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Q515:  I was rated 100% total and permanent for IU when I applied for life insurance.  They wrote me a letter stating that IU was not a service-connected disability and they denied my request.  When I called the company they stated that when I got my first 10% that’s when I should have put in for life insurance.  Now I am told I have to be 100% before I can get insurance.  What can I do now to get life insurance?

If you have a question about benefits, compensation, pension or VA related issues please submit here. 

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A1:  You have one year from your 100% rating date to sign up for S-DVI (Service-Disabled Veterans Life insurance. The VA will pay your premium too. Currently the face value is $10,000 which was made law in 1951. There is a bill in Congress to raise the amount to $100,000. For all veterans reading this post please let you congressmen and senators to pass this bill.  (SW)  9/13/20

  

A2:    Unfortunately, the person who answered below is not correct.

The problem with with the rating of Individual Unemployability. You are not truly rated at 100%, you are being paid at the 100% rate. Individual Unemployability is a part of VA's disability compensation program that allows VA to pay certain Veterans disability compensation at the 100% rate, even though VA has not rated their service-connected disabilities at the total level.

   

The VA regulation concerning the insurance states the following. Note: An increase of a rating you had before or a rating of Individual Unemployability, meaning you can't work doesn't qualify you for S-DVI.

This being said, you would need to be rated for a NEW disability even if it is at 0% or you can drop the IU and have your overall rating increased to a 100% rate.

    

This is a serious gamble for a small life insurance policy.

You can learn more here. https://www.va.gov/life-insurance/options-eligibility/s-dvi/  (RJ)  9/13/20