Social Security Benefits For Disabled Veterans

Does Having A 100% P& t Rating Guarantee Social Security Disability For Veterans

Unfortunately, no. Having a 100% P& T rating wont guarantee that you qualify for Social Security disability benefits. For example: If your 100% P& T rating is for a short-term issue, you may not meet the criteria for SSD benefits. Social Security disability for veterans is available solely for claimants whose impairments last 12 months or longer.

The SSA looks at how much your health problems limit your ability to work when determining your eligibility for monthly SSD benefits. More specifically, applicants must still meet the SSAs definition of disability in order to get those payments. If youre unfamiliar with how the SSA defines disability, heres a brief overview from their website:

• Your medical issue must stop you from holding a job that pays enough to cover your monthly expenses
• Your doctor must expect your condition to last at least 12 months in a row, or result in your death

In addition, you must meet these technical eligibility requirements, regardless of your health problems:

Who Can Get Both

All military service members have paid into Social Security since January 1, 1957. Since VA benefits and Social Security Disability benefits are administered by different entities, a finding by the VA that one is disabled does not require the SSA to agree. Likewise, a finding of disability by the SSA does not require the VA to agree. However, courts have ruled that the VA must obtain and consider the records relied on by the SSA.

A serious disability resulting from military service may entitle an individual to Social Security Disability and VA disability compensation. A disabled veteran may receive both.

For example, a veteran who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder due to military-related events and who is unable to work can apply for and receive Social Security Disability and VA disability compensation.

However, a veteran who is working and receiving VA disability compensation is not eligible for Social Security Disability because the first requirement for Social Security Disability is that the applicant is unable to work.

A veteran who is poor, lacks a work record, and qualifies for a pension must be careful. Although SSI benefits will not count against a VA pension, the SSA will reduce or eliminate SSI payments when one begins to receive a pension. Furthermore, loss of SSI can mean loss of Medicaid eligibility.

The Va And Ssa Process Claims Differently

Your applications for 100% VA Disability and Social Security Disability benefits will go through different bureaucracies. The VA and SSA do not process claims in the same way. You will not submit evidence the same way either. Applications are not sent to the same location and your eligibility is determined by different people.

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What Are Social Security Benefits For Disabled Veterans

For Social Security Administration your disability does not have to be caused by your military service. It also does not take into consideration your discharge status, so even those with dishonorable discharges can apply. SSA does not use a graduated scale to determine the amount paid. In this case, you have to provide evidence of your physical or mental health condition that has limited your ability to work to earn enough money to make a living. You also have to provide evidence that your disability has lasted or will last at least 12 months or for life.

Expedited Benefits For Some Veterans

There are some veterans who qualify for expedited claims processing for Social Security benefits. If you are considered a Wounded Warrior, you will get your claim handled more quickly.

If you are a veteran who became disabled after October 1, 2001, while on active service and regardless of your location, however, you must indicate on your application that your disability occurred while you were on active duty.

Another way to have your claim expedited is if you received a 100% P& T rating from the VA. You must identify yourself as a military veteran with a rating of 100% P& T from the VA on the application–there is a section at the end of the application titled “remarks” where you can make a note of your status as a wounded warrior.

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Veterans Are Entitled To Receive Social Security Payments Alongside Extra Compensation That Can Be Received If They Are Injured

Since 1957, Social Security has covered all active duty military service and active duty training, and was expanded in 1988 to include inactive duty service in the armed forces reserves.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has their own monthly compensation that injured veterans can receive. Like Social Security payments, these are measured by the severity of injuries. The lowest someone could receive, with 10 percent disability rating, is $152.64 a month, which could rise to as much as $3,816.04 for the most serious injuries.

In my State of the Union address, I announced that we would propose expanding disability and health benefits to veterans suffering from nine rare respiratory cancers.Today, the VA is delivering on that promise and upholding our sacred obligation to care for our veterans.

President Biden

The amount of dependents a veteran has also changes how much money they can receive, unless your disability rating is judged to be 20 percent or lower. The criteria to judge this is related to the number of parents and children a veteran has. The full list of monthly payments and their criteria can be found here.

When Do Social Security Payments Begin

SSDI Cases

Social Security disability benefits begin five full months after your disability date, known as your Alleged Onset Date.

Your payment would begin on the 6th month after your Alleged Onset Date. However, the furthest SSA will pay back due benefits on SSDI cases is 12 months before the filing date.

