Since we are located in Northeast Florida, one of the common questions I hear comes from our veterans. They are wondering if they can be found disabled by the Social Security Administration (SSA) when they are found to be 100% disabled by the Veterans Administration (VA). The answer is, it depends.
For one, if the individual has worked enough to be insured for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, he or she may be approved. Typically, the easiest way to find out if you are insured for SSDI benefits is look at whether you have worked five out of the last ten years prior to becoming disabled. If the answer is yes, you should apply for benefits to see if you medically qualify.
Unfortunately, when it comes to medically qualifying, SSA does not use the same criteria as the VA to determine if someone is disabled. Therefore, an individual can be 100% disabled by the VA, but found to be “not disabled” by SSA. When making the finding of disability, SSA looks to see if you are disabled and unable to engage in substantial gainful activity for at least 12 months.
As a tip – when applying for disability benefits, if you are a 100% disabled veteran, bring your paperwork to your local Social Security office as they may be able to expedite your claim.
If you are a veteran applying for disability benefits and have questions, contact a lawyer or your local Social Security office today.