Veterans Are Entitled To Receive Social Security Payments Alongside Extra Compensation That Can Be Received If They Are Injured
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics released the data pertaining to the COLA adjustment for 2022. The figure, an increase of 5.9 percent, is the largest adjustment in years. The aim is to keep people who receive benefits above water as inflation continues to rise at a very fast rate.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that since October 2020 consumers are on average paying 6.2 percent more for goods and services — the largest increase in thirty years. This means recipients will actually be receiving a net loss and the cost of goods will be rising faster than their benefits next year.
For veterans, who are routinely denied work after their service, this increase is extremely important.
This is great news! just signed the Veterans Disability Compensation COLA Act into law, a bill I worked to help pass. This bill will help veterans and their families receive the benefits they’ve earned.
Sen. Maggie Hassan
The increase will also affect the disability compensation payments issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs , although the figure on offer can differ. Typically, a VA recipient with a 10 percent disability rating will see their monthly figure boosted by $8.50, going up an extra $85 per month for those with a 100 percent rating.
A disability rating is the characterization of a soldier’s disability. Basically, the worse the injury, physical or mental, the more benefits a recipient is entitled to.
Can You Combine Ssdi And Va Benefits
Yes, you can! Veterans are able to combine both forms of assistance and will not be penalized for doing so. However, they may find that VA benefits are received quicker than SSDI. This is because there are fewer people seeking claims from VA benefits, as VA assistance is limited to former veterans, whereas SSDI is available to anyone with a disability.
Social Security Benefits A Guide For Veterans
If you are a veteran who is disabled, you might be eligible to receive Social Security disability benefits regardless of the nature of your disability.
You can receive Social Security disability benefits at the same time you are receiving Veterans Administration benefits.
While both are government benefit programs, they work very differently. You can have pending applications for both kinds of disability benefits Social Security and VA at the same time. The income you receive from one program does not impact your benefits from the other program, as neither is income-based.
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Dont Choose A Disability Date Before You Stop Working
Selecting your onset date of disability is a key factor in proving your disability claim. Multiple factors need to be considered when selecting a date and one that can be proven. This is not a cut and dry decision. However, what is true in most cases is that if you select a disability date prior to the date you stopped working full time, your claim will be delayed and most likely denied
Ssdi And Bipolar Disorder
If you are suffering from Bipolar Disorder, you know how debilitating this condition can be. So do we. We understand that when you are dealing with this condition, completing forms, obtaining medical records, and figuring out all the steps to receiving Social Security Disability can be difficult, if not impossible. Thats why at Disability Advocates Group we take all the work out of applying for Social Security Disability benefits.
We will help you at every stage of the process.
If you need an attorney who is experienced in representing clients seeking SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY INSURANCE or SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME benefits, contact Disability Advocates Group today at 935-3170, or online to schedule a free initial consultation.
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Do I Get Extra Money From Social Security For Being A Veteran
As a veteran, you may receive several different benefits from the Social Security Administration . The exact interplay between VA and SSA benefits depends on the circumstances that are specific to your case, but it is very common for veterans to receive VA disability compensation in addition to Social Security Disability Insurance. Also, veterans who served prior to 2001 get additional social security credit for their military service that is counted towards their SSA retirement benefits.
Ensuring that you are receiving all of the VAand SSA benefits that you might be entitled to can help you and your familyenjoy financial stability for years to come. You gave years of your life toyour country, and you deserve compensation for your service. But sometimes theVA may be reluctant to grant you the benefits you deserve. If you have beendenied your VA benefits, call Jackson and MacNichol today at 800-524-3339 for afree consultation with a veterans disability compensation lawyer.
Extra Social SecurityCredits For Veterans Were Discontinued in 2002
The amount and type of credits you receivedepends on the period in which you served in the military:
Although the SSA automatically takes thesecredits into account when calculating your lifetime earnings, it doesnt hurtto ask for a copy of your work record from SSA to make sure all of your military service has beentaken into account.
