How are Social Security Disability and VA Disability Different?
The Social Security disability and Veteran’s Administration disability programs do not use the same rules and guidelines to determine if an individual is disabled. The VA disability program is based upon a percentage of disability. Many veterans receive some type of disability benefits when they retire from the military and go on to work full time jobs. The performance of other work activity often has little or no bearing on the percentage of disability the VA gives a veteran.
Social Security, on the other hand, is a total disability program that basically hinges on two factors: the severity of an individual’s disabling condition and how it affects the individual’s ability to perform substantial work activity.
In fact, an individual can have a severe medical and/or mental condition and if the individual is still earning over the monthly Social Security substantial gainful activity amount without subsidy from their employer (special help given from the employer that enables the individual to work), they will still be denied without even being given a medical determination.
Many individuals who receive VA disability believe they will automatically qualify for Social Security disability but, generally, this is not the case. Many veterans are still working full time jobs while receiving VA disability benefits. In truth, the Social Security disability process is more stringent than many long-term disability programs or VA disability. An individual’s impairment or impairments must prevent them from working at a substantial and gainful level and must significantly interfere with the performance of routine daily activities.
Additionally, to qualify for disability, Social Security disability beneficiaries must meet or equal an impairment listing in the Social Security disability guide book, or they must be determined unable to perform their past work as well as unable to perform other types of work due to a medically determinable mental and/or medical impairment.
If an individual's medical and/or mental impairment has rendered them unable to perform any of their past work activity and it prevents them from performing any other type of work, they may be approved through a medical vocational allowance (where a claimant is approved after their medical and work histories are both evaluated and the determination is made that they can neither return to their past work or perform any other type of work for which they might be suited based on their age, education, job skills, and functional capacity).
The Social Security disability program is not a short-term or partial disability program; it is a total disability program. As such, it can be significantly harder to win Social Security disability than to be approved for VA disability, short-term disability programs, or long term disability.
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Social Security Disability Secrets
Social Security Disability Resource Sections
Social Security Disability Posts and Pages
Social Security, on the other hand, is a total disability program that basically hinges on two factors: the severity of an individual’s disabling condition and how it affects the individual’s ability to perform substantial work activity.
In fact, an individual can have a severe medical and/or mental condition and if the individual is still earning over the monthly Social Security substantial gainful activity amount without subsidy from their employer (special help given from the employer that enables the individual to work), they will still be denied without even being given a medical determination.
Many individuals who receive VA disability believe they will automatically qualify for Social Security disability but, generally, this is not the case. Many veterans are still working full time jobs while receiving VA disability benefits. In truth, the Social Security disability process is more stringent than many long-term disability programs or VA disability. An individual’s impairment or impairments must prevent them from working at a substantial and gainful level and must significantly interfere with the performance of routine daily activities.
Additionally, to qualify for disability, Social Security disability beneficiaries must meet or equal an impairment listing in the Social Security disability guide book, or they must be determined unable to perform their past work as well as unable to perform other types of work due to a medically determinable mental and/or medical impairment.
If an individual's medical and/or mental impairment has rendered them unable to perform any of their past work activity and it prevents them from performing any other type of work, they may be approved through a medical vocational allowance (where a claimant is approved after their medical and work histories are both evaluated and the determination is made that they can neither return to their past work or perform any other type of work for which they might be suited based on their age, education, job skills, and functional capacity).
The Social Security disability program is not a short-term or partial disability program; it is a total disability program. As such, it can be significantly harder to win Social Security disability than to be approved for VA disability, short-term disability programs, or long term disability.
Return to the homepage for:
Social Security Disability Secrets
Social Security Disability Resource Sections
- Social Security Disability Advice Page
- Social Security Disability Tips
- Social Security Disability Questions
- Social Security Disability How to page
- SSDI, SSI and Medical Impairments
- Articles on SSI, SSDI
- Social Security Disability Myths
- More SSDI SSI Questions and Answers
- SSDI SSI Definitions
- Disability Examiner FAQ
- Social Security Disability Mistakes
- Social Security Disability Mental Claims
- Social Security Disability Hearings
- SSDI SSI Lawyer Questions
Social Security Disability Posts and Pages
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- What do I do if my application for disability benefits gets denied?
- Not going to a scheduled social security disability hearing
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- How to get a social security disability hearing scheduled faster
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- Winning at a disability hearing
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- Do you need an attorney to appeal a social security disability denial?
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- Social security disability SSI and Lupus
- How to file for disability
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