How to Get Both VA Disability Benefits and Social Security Disability
As a disabled veteran, you may be entitled to veterans disability benefits, Social Security Disability (SSD), or both. To secure all of the benefits you’re eligible for, it’s important to understand what’s required to qualify for each type of benefit. The criteria for VA disability and SSD are different, and so is the way benefits are determined.
In order to qualify to receive both VA disability benefits and Social Security Disability benefits together, you must separately qualify for each type of benefit. The evidence required differs significantly.
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Veterans Disability Benefits
VA Disability Eligibility
To qualify for VA disability benefits, you must show that:
- The condition you are seeking benefits for is service-connected, and
- That the symptoms and limitations associated with your condition are sufficient to establish a VA disability rating
As long as the condition is service-connected, the VA doesn’t care how long you served in the military. That’s different from SSD, which is based on work history.
Another difference is that the benefits awarded to a disabled veteran can vary dramatically depending on the second type of evidence.
VA Disability Ratings
If the VA determines that you suffer from a service-connected condition, you will be assigned a disability rating. This is one area where qualifying for VA disability benefits is very different from qualifying for SSD. With SSD, it’s a yes or no determination–if you’re considered disabled, you will receive full benefits based on your work history. With veterans disability benefits, the amount and type of benefits you receive will depend on your disability rating.
You may be rated 0% disabled, or 100% disabled, or some percentage in between. Disability ratings are always assigned in multiples of 10. For many conditions, the VA follows a ratings schedule that is set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations. The medical evidence you present will help establish your disability rating.
Your disability rating really matters, so it’s important to put together strong evidence of the extent of your disability. This may include medical records, statements from people in your life who have observed your deterioration and day-to-day limitations, and other evidence. Here’s the difference a disability rating can make just in monthly benefits for a veteran with no dependents. The rating also impacts the benefits that are available to dependents and non-monetary benefits such as access to healthcare.
- 0% disability rating – No monthly benefit
- 10% disability rating – $171.23
- 20% disability rating – $338.49
- 30% disability rating – $524.31
- 40% disability rating – $755.28
- 50% disability rating – $1,075.16
- 60% disability rating – $1,361.88
- 70% disability rating – $1,716.28
- 80% disability rating – $1,995.01
- 90% disability rating – $2,241.91
- 100% disability rating – $3,737.85
Working with an experienced veterans disability benefits attorney can help ensure that you have put together the strongest claim possible with the right type of evidence to establish your disability rating.
Social Security Disability Benefits
Social Security Disability Eligibility
To qualify for Social Security Disability, you must have accumulated sufficient work credits before you became disabled. The number of credits required varies if you become disabled at a relatively young age, but for most applicants will be 40 credits overall and 20 credits within the past 10 years.
Unlike the VA, the Social Security Administration (SSA) doesn’t care how you became disabled.
You must also demonstrate to the SSA that you meet their definition of disabled. The simple definition is that your medical condition prevents you from engaging in substantial gainful activity (SGA). The threshold for SGA changes from year to year. In 2024, you won’t qualify if you’re earning more than $1,550/month ($2,590 if you’re blind) from work. That’s another important distinction–with very limited exceptions, the VA doesn’t care how much you’re earning from work.
How you demonstrate that you can’t engage in SGA depends on the condition you’re pursuing benefits for. Many conditions are listed in the Social Security Blue Book. Those listings set forth specific criteria that will establish that a person meets the SSA definition of disabled. However, not all conditions are listed. And, many applicants are claiming disability based on a combination of conditions, none of which might be sufficient on its own. When the listings aren’t sufficient to determine whether you are disabled, the SSA turns to a more detailed assessment that considers factors such as your age, educational level and work experience.
Determining SSD Benefits
Unlike VA disability benefits, SSD benefits are not scaled. If you qualify for SSD, you receive a monthly benefit in the amount you would have received as a retirement benefit if you had reached full retirement age. The amount differs for each recipient because it is based on earnings during your working years.
Receiving Both SSD and Veterans Disability Benefits
If a disabled veteran meets the criteria for both VA disability benefits and SSD benefits, there is nothing to prevent them from receiving both types of benefits. SSD won’t count the income toward SGA because it is not income earned from work. The VA doesn’t consider income in determining eligibility or benefits.
Receiving both types of benefits would be beneficial because it would increase the total amount of monthly benefits you receive. But, that’s not the only way SSD and VA disability benefits can work together. For example, the way the two programs handle medical benefits is different.
Any veteran with a disability rating is entitled to healthcare services associated with the service-connected condition they are rated for. But, only those rated 50% or higher will receive broader medical care from the VA. Whatever healthcare benefits the veteran is entitled to will become available right away. On the other hand, all SSD recipients are entitled to Medicare coverage. However, there is a two-year waiting period. So, SSD may provide medical coverage (through Medicare) for a veteran whose rating isn’t sufficient to receive full healthcare benefits. And, VA disability may offer quicker coverage to a veteran who receives both SSD and VA benefits.
Make Sure You Aren’t Leaving Benefits on the Table
Applying for both SSD and VA disability may mean higher monthly benefits and better coordination of non-monetary benefits. But, each process can be complicated on its own, and understanding the differences in what is required to succeed with each type of claim can be overwhelming.
At Veterans Help Group, our advocates have extensive experience helping disabled veterans navigate the disability benefits landscape. We’re here to help make sure your application is as strong as it can possibly be, to help you get the maximum benefits you’re entitled to. To learn more about how we can help, call (855) 855-8992 right now, or fill out the contact form on this site.
