Obtaining Va Disability Benefits For Ptsd
A Veteran can seek disability through the VA at any point for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. However, there are some requirements that must be met to be successful in the claim. In order to file for disability through the VA, you have to have had a traumatic stressor event or traumatic event that is related to PTSD. In addition, the VA requires further details and requirements to be approved. The following must be true in order for the VA to consider your claim: the stressor event had to have occurred while on active duty or during your service time, you cannot function as well as you could prior to the event occurring, and lastly, a doctor has to have diagnosed you with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. These three criteria are vital to a VA benefits claim. The claim must also include a statement in support of a claim for service connection for PTSD. A disability lawyer can help claimants navigate the path to Social Security Disability for veterans with PTSD.
What If My Claim Gets Denied
PTSD disability claims are not always accepted. People will wonder, Why was my PTSD claim denied? A common reason for a VA denied PTSD claim or other denied claims is an error by the benefit provider. Other reasons include insufficient documentation, missing records or eligibility issues.
If your claim has been denied, you will typically be able to appeal the denial. Pay careful attention to the appeal dates and ensure that any paperwork is filed on time. If you pass the appeal dates, you may have to wait a period of time normally a year and refile. You should provide any additional paperwork and documentation that is required during the appeals process. Depending on the complexity of your case and the reason for your appeal, you may wish to consider consulting a lawyer who can help you complete the appeals process. There are many lawyers who will provide a free consultation and give you some advice during these consultations that could help guide you in the appeals process.
If you find that you are self-medicating PTSD with alcohol or drugs, you should consider seeking professional help to stop using these substances and find a more healthy way to treat PTSD symptoms. The Recovery Village has years of experience with helping those who are misusing substances to treat PTSD. Reach out to one of our understanding team members to learn how you can start your recovery today.
Related Topic: PTSD self treatment
Find Out If Youre Eligible For An Able Account
- To be the designated beneficiary of the account, you must be blind or have a medical disability that occurred before the age of 26.
- You may open only one ABLE account.
- You dont have to open an account in the state where you live. ABLE accounts are not currently available in every state. However, you can open one in any state with an active ABLE program. Find out which state has the best program for you.
Also Check: How Long Does Disability Take In Nj
Documenting Ptsd For Disability
When you apply for SSDI or SSI benefits, you claim must be supported by solid medical evidence that your condition is serious and long-term. This is true for any medical condition, not just PTSD. To ensure you have a strong claim, consider the following questions:
Do you have a supportive medical provider? When determining your disability, the Social Security Administration reviews your medical records for treatment notes and diagnostics that further describe your situation. Its important to make sure youre on the same page as your provider in terms of your diagnosis and limitations before applying. If your provider doesnt agree that you suffer from PTSD or recommends you continue working, your claim is unlikely to be successful.
Do you seek out and comply with treatment? When suffering from any mental illness, it is often difficult to attend treatment sessions regularly. And some individuals struggle with medication compliance starting and stopping medications that may improve their condition. It is important to comply with prescribed treatments since SSA will evaluate whether your condition responds to treatment. If your condition does respond or if there is a question as to whether you are complying with treatment, it is more difficult for SSA to find you disabled.
How Long Will It Take To Receive Ssd Benefits For Veterans With Ptsd
Given that, it can take several months to a year for benefits to kick in once an application is submitted. Yet, a veteran may receive a lump-sum retroactive payment for the time between the onset of PTSD and the receipt of benefits, up to one year. Either way, any veteran who served on or after Oct. 1, 2001, is eligible to have his or her application expedited. While this is supposed to happen automatically, an applicant may need to inform the SSA of his or her eligibility.
Also, another factor in the SSDI application might be a disability ruling by the VA. As a result, if the VA has determined that you suffer a 100% permanent and total disability as a result of your PTSD, this might also expedite the process. However, a P& T rating does not guarantee you will be approved for SSDI benefits.
Attorneys from the Disability Advantage Group have experience helping disabled veterans across the nation secure the benefits they deserve. Above all, if you suffer from PTSD as a result of traumas related to your military service, you deserve to be compensated. Call today to arrange a consultation.
You May Like: What Is The Elimination Period Of An Individual Disability Policy
How Knowledgeable Attorneys Can Help
It can be very difficult to prove that you have these limitations, especially as the terms extreme and marked are subjective. What may constitute an extreme disturbance or limitation to ones behavior in one person may not constitute the same limitation for another person.