SSI Cases

SSI payments begin the first full month after the Alleged Onset Date. However, the furthest SSA will pay back due benefits is to the first month after the protected filing date of the claimants SSI application.

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Should I Hire An Attorney

You have the right to hire an attorney to help you file for Social Security or to represent you in your appeal. You will not have to pay your attorney unless you are awarded benefits, even if the case goes on for a long time. Your attorney will get paid out of any backpay you receive, and the attorney’s fee is limited to 25% of your backpay, not to exceed $6,000.

If you’re initially denied benefits and have to appeal, your chances of winning benefits increase if you have an attorney. Some veterans disability attorneys also practice Social Security disability law, so if you or someone you know used a veterans disability attorney, you might ask if he or she will handle your Social Security disability claim as well.

Social Security Disability Benefits Pay Chart 2022

Social Security disability payments increased by 5.9% in 2022. See how much you can earn in this Social Security Disability Benefits Pay Chart guide.

The Social Security disability benefits pay chart applies only to payments through the SSI program. It does not apply if the benefits you receive are through the Social Security Disability Insurance program.

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Disability And Social Security Benefits

Are there any disability and Social Security benefits for youth in foster care to receive?

There are several types of Social Security benefit programs for which you may be eligible. Some of these programs are administered by the federal government while others are administered by the state with federal participation.

The Social Security Administration is the largest provider of benefits to children. Benefits, for which a child may be eligible, as the result of a parent having been previously determined eligible, include: Social Security benefits , Veterans Administration benefits, and Railroad Retirement benefits.

Supplemental Security Income benefits are available to children based on their own disability and limited financial resources.

When a child returns home, leaves out-of-home placement, is adopted, or when a Kinship Legal Guardianship order is signed, the assigned CP& P Worker advises the childs parent or caregiver to file a claim for the SSA or SSI benefits on the childs behalf.

How Does Cost Of Living Affect Social Security Disability Payments

The Social Security Administration makes payment adjustments each year to people receiving Social Security disability benefits. The adjustment payments made through Social Security retirement, Social Security Disability Insurance , and Supplemental Security Income programs reflect cost-of-living adjustments. This COLA increase is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. For 2021, the COLA adjustment is 5.9% for 2022.

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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.

How The Expedited Claim Review Process Works For Eligible Veterans

If youre a veteran with a 100% P& T rating, you likely qualify for an expedited claim review. That means you basically skip to the front of the line so the claims examiner reviews your records first.

According to the SSA, you must clearly state your 100% P& T rating on your Social Security disability application. To do this, simply write disabled veteran, 100% P& T in the remarks section on your claim paperwork. Applying for benefits online? Then you should type the exact same words in that section of the online claim form. If you apply over the phone, tell the SSA representative about your status. Say, Im a disabled veteran whos already rated 100% P and T by the Department of Veterans Affairs. That way, the phone agent helping you apply for SSD benefits can add the appropriate flag to your application. You also need to give the SSA a copy of your VA rating notification letter that verifies the authenticity of your status.

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Social Security Disability Wounded Warriors Program

If you qualify for veterans disability benefits, you may also be eligible to receive Social Security Disability benefits. SSD is different from veterans disability in several respects, one of the most important of which being that it is only available for individuals who are totally and permanently disabled. Whereas veterans disability payments are calculated according to a disability rating, SSD benefits are available only if you are entirely unable to work, and if your condition is expected to last for at least a year or to result in death.

A claim for SSD benefits can take several months or longer to complete, but the Social Security Administration offers a special route for veterans. Through the Wounded Warriors program, it is possible to expedite an SSD claim for a veteran who has become disabled on or after October 1, 2001, regardless of whether the disability is a result of active duty service. To find out what types of benefits you may be able to claim and to begin working on your case, contact us now by filling out our client intake form.

What Disability Programs Does The Social Security Administration Provide

If compensation or pension isnt right for you, you should consider the disability programs offered by the Social Security Administration. They include Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance . We recommend you work with your local Area Agency on Aging to help with SSI and SSDI applications.

• Social Security Administration – 772-1213
• Area Agency on Aging – 642-5119

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Qualifying For Va Disability Helps Your Ssdi Claim

The Social Security Administration will take a VA disability approval into consideration when evaluating your SSDI claim. As mentioned previously, high VA disability approval ratings usually mean youll be approved for SSDI benefits. The same unfortunately cannot be said for SSDI approval and a VA disability claimbecause you must have been disabled while on active duty to get VA disability, the VA will usually not take an SSDI approval into consideration when evaluating your claim.

