Some veterans with disabling medical conditions may choose to apply for both VA disability benefits and Social Security disability. However, does receiving both VA disability and Social Security disability benefits jeopardize your eligibility to receive either type of benefit? When can a veteran receive both VA and Social Security disability?
Overview of VA Disability Benefits
VA disability benefits provide monthly financial compensation and potentially other services to veterans with service-connected health conditions that cause some level of impairment. The degree of impairment caused by a service-connected condition determines a veteran’s disability rating, which controls the amount of a veteran’s monthly VA disability payment. The VA provides disability benefits tax-free to qualifying veterans.
Overview of Social Security Disability Benefits
The Social Security Administration operates two disability benefit programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSDI provides disability benefits to workers with sufficient work history who cannot continue in gainful employment due to a disabling medical condition. SSDI bases benefits on an individual’s contributions to the Social Security system through taxes on their wages or self-employment income.
SSI provides disability benefits to low-income individuals under specific income and asset thresholds who cannot perform substantial gainful activity because of a disabling condition. SSI pays recipients a specific federal benefit rate, minus the qualifying income they earn each month.
Can Veterans Receive VA and SSDI Benefits at the Same Time?
Veterans can qualify for and receive VA disability and SSDI benefits simultaneously. Both programs operate independently and have different eligibility criteria. Furthermore, receiving one benefit does not offset the amount of the monthly payment you receive from the other benefit. However, qualifying for one program does not automatically make you eligible for the other.
How VA Disability Benefits Affect SSI
Although veterans can apply for and qualify for both VA disability benefits and SSI, receiving VA benefits may affect the amount of a veteran’s monthly SSI payment. The SSI program considers VA disability benefits as unearned income that can reduce an SSI payment. A veteran who receives a large enough monthly VA disability benefit may offset their SSI payment entirely.
Can a VA Disability Rating Help an SSD Claim?
Having a VA disability benefits application approved and receiving a disability rating can provide you with critical evidence to pursue a subsequent Social Security disability claim. The Social Security Administration typically considers VA disability ratings as evidence of an applicant’s disability. However, the SSA does not have to follow the VA’s decision in designating an applicant as disabled, since the two agencies use different criteria for what constitutes a “disability.” A veteran with a service-connected disability can receive VA benefits and continue to work, whereas working with an impairment caused by a medical condition will usually result in the SSA deeming a person not disabled.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Some of the typical mistakes that veterans make when applying for both VA and Social Security disability include:
- Assuming that approval for one type of benefit automatically qualifies you for the other
- Failing to submit VA medical and disability records with a Social Security disability benefits application
- Missing filing deadlines
- Failing to file administrative appeals from denied benefits applications
- Not considering how income and current disability benefits may affect SSI eligibility
Contact Our Firm Today for Guidance
Your circumstances might qualify you for both VA and Social Security disability benefits. Contact Veterans Law Attorneys today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a VA disability benefits attorney to learn more about your rights to receive both VA and Social Security disability and to understand the rules and limitations on receiving both benefits simultaneously.
