It is possible for you as a veteran to receive social security disability benefits and VA
unemployability benefits.
My name's Lori Underwood with Woods and Woods, and this is about social security disability
benefits and VA unemployability and compensation benefits.
There are two types of social security benefits.
There are social security disability, known as SSD, and social security supplemental income,
also known as SSI.
First, we're going to talk about social security disability.
Social security disability is awarded when you have enough credits and you're still insured
while you apply during that period.
It is not based on your income level at the time of your receipt of the benefit.
You can receive social security disability and VA compensation benefits at the same time.
You can also be paid for unemployability through the VA while receiving social security disability
benefits.
SSI, or social security supplemental income, is a benefit that's awarded through the Social
Security Administration when you are no longer insured during your application period.
The receipt of SSI is dependent upon how much income you have, so your receipt of VA compensation
benefits at the same time may affect your eligibility for SSI.
If you are receiving VA benefits above the accepted level through social security administration
it is a possibility that you will lose your SSI benefits eventually.
However, it is in your best interest to pursue VA compensation benefits.
VA total disability or individual unemployability rating pays more than your SSI benefits.
You can find the current payment of SSI online through the Social Security Administration
website.
You may be awarded social security disability benefits or social security supplemental income
benefits for conditions separate from your service connected benefits.
This will not prevent you from being unemployable through the VA for your service-connected
benefits.
You may receive social security disability and VA unemployability compensation for different
conditions.
Receiving one for a different condition than the other does not preclude you from receiving
both.
Social security disability is a completely different program that has completely different
laws and regulations and is run by completely different administration.
Many times a veteran's social security disability does have an impact, or is relevant to your
VA unemployability compensation.
However, it does not have to be.
A lot of times the Social Security Administration may look negatively on things such as self-medication
through alcohol and drug abuse because of mental instability.
However, the VA tends to take a more lenient approach and a more understanding approach
of a veteran's self-medication because of their mental instability.
So whereas this may preclude you from the receipt of Social Security Administration
benefits, it does not necessarily preclude you from individual unemployability benefits
through the VA or a total occupational and social impairment rating through the VA.
Social security disability can be awarded for just about any medical impairment that
prevents you from being able to work.
VA compensation is similar in the same way.
You may receive a total occupational impairment rating or individual unemployability for
just about any impairment that prevents you from being able to work, the same as social
security disability.
So in that respect, those two things have something in common.
If you're receiving social security disability and you would like to know if you're eligible
for individual unemployability through the VA, or a total occupational and social impairment
rating.
Or you're receiving a total occupational and social impairment rating or individual unemployability,
and have questions about your eligibility for SSD, then give us a call at the number
below and we'll see what we can do to help you with your claims and answer your questions.