What to Do IfYour Benefits Are Denied
Social Security Disability Benefits Pay Chart
Social security disability benefits amounts can often vary based on how much your average lifetime earnings were before your injury or disability began. Many often question how much does social security disability pay? What is my social security disability amount? How can I get more money from social security disability? We are here to answer those questions and provide you the most accurate details on social security disability payment amounts.
In , there were 9,695,000 social security disability insurance recipients. The average amount of social security disability payments was $1,127.81. In the same month, there were 8,008,000 Supplemental Security Income recipients with the average monthly payment at $579.56.
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What Are Ssdi And Sdi
SSDI, also known as Social Security Disability Insurance, is offered to those who have qualifying disabilities or conditions regardless of whether they have served in the United States military. SSDI is a federal-level benefit you earn after working long enoughafter having earned 40 credits.
How are the 40 credits calculated? According to the Social Security Administration those credits are earned by your work and payments into the Social Security fund for a maximum of four credits per year. The credits are based on your total earnings during the year and the requirement to earn those credits is subject to review and change.
Some may earn more credits than they can use in a lifetime, but this does not increase the level of benefit or payment amounts.
Social Security benefits have medical requirements and non-medical criteria. Those meeting the non-medical requirements are paid benefits when it is determined their medical issues are expected to last a minimum of one year or result in the death of the patient.
Social Security Insurance, also known as SSI, is similar to SSDI in some ways, but is a need-based benefit and subject to income caps. Such caps mean that if you draw VA disability pay but not military retirement pay, you may qualify for SSI.
Quick Breakdown Of SSA Benefits
Can I Get Va Pension And Social Security
Does a VA pension affect Social Security?
If you receive VA compensation, this will not affect your Social Security benefits.
Is Social Security included in total countable income for VA pension?
If you receive Social Security retirement benefits or Social Security Disability benefits, the Department of Veterans Affairs considers your benefits to be part of your countable income when determining your eligibility to receive VA Pension benefits.
Can you collect VA disability and Social Security retirement at the same time?
Can I collect both Social Security disability benefits and VA disability compensation? Yes, military veterans who become disabled during their service can collect disability benefits from the Social Security Administration and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation at the same time.
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Ssa Expedited Processing For Veterans
Benefits Approval For Disabled Veterans
VA benefits are also known as compensation for a service-related disability. The VA only considers disabilities that resulted from military service. VA compensation is not based on income.
You are compensated on partial disability through the VA disability program. The SSA will not compensate for partial disability or partial loss of employability. In the past, another major difference in disability from the SSA and the VA involved the treating physician rule.
Up until March 27, 2017, the SSA gave extra weight to the treating physicians opinion. The VA, however, would review the claimants entire medical file, with no extra weight given to any specific evidence. After March 27, 2017, the SSA will not give deference to the opinions or records provided by the treating physician.
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Differences Between Va Benefits And Social Security Disability Benefits
Veterans Administration Benefits and Social Security Disability benefits are both government programs that provide monthly benefits for disabled individuals. There are several differences between the two programs.
To receive VA benefits, you must be a disabled veteran, and your disability must be related to your active duty service. You will be given a disability rating.
A rating as low as 0% indicates that there is a military-related disability but is not compensable. Your rating must be at least 10% to be eligible for compensation. You do not have to be completely disabled to receive VA benefits. And, if your condition worsens, you can ask to be re-evaluated and your disability rating can be adjusted appropriately.
To receive Social Security disability, you must be completely disabled and unable to earn income. Your disability can result from multiple medical issues. They do not have to be related to your military service, but they certainly can be.
For example, you might have a 30% disability rating from the VA, and you might also have diabetes, heart problems, and arthritis that aren’t related to service.
With all those conditions are combined, you might meet the requirements to be fully disabled per the guidelines established to determine disability by the Social Security Administration .
Will A Veteran Who Wins An Ssdi Case Automatically Win Their Va Disability Case
The short answer: No, not automatically. A veteran who wins a Social Security case may not automatically win their VA case. This is, in part, because the VA requires proof that each disability is service-connected. Especially when there are multiple disabling conditions or mental health issues at play, it can be hard to distinguish exactly which condition is causing a given impairment that prevents work.
