Military Veterans who are injured and become disabled during his or her service will be able to collect VA Disability and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits simultaneously. More than 950,000 former service members receive SSDI.
Both federal agencies have different processes for determining who is eligible for benefits. Additionally, if you qualify for VA disability compensation, this does not mean that you will automatically qualify for SSDI. However, if you receive 100% permanent and total (P&T) disability rating from the VA, then the Social Security Administration (SSA) can expedite the processing of your SSDI application.
You can qualify for VA disability compensation if you were injured in combat, developed a service-related physical or mental illness, or if a preexisting health condition worsened over time while you served.
The SSA bases your qualification for SSDI based on your work history and ability to continue working, rather than how you became disabled. To receive SSDI, you must have spent a certain period in “covered” employment, which means a job where you paid Social Security taxes over a certain period of time.
The VA also determines your disability on a percentage scale (in increments of 10) based on how a condition affects your health and ability to function. They assign different percentages based on your injury and also have a unique system of combining them. Please check out our Veterans disability calculator to get some idea of what you might be able to receive.
It is possible to receive both VA disability compensation and Social Security Disability benefits even though the criteria to qualify for both are different. Contact Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case. Our Veterans disability attorneys take VA cases nationwide and will do what it takes to make sure you obtain the benefits you deserve.