Therefore, knowledgeable attorneys can help you gather evidence to support your claim and help you qualify for PTSD Social Security benefits. For example, the right attorneys can help you collect evidence, including:
- Medical notes or recommendations from a doctor or your psychiatrist
- Eyewitness accounts or notes from family members and friends
- Journal entries and notes from yourself
- Notes from your supervisor at work or your coworkers
If you dont have the above-mentioned limitations, you may still be found medically disabled by Social Security. This will only occur if you show that you can only function with a dedicated support system.
In this case, the SSA may look for evidence of that support system that you cannot function without, such as family members who take care of you, social workers, or group homes.
Documenting Your Ptsd For Social Security
It is important to make sure that Social Security has all the medical evidence related to your PTSD and all your other impairments, including records of inpatient or outpatient psychiatric treatment and clinic notes from counseling and therapy. While Social Security will usually request your treatment records from the previous year when you file your disability application, you should provide Social Security with all relevant records from the last several years, if not more.
In addition, if your treating mental health provider is willing to complete an RFC form or write a letter on your behalf, this could give you a much better chance of being approved. The RFC form should ask for your diagnosis and symptoms, and it should address your ability to:
- sustain a routine without special supervision
- maintain attention and concentration
- understand, remember, and carry out simple and complex instructions
- avoid excessive absences from work
- make simple work-related decisions
- interact appropriately with supervisors, coworkers, and the general public, and
- be on time to work and avoid taking unscheduled breaks from the job.
Your doctor should also state the medical basis for his or her opinions, and address whether you meet the above listing for PTSD.
You could be eligible for up to $3,345 per month In SSDI Benefits
Don’t Miss: How To Increase Va Disability Rating
How To Get Social Security Disability For Veterans With Ptsd
Veterans have options when it comes to recovering disability benefits for PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a life-altering condition that comes as a consequence of veterans who experienced scarring events while serving their country. Veterans struggling with PTSD can quickly become overwhelmed with determining which route to pursue benefits. A disability lawyer can help you figure out how to get social security disability for veterans with PTSD.
Does Ptsd Qualify For Disability Benefits
Many people think of physical conditions when they hear the word disability. But the truth is that there are a number of disabling mental health conditions as well, including post-traumatic stress disorder .
PTSD is a serious mental disorder that can develop after someone experiences or witnesses some type of trauma such as war, sexual assault, a natural disaster, or a catastrophic accident. This mental health condition can affect every aspect of your life, including your personal relationships, career, and ability to perform daily routine tasks.
Theres no doubt that PTSD is a serious condition, but does it qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits? If you are suffering from PTSD, its in your best interest to speak to an experienced Tampa Social Security disability attorney about your case. Every disability case is unique, so theres no way to know for sure if you will qualify for benefits without speaking to an attorney. But in general, heres what you need to know about qualifying for SSDI benefits for PTSD:
Also Check: How Much Is Disability In Florida
Depending On The Severity It May Affect How You Work
Certain work environments may remind the person of the event that caused their trauma, or perhaps their symptoms make it more difficult for them to work. For example, if their PTSD makes them angry, it may be difficult to do a customer service job. Sometimes, working with PTSD can be outright dangerous. You may have an anxiety attack while doing construction work and injure yourself in the process.
Not all work is dangerous, of course, but sometimes, your PTSD may make it difficult for you to do even sedentary work. If your work requires you to concentrate, it may be difficult for you to do your tasks due to your symptoms.
How Much Disability Can I Get For Ptsd
If the SSA determines that you are disabled because PTSD prevents you from working, you may be entitled to Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income. The SSA has an online benefits calculator that can help you estimate potential SSD benefits. An SSD attorney can also help you estimate how much you could receive in Disability benefits, as well as help you seek the maximum benefits for your PTSD.
Don’t Miss: Social Security Office In Jonesboro Arkansas
How Do I Apply For Social Security Disability Benefits If I Have Ptsd
Applying for Social Security Disability can be tough. Studies show over the vast majority of applications are denied. And the reality is, if youre suffering from PTSD, youre already going through a lot of stress. The last thing you want to do is add a high-stress situation to your plate. If youre applying for Social Security Disability benefits and going through PTSD, it is highly advised you speak to a Social Security lawyer first. Walton Law LLC can walk you through the process and put you at ease. Call us at 251-455-5819 and set up a free one on one consultation.
Contents
Can You Get Disability For Ptsd
You are able to have a successful disability claim for PTSD, but in order for you to get disability for PTSD it needs to be properly medically documented. In order for you to get PTSD disability , you need to have as much medical documentation as possible.
