SSDI and VA benefits do not reduce each other
If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and also have a VA disability rating, you can collect both payments in full. The Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security do not coordinate their programs, so getting one does not lower the other. You receive your SSDI check and your VA check as separate payments from two different government agencies.
This is different from some other benefit combinations, where receiving one program reduces what you get from another. SSDI and VA disability are intentionally kept separate because they serve different purposes: SSDI is based on your work history and current inability to work, while VA disability is compensation for service-connected injuries or illnesses.
The main thing to understand is that you do not have to choose between them. If you are found to have a service-connected disability by the VA and also meet SSDI's medical and work history requirements, you can receive payments from both programs at the same time.
Key Takeaways
- SSDI and VA disability payments do not reduce each other—you receive the full amount from both programs if you are found to have a service-connected disability and meet SSDI's requirements.
- The two programs are run by separate agencies and use different rules to decide who receives benefits, so approval from one does not affect the other.
- Your SSDI payment is based on your work history and earnings record, while your VA payment is based on the severity of your service-connected condition.
- If you receive SSDI and later become a VA beneficiary, or vice versa, you do not need to report one benefit to the other agency.
How the two programs measure disability differently
SSDI and VA disability use completely different standards to decide who receives benefits. SSDI requires that you have a medical condition severe enough to prevent you from doing any substantial work for at least 12 months or result in death. The Social Security Administration looks at whether you can work at all, not at the severity of your condition in percentage terms.
The VA, by contrast, assigns a disability rating from 0 to 100 percent based on how much your service-connected condition reduces your ability to work and function in daily life. A veteran with a 20 percent rating receives a different monthly payment than one with a 50 percent rating. You do not have to be unable to work to receive VA benefits—you can have a job and still collect your full VA payment.
Because the programs measure disability in different ways, it is possible to be found disabled by one agency but not the other. You might have a service-connected condition that qualifies for a VA rating but does not meet SSDI's strict definition of disability. Or you might have a non-service-connected condition that prevents you from working and qualifies for SSDI, but does not may have access to for VA benefits at all.
What happens if you work while receiving both benefits
Your work activity affects SSDI but not VA disability. If you earn more than the substantial gainful activity (SGA) amount—a threshold that changes each year—Social Security may find that you are able to work and stop your SSDI payments. The VA does not have an earnings limit, so you can work and earn as much as you want without affecting your VA disability payment.
This means that if you are receiving both SSDI and VA benefits and you start working, you need to report your earnings to Social Security but not to the VA. Social Security will continue to monitor your work activity, and if your earnings stay above the SGA amount for nine months (the trial work period), your SSDI may end. Your VA payment will continue unchanged.
If your SSDI ends because of work activity, you may be able to restart it later if your earnings drop below the SGA amount again. The VA payment is not affected by any of this and continues as long as your service-connected condition remains at the same rating or you do not request a rating reduction.
Reporting your benefits to each agency
You do not need to tell Social Security about your VA benefits, and you do not need to tell the VA about your SSDI. The two agencies do not share information about benefit payments, so each one processes your case independently. When you explore for SSDI, you will be asked about your income and resources, but VA disability payments are not counted as income for SSDI purposes.
However, if you receive SSI (Supplemental Security Income, which is different from SSDI), the rules change. SSI counts most VA benefits as income, which can reduce or eliminate your SSI payment. If you receive both SSDI and SSI, or if you are unsure which program you are on, contact Social Security to understand how your VA benefits affect your specific situation.
When you report your work activity to Social Security, you report only your earnings from work—not your VA or SSDI payments. The VA does not ask about your SSDI or work earnings when you file for VA benefits or request a rating increase.
If you are approved for one program after the other
The order in which you receive approval does not matter. If you already receive SSDI and then explore for VA benefits, getting approved for VA does not change your SSDI. If you already receive VA benefits and then explore for SSDI, getting approved for SSDI does not change your VA payment. Each agency makes its decision based on its own rules and your own medical records.
Some veterans find it easier to explore for VA benefits first, because the VA process can take several months and you may receive back pay once approved. SSDI also takes time to process, and you may receive back pay from the date you filed your process. If you are pursuing both programs, you can file applications with both agencies at the same time—there is no requirement to wait for one decision before explore to the other.
How your medical records are used
If you are already receiving SSDI and explore for VA benefits, you can ask the VA to obtain your medical records from Social Security. This can speed up the VA process because the VA will not have to request records from your doctors separately. However, Social Security's finding that you are disabled does not automatically mean the VA will approve you—the VA makes its own medical information based on whether your condition is service-connected.
Similarly, if you have a VA disability rating and explore for SSDI, you can provide your VA rating decision and medical evidence to Social Security. Social Security will review this evidence, but a VA rating does not may provide SSDI approval. Social Security may request additional medical records or ask you to have an examination by a Social Security doctor to confirm that your condition prevents you from working.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I get approved for VA disability, will my SSDI stop?
No. Receiving VA disability benefits does not affect your SSDI in any way. The two programs are separate, and approval from one does not change the other. You will continue to receive your full SSDI payment.
Can I receive VA benefits if I am already on SSDI?
Yes. You can explore for VA benefits at any time, whether you are currently receiving SSDI or not. If you are approved for VA benefits, you will receive both payments. The VA does not consider your SSDI status when making its decision.
Do I have to report my VA payment to Social Security?
No, unless you receive SSI (Supplemental Security Income). If you receive only SSDI, you do not report your VA payment. If you receive SSI, most VA benefits count as income and may reduce your SSI payment—contact Social Security to find out how your specific VA benefits affect your SSI.
What if I start working while receiving both SSDI and VA?
Report your earnings to Social Security. If you earn above the substantial gainful activity amount, your SSDI may end. Your VA payment continues unchanged no matter how much you earn. The VA has no earnings limit.
Does a VA rating help me get SSDI faster?
A VA rating does not speed up the SSDI process. Social Security makes its own information based on whether your condition prevents you from doing any substantial work. You can provide your VA rating and medical evidence to Social Security, but approval is not may provide.