If you can continue to work after applying for disability benefits from the VA, you may consider staying in your job to bolster your income with your current wages and your VA disability compensation. However, you may worry about what might happen to your VA disability benefits if you continue to work while receiving benefits. But do different rules or restrictions apply to remote jobs versus in-person work?
The VA Disability Benefits Program
The VA’s disability benefits program pays tax-free monthly compensation to military veterans with service-connected disabilities. A veteran’s medical condition has a “service connection” if the condition arose or worsened due to an injury or exposure that occurred during the veteran’s military service, or if the condition occurred or worsened because of another service-connected condition. The disability compensation that a veteran receives depends on their disability rating and the number of dependents in their household. The VA rates service-connected conditions from 0 to 100 percent based on specific diagnostic criteria for each condition. The VA also has a formula for calculating a veteran’s combined disability rating when they have two or more service-connected conditions, based on the rating for each condition.
Can You Work While Receiving VA Disability Benefits
As a general rule, veterans can continue to work or earn income through gainful employment or running a business while receiving VA disability benefits. A veteran’s eligibility for VA disability does not depend on their employment status or their income. Any income that a veteran receives from work also does not affect the amount of their monthly VA disability compensation. Furthermore, the VA treats in-person employment the same as remote work. Thus, a veteran can work in various kinds of remote jobs while receiving VA disability compensation, such as freelance writing, consulting, or website or software development.
Special Considerations for TDIU Recipients
However, exceptions exist to the rule that allows veterans receiving VA disability benefits to work. Most notably, the Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability program imposes restrictions on program members’ ability to work. Under the TDIU program, a veteran with a qualifying disability rating below 100 percent can receive benefits at the 100 percent rating if they cannot maintain substantial gainful employment due to a service-connected condition. In most cases, veterans cannot earn income above the federal poverty level while receiving VA disability benefits under the TDIU program. If a veteran in TDIU enters substantial gainful employment, the VA will reduce their disability benefits commensurate with their disability rating or combined rating.
The TDIU program allows veterans to engage in marginal employment, such as project-based work or odd jobs that do not provide income above the substantial gainful employment threshold. Thus, a veteran in the TDIU program may have the ability to accept intermittent remote work if their income remains below the threshold.
How Remote Work Can Help Disabled Veterans
Veterans with significant disabilities can turn to remote work to earn a reasonable living if their disabilities preclude them from working in an in-person work environment. Some of the benefits of remote work include:
- Reduced physical strain, as remote work typically occurs over the internet
- Flexible schedules, especially when working remotely as a contractor or freelancer
- Expanded career opportunities by getting to work with employers across the country or the globe
- Supplementing disability compensation with a regular income
Contact a VA Disability Benefits Lawyer Today
In most circumstances, you can work a remote job while you receive VA disability compensation. However, you need to know the rules surrounding work in the VA disability benefits program. Contact Kinman Law Office today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a VA disability attorney to learn more about your rights to work in remote employment while you receive disability benefits.
