Veterans and Social Security Disability Benefits

In this article, I will address the two questions I get asked the most by veterans considering applying for Social Security disability benefits. The question I get asked the most is whether or not you can receive both Social Security disability and VA compensation benefits at the same time? You can receive VA compensation and Social Security disability at the same time. That being said, it is important that you know that VA pension benefits and supplemental security income (SSI) are handled differently than VA compensation and Social Security disability (SSDI). So as long as you are sure you're getting VA compensation and applying for Social Security disability then you can get both benefits. However, if your receiving VA pension and getting or applying for SSI this is not the same since these benefits are based in part on financial need.

Probably, the second most common question is if getting 100% VA compensation will result in a favorable Social Security disability decision? It is also frequently asked in the reverse, does winning a Social Security disability claim mean you will get 100% VA compensation? It is important to know that a favorable Social Security disability decision or a 100% VA compensation rating is not binding on the opposite agency. If you are applying for Social Security disability benefits and you have a 100% VA compensation rating or individual unemployability this is good evidence that you are disabled, but it is not automatic. If you are applying for individual unemployability through VA compensation a favorable Social Security disability decision can be helpful in many cases. I say it can be helpful in many cases and not all cases because individual unemployability is determined by the VA by only considering your service-connected disabilities. Social Security disability will look at all of your disabilities when determining if you are disabled. So it is very possible you may be disabled under Social Security disability rules but not be entitled to individual unemployability under VA compensation rules. For more information on VA compensation visit my website on the subject. If you're looking for more information on Social Security disability you can visit my website on that subject. If you would like to speak to somebody on the phone about VA disability or Social Security disability feel free to call me at 1-877-527-5529.