hen it comes to Social Security benefits and VA disability compensation, Veterans often wonder if receiving both is possible or if there are limitations.
The good news is that Veterans can collect both VA and Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits, but there are key considerations depending on the type of SSA benefits: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
SSI and VA Benefits
If you’re a Veteran receiving VA benefits and are approved for SSI, it’s important to know that SSI is a needs-based program. According to SSA rules, VA disability compensation is considered “unearned income” and is deducted dollar-for-dollar from your SSI payment after a $20 exclusion.
For example, a Veteran receiving $400 in VA benefits would have $380 counted as income against their SSI payment, reducing their federal SSI amount accordingly.
However, VA pensions, which are income-based and not related to service-connected disabilities, often exceed SSI payment amounts. This makes it unlikely for Veterans with a VA pension to qualify for SSI.
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Disability Insurance and Veterans Affairs Benefits
On the other hand, SSDI operates via a different mechanism. Due to the fact that it is not a needs-based program, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments are not affected by VA disability compensation.
Veterans who are eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are able to add their VA benefits to their SSDI income without incurring any reductions. For instance, a veteran who receives $400 in disability benefits from the VA and $850 in Social Security Disability Insurance would have a total monthly income of $1,250.
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What Kind of Garnishes Are There?
The Veterans Administration (VA) normally protects disability payments from being garnished; but, there are certain exceptions!
As an illustration, if you are in debt to the federal government for child support, alimony, or any other debt, then a portion of your benefits may be susceptible to garnishment.
It is quite necessary to maintain awareness of the unique obligations that you have.
Expedited Processing for Veterans
The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides veterans who are seeking for disability payments with expedited processing.
Veterans who have been rated as being completely disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs are given priority when applying for the 100% Permanent and Total (P&T) Initiative.
As an additional benefit, the Wounded Warriors Program expedites the processing of claims for veterans who were injured while serving in active duty after October 1, 2001.
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Veterans must submit the Social Security Administration with supporting paperwork and inform the agency about their status during the application process in order to be eligible.
The process of navigating VA and SSA benefits can be difficult, but having a solid understanding of the laws will help you make the most of your benefits.