The social security benefit is a proper plan that provides partial replacement money for eligible personnel such as retirees, disabled veterans, etc. The benefits are also given to the dependents such as the spouse, survivors, and children.
Social Security Benefits For Disabled Veterans
If the spouse is not a working person, then they can get the benefits based on their spouse’s work documentation. To get social security benefits, individuals must enroll in the social security program while they are working.
The benefit amount given to them will depend on the amount of money they earned, their birth year and, the age when they enrolled in the program.
What is PTSD?
PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder. This disorder occurs when a person experiences serious traumatic events that completely disturb their mental health and capacity.
The chances of developing PTSD depend upon the distressing events that a person experiences. The symptoms of PTSD include:
- vivid and unwanted memories
- decreased mental capability
- fearful and upsetting nightmares
- anxiety and depression
- unable to perform the task
- feeling of loneliness and socially distanced
What are the Social Security Benefits for Disabled Veterans Diagnosed with PTSD?
A Disabled veteran means a person who has been declared with a disability rating of 30 percent or more according to the law administered by the veteran affairs department. The rating is also given to the veteran who got released from active duty due to severe physical injury. Now, if the veteran is diagnosed with PTSD, he becomes eligible to get the social security insurance benefits and veteran affairs disability benefits or both. The criterion for both the programs is different and must be met to completely enjoy the benefits. Here, we will discuss the benefits of both the programs for disabled veterans separately:
- Veteran Affairs Disability Benefits
- Social Security Insurance Benefits
Veteran Affairs Disability Benefits
Veteran affairs program provides benefits to the disabled veterans that got severe injuries or a disease such as PTSD caused while they were on active duty. VA examines and regulates the rating from 0 to 100 for the disability of veterans and then provides the benefits accordingly. Following are the different benefits for disabled veterans with PTSD:
a) Cash/Money Benefits:
Cash benefits are given to compensate for the impairment loss that veterans get. The veterans are given the cash benefits on monthly basis and as the disability rating increases the cash benefits also increase. The cash benefits are awarded despite the money veterans are already earning. The cash is also awarded to the dependents of veterans as well. The cash is given for different purposes such as automobile repairment, house modification, dependent’s education assistance, etc. The cash paid to disabled veterans with PTSD according to 2020 VA benefits are:
- $0 per month for 0% disability rating
- $144.14 per month for a 10% disability rating
- $441.35 per month for 30% disability rating
- $905.04 per month for 50% disability rating
- $144.71 per month for 70% disability rating
- $3146.42 per month for 100% disability rating
b) VA Pension for Disabled Veterans:
VA pension is provided to the veterans when they leave their duties due to injury or a syndrome. Veteran affair department only considers the disabilities that are caused due to military service only. Cash is provided to such veterans on monthly basis to meet their requirements. Veterans who get the pension from the veteran affairs department are not eligible for the social security benefits. They can get one of these benefits but not both. Veterans prefer to get a pension from the department rather than a security benefit because the amount of pension is greater than the amount given by social security benefits.
Social Security Insurance Benefits
Social security benefits are provided to disabled individuals from the number of money workers pay while on duty. The greater the earning of the veteran greater will be social security benefits. The benefits are for aged, blind, and disabled individuals (consisting of disabled widows, disabled workers, and disabled children). Medicare and Tricare benefits are also provided to deserving veterans. However, there are certain requirements that the veterans must meet to enjoy social security benefits. These are:
- A veteran must be unable to perform any of his duties and tasks
- The medical condition of syndrome must have lasted for at least one year
- The medical reports show that the veteran will no longer be capable of performing any substantial tasks
- The application for the social security benefits must be submitted before the end of the syndrome
- The veteran will have to wait for at least five months to get their first social security benefit after applying.
a) Medicare and Tricare Benefits
Medicare and Tricare provide surprising benefits to veterans for their health care. Medicare pays the coverage for the diseases while Tricare gives the supplemental coverage to the patients. Both programs are responsible for the care and treatment of disabled veterans and their dependents. The treatment includes medical care, prescriptions, medications and tools, devices for check balance, etc.
b) Expedited Benefits for Disabled Veterans
Some social security benefits are only provided to a few veterans such as wounded veterans. He will get social security benefits more quickly. Also, a veteran who got a 100 percent disability rating from the veteran affairs department is eligible to get all the benefits quickly. They don’t have to wait for 12 months to get their cash.
c) Accessing Health Records for Disabled Veterans with PTSD:
Disabled veterans can now easily access and manage their health records and their treatment results from the social security department and veteran affairs department. For this benefit, the veteran will have to make an account and link the account to the department. To access health records, the veterans must be:
- Enrolled in the Veteran affair Health care program
- Registered as a patient at the health care department of the veteran affair
- Must visit the doctor regularly for a complete check-up for their post-traumatic stress disorder syndrome
- Have a health care vet account provided by the health care department of Veteran Affairs
- Have a verified id login and password along with username given by VA to check the reports online