Can You Collect SSDI or SSI and VA Disability Benefits?

Veterans who have a service-connected medical impairment may be surprised to learn that in addition to receiving disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), they may also qualify for benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). While the two agencies differ in their definitions of disability, they share a reliance on medical records for key evaluations such as the VA disability percentage rating and SSA residual functional capacity.

Recent SSA rule changes mean that the agency no longer gives special consideration to VA ratings when determining whether veterans should be awarded Social Security benefits, so the SSA won't simply adopt the VA's findings and call it a day. (20 CFR §404.1520c.) However, because the SSA will review the same medical evidence that the VA did, veterans with a high percentage rating are likely to have a good chance of getting Social Security disability.

How Can You Get Social Security Disability and VA Disability?

Broadly speaking, you can get both Social Security and VA disability benefits if you have an illness or injury that was caused by (or got worse from) your time in service, and you can no longer work full-time because of it. More specifically, for SSA purposes, you're considered disabled when you have a medical impairment that keeps you from earning substantial gainful activity for at least one year. VA disability, on the other hand, involves assigning you a rating based on the extent of the limitations resulting from your service-connected condition.

There are four kinds of benefits available to disabled veterans: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), VA disability compensation, and military pension. Your eligibility for each benefit depends on several factors such as your work history and current financial situation.

What Are Social Security Benefits (SSDI and SSI)?

SSDI is a form of insurance available to people who've paid into the program by way of payroll or self-employment taxes. In order to be eligible for SSDI, you'll need to have earned enough work credits to become fully insured on the date you became disabled. SSI is a needs-based program available to disabled people regardless of how much they've worked. In order to qualify for SSI, you'll need to show that you have limited income and assets.

What Are VA Benefits?

VA disability benefits—commonly known as service-connected disability compensation—are monthly benefits for veterans who have a disability related to their time on active duty. VA military pension is a needs-based, income-limited program available to veterans regardless of whether they have a service-connected medical condition.

What's the Difference Between Social Security and VA Disability?

The main difference between VA and Social Security disability benefits is that the VA uses a percentage rating to determine the degree of your disability, while Social Security is black or white—you're either disabled or you're not.

Veterans can get VA disability compensation by showing that they have a current medical condition that's linked to their military service. This "nexus" can be direct, secondary, presumed, or aggravated. Once a nexus has been established, the VA will use the Schedule for Rating Disabilities (38 C.F.R. Part 4) to find the diagnostic code associated with your impairment, review your medical limitations, and assign you a corresponding rating from 0% to 100%.

The SSA, in contrast, doesn't award benefits based on a percentage amount or "partial" disability. Instead, the agency will look at your medical records for evidence that you meet a listing or have work-related limitations to incorporate into your residual functional capacity (RFC). If the restrictions in your RFC keep you from being employed full-time at any job, you'll be approved for Social Security disability benefits.

You don't need to have a 100% disability rating to receive SSDI or SSI benefits. But having a 100% VA disability rating doesn't guarantee that you'll get Social Security benefits, either. Likewise, having an award letter from Social Security won't affect your VA disability rating or establish service-connection where none exists. But because both agencies should have access to the same medical evidence, if your records are strong enough to qualify for benefits from the SSA, it's a good sign that you'll get a high VA disability rating (and vice versa).

How Does Getting VA Benefits Affect My SSDI or SSI Benefits?

You can receive the full amount of SSDI and VA service-connected disability compensation at the same time since neither program is needs-based and they aren't offset—meaning the money you get from one program isn't reduced by the amount you get from another. But if you're receiving both SSI and VA disability compensation or pension, the amount of SSI you get monthly can be reduced (or even eliminated) as a result. That's because SSI is needs-based, so if you have additional revenue coming in, you might not receive the whole benefit amount.

Does VA Disability Count as Income for Social Security?

As mentioned above, SSDI isn't needs-based, so your VA disability payments won't change your benefit amount. SSI is a different story, however—Social Security classifies VA benefits as "unearned countable income" and deducts any money you receive from the VA (minus a $20 exclusion) from your SSI benefits.

Do SSDI and SSI Count as Income for VA Pension Purposes?

VA pension is a needs-based program, like SSI. VA pensions are paid to veterans with very little income who meet certain age or specific disability requirements. Social Security benefits are specifically included as income when determining whether you meet the pension income cap, which for 2025 is $159,240. If your total income and assets (and those of your spouse) exceed this amount, you won't be eligible to receive VA pension payments.

Will My VA Disability Affect My Social Security Retirement Benefits?

No, getting VA disability compensation won't affect your Social Security retirement benefits. (In fact, the taxes you pay on your military wages contribute to the amount of Social Security retirement you'll receive.) As with SSDI, Social Security retirement is based on your past earnings history, not your current financial needs, so the amount you receive from VA disability won't reduce your retirement benefit.