In your application, the SSA will ask for your medical records, including hospital records and clinic notes from physicians, therapists, and counselors.
When you are applying for PTSD disability, you should ask your doctor to fill out a Residual Functional Capacity Evaluation on your behalf.
The RFC evaluation is a form that your doctor fills out that evaluates the maximum you can do despite your disability, such as PTSD.
Your RFC evaluation is another example of medical documentation that helps show that you are unable to work full time because of your PTSD. When you have as much medical evidence as possible that shows you are unable to work because of PTSD, the more likely you are to get disability benefits for PTSD. To see how much you could get in PTSD disability, use our disability calculator to see how much you could be able to earn in PTSD disability benefits.
Also Check: Changing Your Social Security Number
Disability Compensation For Veterans With Ptsd
The VA will acknowledge PTSD is a service-related disability provided you can verify that your PTSD symptoms are directly linked to your military service. The VA considers the following scenarios to be traumatic events, or stressors, in a veterans claim for disability benefits based on PTSD:
- you sustained serious injury, personal or sexual trauma, or sexual violation, or
- you were threatened with injury, sexual assault, or death
The VA reports that PTSD is the leading mental health issue suffered by troops returning home from combat. As stated by the VAs National Center for PTSD, many veterans of recent combat operations experience PTSD, including:
- 11 to 20 out of every 100 veterans who participated in Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom
- 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans who participated in the Gulf War
- 30 out of every 100 Vietnam veterans who participated in the Vietnam War had PTSD in their lifetime.
- PTSD can relate to a traumatic sexual event. A distressing number of veterans have suffered sexual assault, abuse, and harassment while serving in the armed forces, referred to as military sexual trauma .
Eligibility for disability benefits for PTSD from the VA is based on the following:
Remember, if you are a veteran diagnosed with PTSD, you may qualify for VA compensation, Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, or both.
What You Need To Know About Social Security Disability Benefits
The first and most important thing to understand about these benefits is that you cant be in a hurry to be approved for themthe process can take five months or more depending on a variety of factors.
SSD benefits are paid with the understanding that the applicant may experience an improvement in their condition SSD is paid until the recipient is able to work again in cases where there is improvement. Those with conditions that do not improve will continue to get SSD benefits as long as that is true.
Don’t Miss: What Is The Most Common Va Disability
Getting Social Security Disability For Veterans With Ptsd
Individuals with PTSD can file for Social Security Disability. This is different from VA disability and can be filed by anyone, so you do not need to be a veteran to qualify. To ensure the best possible outcome, it is better to hire an attorney who can ensure forms are filled out correctly and all forms are submitted in a timely manner. To be considered for SSDI, the Veteran must have a condition that will not allow him or her to return to full function over the next few months to years, or even his or her life span. The claimants PTSD has to be considered preventative of substantial gainful activity, meaning, it has to affect the veteran and keep him or her from holding down a job or career. The veteran must have enough work credits built up to allow for processing and payments to be issued. The Social Security department requires that work be shown for the last five out of ten years.
PTSD can be a qualifying condition for disability benefits. There are several factors to allow for Social Security Disability qualifications to be met:
- The applicant must meet work history requirements, meaning there must have been enough work credits built up to allow for payments to be issued
- The applicant is unable to perform the work you did prior to the PTSD diagnosis
- PTSD does not allow the applicant to adjust to other types of work
- The PTSD will last for years or until your death
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder And Social Security Disability
More than 5-million Americans suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder , also known as Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. The symptoms of the condition varies from individual to individual, but in some cases PTSD can be very disabling and may have a detrimental impact on one’s ability to function in normal day-to-day life. Individuals who suffer from the condition may not be able to work due to the issues caused by the disorder. If you or someone you know is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and you want to know whether or not the condition qualifies for Social Security Disability benefits, the following information can help you through the disability application process.
You May Like: Woodspring Suites Tampa Airport North Veterans Expressway
Learn About Service And Emotional Support Animals For Veterans
The VA provides guide dogs for blind or visually impaired veterans. It also offers service dogs for veterans with other disabilities. Benefits include veterinary care and equipment through VA Prosthetics and Sensory Aids. Learn more about guide and service dogs for veterans.
Currently, the VA does not provide service dogs for veterans with mental disorders, such as PTSD. However, research is underway to see if dogs can help treat PTSD and its symptoms. Get information on service dogs, emotional support dogs, and issues related to PTSD.