Social Security Disability Benefits (SSDI or SSI) for Veterans

Disabled veterans who are unable to work full-time for at least one year may also qualify for benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) as well as compensation from the VA. The two programs define disability quite differently, however, so you won't automatically be eligible for Social Security benefits (SSDI or SSI) just because you're disabled according to the VA.

Can You Get Social Security and VA Disability at the Same Time?

If you qualify for SSDI, you can receive your VA disability compensation or military pension without affecting the amount of your monthly Social Security benefit. SSDI eligibility is determined by your work credits and earnings history. Generally, if you've worked full-time for at least five of the last ten years, you're eligible for SSDI. But if you wait too long after you stop working before you apply for Social Security benefits, you may no longer be able to receive them.

SSI benefits are needs-based, however, so your VA disability payments may reduce your monthly SSI check or even make you ineligible to receive the benefit. That's because SSI recipients are subject to certain income and asset limits, so any countable income you receive can be taken out of your SSI check. According to Social Security Ruling 82-31, VA disability compensation and pension benefits are considered unearned income, so depending on the size of your VA compensation, you might not qualify for SSI at all (or receive a smaller benefit).

Expedited Processing of 100% Disabled Veterans' Claims

If you're a vet with a 100% disability rating from the VA, you can get a quicker decision on your application for Social Security benefits. Expedited processing doesn't guarantee that you'll be approved for benefits—you'll still need to show that you meet Social Security's definition of disability—but the agency will fast-track your claim so that you can get a decision sooner. All you need to do is identify yourself as "100% P&T" (permanently and totally disabled) when you apply and provide your VA notification letter, which verifies your rating.

How Social Security Decides When Veterans Are Disabled

Unlike the VA, the SSA doesn't award benefits based on a percentage rating—you're either disabled or you're not disabled. Under the agency's rules, you're disabled when you have a medically determinable severe impairment that keeps you from working full-time for at least one year. Because the VA rates service-connected disabilities on a scale from 0% to 100%, you may qualify for VA compensation and still be considered "not disabled" by Social Security.

Some applicants may qualify for disability automatically by meeting a listed impairment. For example, a veteran with extensive treatment for very severe PTSD may have the documents required by listing 12.15 for trauma- and stressor-related disorders. Others can qualify by showing that their residual functional capacity keeps them from performing any full-time jobs. A veteran with moderately severe PTSD symptoms, for example, might not be able to work in a noisy environment or with the general public. If the veteran is over the age of 55, say, they may be able to qualify for disability using the medical-vocational grid rules.

Social Security is no longer obligated to give any special consideration ("weight") to a VA finding of disability, even if you have a 100% rating. However, the SSA will typically review the same medical records that the VA used in determining whether you're disabled. If your VA records contain an MRI that shows significant degeneration in your lower back, for example, a claims examiner or administrative law judge is likely to rely on those records when determining whether you're disabled. So it's important that you obtain your VA records and provide them to the SSA.

How Much Is SSDI for 100% Disabled Veterans?

Social Security calculates your monthly SSDI benefit based on your earnings history (in both civilian and military occupations) using a complicated formula. This is much different from VA disability compensation, where you're paid based on how severe your disability is.

Beginning December 1, 2024, individual veterans with a 100% disability rating can get $3,831.30 per month from the VA, while the maximum SSDI amount for 2025 is $4,018—although the average monthly SSDI check is much lower, at $1,580.

SSI benefits for 2025 are $967 per month, minus any countable income (such as VA compensation or pension). Some states offer modest supplemental cash benefits for people receiving SSI, and the VA offers other benefits such as housing assistance and health care.

Social Security Benefits for Veterans with "Bad Paper"

No matter what type of discharge you had from the military, you can qualify for Social Security if your disability prevents you from working. Unlike the VA, having "bad paper" won't bar you from receiving benefits. Even if your own conduct caused your disability, all that matters for the SSA is that you're unable to work at any job.

Likewise, you don't have to prove that your disabilities are service-connected, and there's no length of service requirement for SSDI or SSI. It doesn't matter when your period of service was or for how long you served, because Social Security benefits aren't related to your time in the military. Even though the VA and the SSA are both part of the federal government, the two agencies are independent.

Applying for Social Security Disability as a Veteran

You can file for SSDI or SSI disability benefits in several ways. Applications for SSDI can be submitted completely online using the agency's web portal. Both SSDI and SSI applications can be filed over the phone at 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778), 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can also go in person to your local Social Security field office to apply for benefits.

When you file for benefits, you'll also need to fill out a disability report regarding your medical condition and provide your work history. You can submit your own medical records from both the VA and any private doctors or hospitals where you have been treated over the course of the last year or so, or Social Security can request the records for you. Submitting the records yourself can help speed up your claim. And if you have a 100% disability rating from the VA, don't forget to mention that when you apply for SSDI or SSI in order to get expedited processing.

SSDI and SSI Lawyers for Veterans

You have the right to hire an attorney to help you file for Social Security or to represent you in your appeal. Disability lawyers work on contingency, meaning you won't have to pay your attorney unless you are awarded benefits—even if the case goes on for a long time. Your lawyer will get paid out of any back pay you receive, and the attorney's fee is limited to 25% of your back pay, capped at $9,200 (starting on November 30, 2024).

If you're initially denied benefits and have to appeal, your chances of winning benefits increase if you have an attorney. (Here's why.) Some VA disability attorneys also practice Social Security disability law, so if you used a lawyer to successfully get VA disability benefits, you may want to ask the lawyer if they'll handle your SSDI or SSI disability claim as well.