How Much Will I Get In Disability Benefits?

It depends on the agency and the type of benefit you're awarded. Generally, the VA looks at your disability percentage rating and living situation to determine how much you'll receive in disability compensation or pension payments. The SSA looks at your work history and current resources to calculate how much you'll receive in SSDI or SSI.

VA Disability Compensation Payments

The VA will consider your disability rating along with the number of dependents (spouses, children, and parents) you have to calculate your disability compensation amount. For example, an individual veteran with no dependents who has a 30% disability rating will receive $537.42 every month (in 2025), while a married veteran with a dependent child and a 60% rating will receive $1,617.93 every month. You can use the tables provided at the VA's current disability compensation rates webpage to estimate your monthly benefit.

VA Pension Payments

For a veteran with no dependents in 2025, the maximum annual pension rate (MAPR) you can receive per month is $1,413.75. The MAPR amount increases for veterans who are housebound or need help with daily activities, and decreases with any additional income received (like Social Security benefits). As with disability compensation, MAPR amounts are greater for veterans who have dependents. You can find your MAPR amount at the VA's current pension rates for veterans webpage.

SSDI Payments

SSDI benefits are based on the wages you earned while working, including income you earned in the military. In 2025, the maximum SSDI benefit payable is $4,018 per month, although the average is much lower, around $1,580. The exact formula that Social Security uses to calculate your monthly SSDI payments is fairly complex, but you can read an explanation of the basics in our article on how much in SSDI benefits you can get.

SSI Payments

SSI payments are easier to calculate than SSDI payments are, since the maximum amount is set by the federal government as a flat rate (adjusted every year to account for cost-of-living increases). In 2025, the maximum benefit you can receive from SSI benefits is $967 per month, minus any countable income you have in that month.

Remember that Social Security considers VA benefits to be countable income, so if you're receiving $400 per month in VA disability in addition to SSI, Social Security will deduct $380 (the $400 in income minus a $20 exclusion) from your SSI benefit, and you'll receive $587 in SSI. For more information, including average SSI amounts and state supplements, check out our article on how much you'll get from SSI.

How to Apply for VA Disability or Social Security Benefits

The SSA and VA are different agencies that run their programs independently. You'll need to apply separately to each program, but you can submit your applications at the same time. If you're filing for Social Security benefits, you can choose from one of the following methods:

• Apply online at ssa.gov. Filing online has many benefits, such as giving you the option to save your application and return to it later. You'll also receive a confirmation number where you can check your case status.
• Call Social Security's national number at 800-772-1213 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, to speak with a representative. If you're deaf or hard of hearing, you can use the TTY number at 800-325-0778.
• File in person at your local Social Security field office. You can use the locator tool here to find the office closest to you.

You can apply for VA benefits in a similar manner. You'll need to complete Form 21-526EZ, Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits, which you can do in a few ways:

• Apply online using the electronic version of Form 21-526.
• Fax Form 21-526EZ to 844-531-7818 (from inside the United States) or 248-524-4260 (from outside the U.S.)
• Bring your application to your local VA office.
• Mail the form to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Claims Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444.

You can apply for Social Security benefits as soon as your medical condition prevents you from working full-time, provided that you're expecting to be out of work for at least one year. Veterans can apply for benefits as soon as you sustain any illness, injury, or disease linked to your military service. Current servicemembers can apply during active duty as long as they have an impending discharge between 180 and 60 days (through the Benefits Delivery at Discharge program) or within 60 days of discharge through the Quick Start claim process.

How Long Does it Take to Receive Disability Benefits?

It can take anywhere from six months (unusual) to several years to get VA benefits. Successful SSDI and SSI claims typically take about two years, but some veterans may be able to have their claims expedited under the Wounded Warriors initiative. If you qualify, Social Security should fast-track your claim automatically, but to be safe, make sure to tell the agency that you qualify when you submit your initial application and ask for a Critical Request Evaluation Sheet to be included.

Because it can take so long between the date that you filed your application for benefits and when you receive your award letter, both the VA and the SSA provide a lump-sum payment to compensate you for the time that you were waiting to be found to be disabled. For VA benefits and SSI, this payment is typically calculated going back to the date you filed your application. But SSDI recipients can get backpay for up to 12 months before they filed for benefits, depending on when their disability onset date was established.

Do I Need to Get a Lawyer?

You aren't required to have a lawyer to apply for benefits from the VA or the SSA, but it's usually a smart idea. An experienced attorney can help you appeal a denial from the VA, represent you at a Social Security hearing, and take your case to federal court if necessary. Most disability lawyers work on contingency—meaning they don't get paid unless (and until) you win your claim—so there's little risk in asking for a consultation with a lawyer near you.