Working On A Disability Claim? Keep Multiple Options Open
Disability claims, in systems such as Social Security can be fairly intense, but they aren't your only options. If you're investing a lot of time, medical visits, and paperwork filing to get a favorable decision, you may as well replicate and rearrange that work to multiple systems that offer similar services. Instead of putting all of your hope into just one form of injury, illness, and general disability assistance, consider a few options and their specific traits to keep multiple safety nets open.
Social Security Disability's Potential
The most popular disability program in the United States is the Social Security Administration (SSA)'s disability program. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is used to support people who can prove a disability that impedes their ability to make a survivable income.
There are limits on the amount of payment that you can receive on social security payments, but the payment is designed to be enough to cover vital living expenses when compared to the severity of the disability. Severity is determined by the SSA, and is represented by a percentage that delivers different amounts of financial support.
Proof is probably the most difficult part of any US disability system, because the evidence has to match the preferences of the organization's medical board. The benefits are strictly controlled to protect against fraud and protect taxpayer investments while helping those in need, and it's hard to tell if your claim made it to a review board that is willing to hear your concerns out carefully or dismiss your case automatically because it doesn't fit standards at face value.
The system also limits the amount of income you can earn. Not all disabilities are total disabilities that stop all forms of profitable action; some injuries stop workers from being able to do their jobs for specific hours out of a day or experience specific periods of disability, so there are rules for earning partial income. That said, if you make too much money in a given period, there's no reason to pay your account until you reach a period of inactivity again.
Veterans Affairs Disability Compensation
Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation is a much more robust payment at face value, but the price paid to earn the payment is much higher.
To qualify for VA disability, you must prove that your disability is somehow related to military service. Just suffering a condition isn't enough; if you can't prove that your condition was caused by your loyal service to your country, you're not eligible. The VA will help veterans with medical support at the clinic/outpatient level and locating other medical professionals, but the disability payments are restricted to proven disabilities.
The same evidence of injury requirements are there like any other disability system, but keep in mind that military service issue. Conditions related to military service are called service-connected, and for certain illnesses or undocumented injuries, proving service-connection can be just as hard as proving the condition at all.
One problem is that the major, obvious conditions that require disability are often caught while you're in the military and treated with a medical discharge. That said, the VA is fully aware that some side effects and suddenly developed issues caused by military service may not spin into severe disability circumstances for months or years.
Contact a long term disability claims professional to discuss your options, and be sure to include career paths such as military or government employment as possible compensation sources. For more information, you will want to contact Scott E. Shaffman Attorney At Law.
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