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Understand The Social Security Disability System
When an individual applies for social security disability, the application can be complete three ways an application can be completed at the applicants local social security field office , online at SSA.GOV or over the phone. Once completed, an initial decision takes between 60-120 days. However, if the applicant is a veteran they may file a form known as 1-2-1-95 . This expedited process is for members of the military who served after October 1, 2001, regardless of where the disability occurred. A further expedition may be granted for veterans who have a VA compensation rating of 100 percent.
After submission of the application the disability claim is then assigned to a member of the disability determination services office a medical examiner. This examiner will compile all the medical documents needed to render a decision and after gathering the documents will consult with a licensed physician or psychologist who works with the SSA. The doctor and medical examiner will complete the evaluation by deciding whether or not the applicant is approved for disability. The SSA statistically shows that 70 percent of first time applicants are initially denied. Hopefully the claim is approved in which the Social Security Administration considered the individual 100 percent disabled and will receive one of the two disability benefit programs SSI or SSDI.
Difference In Wait Times
A VA case could take anywhere from five to ten to twenty years, whereas a Social Security case typically takes two or three years. The difference in processing times at the SSA and the VA are, in part, explained by the two systems different definitions of disability.
At the VA, each ailment is considered a distinct claim and each claim is rated separately. So a veteran must gather and submit evidence for each condition and then VA adjudicators must evaluate each condition under separate rating criteria. In addition to the medical evaluation of each ailment, VA adjudicators must determine whether or not each condition is service-connected meaning the condition was caused or aggravated by an in-service event.
Social Security, on the other hand, is much simpler. Adjudicators just need to answer one overall question: can the person work?
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Other Benefits Related To Va Disability
For the sake of completeness, there are other types of monetary benefits that may come into play for the families of Veterans, especially those that died from a service-related injury or illness or a service member that died in the line of duty and left a surviving spouse, parents, or children. These benefits are known as VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.
Qualifications and eligibility differ, as do compensation rates, in comparison to the way the VA determines whether a Veteran is qualified to receive disability compensation including requirements for spouses to have been married to the Veteran for specific amounts of time, for the parents of the Veteran to have an income level below a specific amount, and for a child to be unmarried, under a certain age, and not included on a surviving spouses compensation.
Monthly compensation rates vary as well, with a single spouse receiving $1,340.14 a month or a single child with no surviving spouse receiving $565.84 surviving parent rates are much lower in comparison. Spouses with disabilities of their own, spouses who were married to their totally disabled Veterans partners at least 8 years prior to the Veterans death, or who have 1 or more children under the age of 18 qualify for additional funds.
Va Disability And Social Security
Veterans receive certain benefits because of their prior service to the United States. These benefits are offered by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. These benefits are offered for individuals who were disabled or injured in some task or duty related to their service.
In other words, if your injury or disability was a result of your military service, you may qualify for these benefits, but not if the condition occurred before or after serving. The sole exception to this is a pre-existing condition that your military service made worse.
The benefits one can expect from VA disability include:
- Dependency and indemnity compensation, or DIC
- Disability compensation
- Claims based on special circumstances
- Combat-related special compensation, or CRSP
- Concurrent retirement and disability payments
An important part of these benefits is that they arent limited to cash for a medical bill. Many of the benefits also come with VA healthcare and other medical resources like nursing home assistance. Educational benefits and home loan guarantees are sometimes offered depending on the benefits package.
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How Much Does Social Security Disability Pay
by Jason BarilApr 26, 2017
How Much Does Social Security Disability Pay?
The Social Security Administration does not have a set amount that it provides to all disability recipients. Rather, it considers a host of factors when determining claimants benefits. The first factor the SSA considers is which of the two disability benefit programs qualify for. The SSA calculates the benefits for Social Security Disability Insurance recipients and Supplemental Security Income recipients in very different ways.
Below, we provide a brief overview of Social Security disability benefit pay and key factors that play a role when determining how much Social Security disability pays. For help determining the actual benefit amount you may be entitled to, speak to one of our disability lawyers at the Disability Advantage Group by calling . The consultation is free.
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