Last month, people from across the country honored military service members on Veterans Day. As a reminder to our men and women who served in the armed forces, members and veterans can receive expedited processing of disability claims from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
For more information, veterans and service members can visit the SSA’s Wounded Warrior website. You can also visit our page about disability benefits for veterans.
The expedited process is for service members who became disabled while on active military service on or after October 1, 2001, regardless of where the disability occurs. It should be noted that Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits are not the same as benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Veterans and SSDI
As we have blogged about previously, SSDI is available for veterans who have worked and paid Social Security taxes in positions including military and nonmilitary jobs. It should be noted that the SSA uses a slightly different application process than the VA, as SSDI benefits are not available for partial or short-term disability, only total disability.
VA benefits take into account a person’s percentage of disability, meaning he or she can be 10 to 100 percent disabled, paying a person based on the rating and number of dependents he or she may have.
In addition to SSDI benefits, veterans may be entitled to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) based on financial need. For most veterans, the fact that he or she collects VA benefits will not affect SSDI payments; however, household income has an impact on how much compensation a person can receive.
If you are a former service member and you have questions about applying for benefits, contact a Tulsa Social Security disability attorney. We offer free evaluations of your case, and you may reach us by phone at (918) 265-1404. Contact us today to learn more about your rights.
Troutman & Troutman, P.C. – Tulsa Social Security disability lawyers
