VA and Social Security benefits are different government programs. Therefore, they have varying requirements. You can receive both. While one may impact the other, it’s worthwhile to file for the total disability benefits you deserve.
If you’re seeking payment from Social Security Disability Insurance along with your VA disability benefits, you likely have questions about how and if the two work together. Will one claim negate or cause problems with the other?
What is SSDI, and who qualifies?
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a tax-funded federal insurance program to provide monthly compensation to people who are disabled and can’t work. Workers and their employers pay into the fund. The Social Security Administration manages it.
SSDI benefits differ from Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSDI benefits are for people who have worked and earned enough work credits. SSI benefits are for people with low-income and disabilities who are unable to work.
Veterans who are disabled due to their military service can receive both Social Security and VA benefits simultaneously. They may receive their military retirement and any other retirement benefits they may have accrued throughout their career.
The VA and SSA are separate government entities.
The VA and the Social Security Administration are separate government agencies. Your application or appeal at one agency has no official bearing on the other. Receiving one benefit is not a guarantee for the other benefit’s eligibility. So, you have to go through the full process for both.
The VA and SSA have their own eligibility guidelines.
The VA and SSA have different eligibility guidelines. You may obtain your 100% VA disability and Social Security disability for different reasons or different mental and physical impairments. The VA and SSA’s laws don’t overlap, and each agency drafts its own eligibility guidelines.
You may be eligible for one benefit and not the other.
Because the VA and SSA are different agencies, you may receive one benefit, not the other. You can receive a 100% VA disability rating and get denied Social Security disability benefits and vice versa. But you can appeal either agency’s denial.
Both disability agencies won’t view evidence the same.
The VA and SSA will look at the same evidence but in a different light. Therefore, it’s essential to understand what each agency is looking for and provide the information they need to best evaluate your claim.
Each benefit pays a different amount.
Your VA disability rating will determine your VA payment. The amount you receive from Social Security disability benefits depends on how much you pay into the system while working.
The VA and SSA process claims differently.
Your Social Security and VA disability applications won’t be decided simultaneously. Generally, the SSA moves claims much faster than the VA. Many VA disability benefits claims take years to make a final decision.
The VA and SSA work at different speeds.
Your Social Security and 100% VA disability applications will not be decided simultaneously. Generally, the SSA moves claims much faster than the VA. Many VA disability benefits claims take years to make a final decision.
Does TDIU help with SSDI?
Total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is for veterans who can’t keep or obtain gainful employment because of service-connected impairments. Those TDIU disabilities must be related to your time in the service and be considered service-connected to receive benefits.
Veterans can receive individual unemployability and Social Security disability simultaneously. But being eligible for one disability benefit does not mean you are automatically entitled to the other because of the organizations’ different guidelines. Even if you have one benefit, you still have to submit each application and go through the unique processes.
Also, the amount veterans receive in SSDI benefits isn’t reduced because of their VA benefits, so it can be beneficial to apply for both. The two benefit programs have different eligibility requirements, meaning some veterans will qualify for one or the other, and some will qualify for both.
If you are unable to work due to your service-connected disabilities, you may qualify for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU). Contact us to see if you are eligible. Give us a call and receive a free legal consultation.
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