Are Ssdi Benefits Taxable

Social Security disability benefits can be subject to tax at both the federal and state level. Many recipients do not pay taxes at the federal level because their federally Adjusted Gross Income is too low to be taxed. However, a spouses income or household income can cause SSDI to be taxed. Supplemental Security Income benefits are not taxed.

37 states and D.C. do not tax social security benefits, but nine states do.

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How Do I Apply For Social Security Disability

You need to submit a disability application with Social Security, either online, by phone, or in person by going to your local Social Security office. You’ll also need to fill out a disability report regarding your medical condition, and a work history report.

You can submit your own medical records from both the VA and any private doctors or hospitals where you have been treated over the course of the last year or so, or Social Security will request the records for you. It can help speed up your claim if you submit the records yourself.

Is There Amaximum Income I Can Receive From Employment

Yes, themaximum amount of money you can receive from employment or otherself-employment project is $1170 for 2017. As long as your income fromemployment is under this amount you still will qualify for benefits from theSSA. For the most part if you have serious disabilities you wont work enoughto hit the $1170 limit.

There isanother disability program called Supplemental Security Income , but it isincome based. This program also includes unearned income when calculating yourqualifications. The SSI has a really low limit. It is very unlikely that youwould be able to receive benefits from military retirement, VA benefits, andSSI all at the same time.

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The Va And Ssa Are Separate Government Entities

The Veterans Benefits Administration and the Social Security Administration are two separate government agencies. Your application or appeal at one agency has no bearing on the other. If you are already receiving one benefit, the other agency doesnt care. Receiving one benefit is not a valid argument for the other benefits eligibility.

We Are With Those Who Need A Helping Hand

The Supplemental Security Income program is a program that provides income support to people with disabilities, people age 65 or older, or blind, who have low income and resources. U.S. Treasury general funds, not the Social Security trust funds, pay for SSI.

If you or someone you know may be eligible for SSI, visit to learn more and apply.

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Who Qualifies For Ssd

SSD benefits are authorized for those with a total disability who have paid a minimum amount of Social Security taxes. SSD is also provided for people with low or no vision plus widows or widowers with disabilities, children with disabilities, and, in the words of the SSA, wounded military service members.

Social Security Administration literature says you are considered totally disabled when:

• You cannot do the work you did before
• You cannot adjust to other work because of your disability
• Your disability will probably last for at least one year, or cause you to die

Dependency And Indemnity Compensation

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation is a tax free monetary benefit paid to eligible survivors of military Service members who died in the line of duty or eligible survivors of Veterans whose death resulted from a service-related injury or disease.

A surviving spouse/child of a disabled veteran may qualify for DIC

HOME LOANS/ HOUSING MODIFICATION GRANTS VA provides grants to Service members and Veterans with certain permanent and total service-connected disabilities to help purchase or construct an adapted home, or modify an existing home to accommodate a disability. Two grant programs exist:1. The Specially Adapted Housing grant 2. The Special Housing Adaptation grant.

Social Security Launches New Expedited DisabilityProcess for Veterans

Fast-tracking Disability Decisions for Vets with 100% Permanent and Total Rating

The VA rating only expedites Social Security disability claims processing and does not guarantee an approval for Social Security disability benefits. These veterans must still meet the strict eligibility requirements for a disability allowance.

For information about this service or the handling of Wounded Warrior’s disability claims, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/pgm/disability-pt.htm.

Phone: 427-7257

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Social Security Disability For Veteran

Americans who engage in military service can suffer from mental and physical side effects lasting a lifetime. These veterans who have become disabled may be entitled to receive disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. Veterans who are already receive VA benefits can potentially be eligible for either Supplement Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance . In order to qualify for SSDI, a veteran needs to meet the basic work history requirements and must have worked at least 5 out of the last 10 years. For SSI, a veteran must meet the income and asset limits established by the SSA.

Veterans who have a VA disability with the U.S. Department of Veteran can potentially qualify for additional disability benefits from social security. Unfortunately if a veteran is receiving a pension from the VA and doesnt meet the work history requirements, the veteran is no longer eligible for SSDI benefits and only qualifies for SSI. Remember it is good to keep in mind that SSI is an income based program and a veteran who has a pension may no longer qualify for additional disability benefits through the Social Security Administration.