gross earnings per month before you stopped working.
- Education and training history.
- Any attempts to find work since becoming unable to work.
VA Form 21-8940 pairs with VA Form 21-4192
When you list past employers, the VA mails each one VA Form 21-4192 — Request for Employment Information. Employers report your last day, reason for leaving, and any accommodations.
If an employer doesn't return the form, the VA cannot deny TDIU on that basis alone. Document your follow-up attempts.
Tips for completing VA Form 21-8940
- Be honest about your last day worked. The effective date often anchors here.
- Don't pad income. Earnings must reflect what you actually reported on taxes.
- Mark protected/sheltered work clearly. Earnings inside a protected work environment don't count against you.
- Add a personal statement. Use VA Form 21-4138 to describe how your conditions limit work, in your own words.
- Submit supporting medical evidence. A vocational expert or treating provider opinion strengthens the claim.
What happens after you file
The VA reviews the 21-8940 alongside your medical and employment evidence. About 87,000+ veterans currently receive TDIU, but TDIU is under-claimed — many eligible veterans never apply.
Related guides
- TDIU explained — eligibility and how it works
- TDIU benefits beyond monthly pay
- VA TDIU approval rate — the data
- VA Form 21-526EZ — main disability claim
The current form is available at VA.gov.