A VA Disability Rating is a percentage assigned to a disabling condition that is service-based. It is based on the severity of the medical condition. This rating percentage determines the amount of VA Disability Benefits a veteran receives for their service related conditions. The rating percentage is meant to reflect how severe the medical condition is.
A 0% rating is assigned to a condition that doesn’t really affect the veteran negatively at all, while a 100% rating is given to a condition that makes the veteran unable to work or properly care for themselves. Every rating percentage is rounded off to the nearest 10 percent, such as 40%, 50%, 60%, etc.
Can I Use My VA Disability Rating to Get a Social Security Disability Benefit?
If you receive VA benefits but are still able to work, then you likely will not qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits (SSD). If you are unable to work, then you may be able to qualify for both VA and SSD. You can use your medical records to help to show you qualify for a SSD benefit.
What is the Difference Between VA Benefits and SSD?
The money that is used to pay Social Security Disability (SSDI) claims comes from taxes paid by workers under the Self-Employment Contributions Act and the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. However, on the other hand, VA Disability benefit is not considered to be insurance but it is just a compensation program which awards benefits to veterans who have sustained an injury while undertaking military duty.
VA Disability comes out of a specific VA budget for the Veterans Administration and not taxes paid by military personnel. This means as long as you have paid federal taxes you may still qualify for SSDI if you meet the disability requirements as stated by the SSA for eligibility for SSDI.
How a 100% Rating can Get You an Expedited SSD Claim
SSA automatically identifies those veterans that meet the VA 100% Permanent and Total disability compensation rating. However, sometimes a veteran may have to self-identify as meeting the rating and provide the VA notification letter as proof. So, a VA compensation rating of 100% Permanent and Total is not necessarily a guarantee that you will receive Social Security disability benefits (SSDI).
To be approved for these benefits, you must meet Social Security’s definition of being disabled. This means you must meet the following criteria:
- your medical condition(s) must have already lasted, or be expected to last for at least 12 months or result in your death;
- you must not be able to take part in substantial work because of your medical condition(s).
Get Help with Your Disability Claim
The SSA never makes it easy to qualify for disability benefits so you should consider seeking help from an attorney who may quickly determine that as a veteran whether you qualify for SSDI. The attorney may help you complete the required forms as well as ensuring all the right medical evidence is included in your application.
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