SSDI
Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, is an income-replacement program for Americans who can no longer work because of disability. Veterans with a disability can qualify for both SSDI and VA disability benefits, but the programs are separate. Veterans Guide outlines what you need to know about SSDI for veterans and how you can apply. We’re here to help disabled veterans access the government benefits they are entitled to.
Americans who have contributed to Social Security through payroll taxes deducted from their paychecks may be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI. The taxes fund this program, providing benefits to those who can no longer work because of disability. Veterans can qualify for SSDI in addition to VA disability benefits. However, they must apply for each separately, and each program has different criteria. Veterans Guide can help you get the full support you’re entitled to from these government programs.
What is SSDI?
Social Security Disability Insurance provides benefits to people who cannot work because of a disability. SSDI is available to all Americans who qualify, regardless of whether they are veterans.
SSDI is administered by the Social Security Administration, which also administers the Supplemental Security Income program, or SSI. If you have a disability, you might qualify for both programs. To be eligible for SSDI, you must have a work history and have paid Social Security taxes. To qualify for SSI, you must have limited income and resources.
If you are a veteran who is currently receiving SSI, you might want to get a VA disability rating. The benefits you can receive from the Veterans Administration might be more than what you receive from SSI.
Who Qualifies for SSDI?
SSDI is for disabled veterans who cannot work because of their disability. The Social Security Administration (SSA) decides your eligibility based on two factors:
- You have paid enough into the SSDI program through payroll deductions
- Your current medical condition and whether it meets the definition of disability
The SSA uses a credit system to decide if you have the required work history. You can earn a maximum of 4 credits per year working in Social Security-covered jobs. To qualify for SSDI, you must have accrued 40 credits, 20 of which were from the 10 years before your disability’s onset.
To determine if you meet the definition of disability, the SSA looks at five criteria:
- Are you currently working? If you are engaged in substantial gainful activity, you do not qualify for SSDI, regardless of your medical condition. If your earnings average $1,470 or more a month in 2023, you generally don’t qualify for SSDI.
- Will your medical condition interfere with your ability to do basic work activities for at least 12 months?
- Is your medical condition listed as a disabling condition by the SSA?
- If your medical condition is not on the list, can you do the work you did before the disability?
- If you cannot do the work you did previously, is there another type of work you can do? If you cannot do any other type of work, the SSA should approve your application for benefits.
As part of the veterans’ SSDI application process, you must submit information about your work and medical histories. The SSA’s Adult Disability Checklist provides an overview of the information you must provide.
How is SSDI Calculated?
The SSA calculates your monthly benefit amount for SSDI based on your average lifetime earnings. However, it’s not as simple as adding up your past pay stubs. The SSA uses a four-step process to arrive at a figure:
- Your average indexed monthly earnings, or AIM
- Your primary insurance amount, or PIA, based on your AIM
- Your family’s maximum amount, or FMAX, typically 150 to 188 percent of your PIA
- Your monthly benefit amount, often 100 percent of the PIA
The SSA might reduce your monthly benefit if you also receive workers’ compensation or other public disability benefits. However, VA disability benefits do not reduce your SSDI payment.
What Are the Key Differences Between VA Benefits and SSDI?
The VA and SSA are both federal government departments but are separate organizations operating under different guidelines. It is possible to get both VA and SSDI benefits simultaneously.
The VA and the SSA Have Their Own Respective Guidelines for Eligibility
The VA and SSA have different criteria for eligibility. For example, the VA requires that your disability be connected to your time in service. The SSA has no such service connection requirement. However, to get SSDI, you must have earned enough credits through payroll taxes withheld by your employer.
The VA and the SSA Will View Evidence Differently
Both the VA and SSA require documentation of your medical condition. However, they require different evidence and interpret it differently.
For example, the VA must determine that the condition resulted from or worsened because of your military service. The VA recognizes some conditions as presumptively connected to your service. For all conditions, the VA assigns each disability a rating according to how it impacts your ability to function.
Meanwhile, the SSA analyzes your condition to determine whether it prevents you from working at any job. The condition does not have to be service-connected or even work-related.
The SSA Doesn’t Have Percentage Ratings
The VA assigns disability ratings according to severity. You can get VA benefits for a service-connected disability but still be able to work. The SSA does not use percentage ratings. Veterans with a 100 percent VA rating will have the highest chance of getting SSDI since they are unable to work. The SSDI application determines whether or not your medical condition meets the definition of disability. For example if a PTSD condition makes it difficult to maintain employment, then you are likely to qualify for SSDI benefits.
The VA pays set amounts to every eligible veteran based on a disability rating. The benefit amount does not depend on your work record, income history, or available resources. In contrast, your SSDI benefit depends on your lifetime income and your contributions to the Social Security system via payroll taxes.
What SSDI Benefits Are Available to Veterans?
Veterans can get several other benefits through the U.S. government in addition to SSDI. These include the following:
- Up to $3,822 in monthly benefits, under 2024 rates
- Annual cost-of-living adjustments
- Retroactive benefits from the onset of disability through approval by the SSA, following a five-month waiting period
- Medicare coverage, which veterans can receive simultaneously with TRICARE
How to Apply for SSDI for Veterans Benefits
You can apply for SSDI benefits online through the SSA website, in person at your local SSA office, or by phone at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The application asks for information about you, your medical condition, and your work history. You must also provide the following documentation:
- Birth certificate or proof of U.S. citizenship
- Discharge papers if you served before 1968
- W-2 or self-employment tax returns for last year
- Medical evidence, including medical records, test results, doctors’ reports
- Award letters, pay stubs, settlement agreements, or other proof of workers’ compensation-type benefits
If you need assistance applying for SSDI benefits, someone at Veterans Guide might be able to help. Contact us today.
TDIU and SSDI
Veterans who cannot work because of a service-connected disability but do not have a 100 percent disability rating may qualify for total disability based on individual unemployability benefits, or TDIU. TDIU pays eligible veterans the same benefits as those with a 100 percent rating.
If you can’t work because of your disability, you can get both SSDI and TDIU benefits. However, it’s important to remember the VA and SSA have separate applications. If you have a VA TDIU designation, you must still meet the SSA’s criteria for disability to receive SSDI benefits.
Common Issues in Veterans’ SSDI Claims
You might run into some roadblocks during an SSDI claim, such as:
- Failing to establish the disability’s onset date: The SSDI needs to determine when your disability started, partly because your benefits rely on your payroll contributions into the system in the 10 years prior.
- Not providing enough medical evidence: You need enough medical evidence to demonstrate that your condition prevents you from working. This burden is even more onerous if the condition is not listed by the SSA as a disabling condition.
- Not enough symptom documentation: Some conditions might be disabling, but you don’t always have enough documentation of your symptoms. You might face challenges in proving your disability.
- Not meeting the timeline: The SSDI has to conclude that your disability will last at least 12 months to approve your benefits. Detailed medical evidence is often necessary to establish the long-term nature of the condition.
Hiring an SSDI Lawyer
An SSDI lawyer can help you gather the necessary documentation to support your SSDI for veterans’ claims. They can work with you to fully understand your medical condition and how it impacts your ability to work.
To learn more about how you can get the full benefits you need through SSDI, contact Veterans Guide today.
- SSDI
- SSDI Veterans Rates
- SSDI for 100% Disabled Veterans
- SSDI Lawyer for Veterans
- Other Benefits You Can Get From SSDI
- SSDI for Veterans with PTSD
