Can you collect Social Security and VA disability at the same time?
Mia Horton
Updated on January 04, 2026
Can I collect both Social Security disability benefits and VA disability compensation? Yes, military veterans who become disabled during their service can collect disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation at the same time.
Does VA disability affect Social Security retirement benefits?
If you receive VA compensation, this will not affect your Social Security benefits.What happens to my VA disability when I turn 65?
Even after veterans reach full retirement age, VA's disability payments continue at the same level. By contrast, the income that people receive after they retire (from Social Security or private pensions) usually is less than their earnings from wages and salary before retirement.Can you collect Social Security if you are 100 percent disabled veteran?
A Veterans Affairs compensation rating of 100% P&T doesn't guarantee that you'll receive Social Security disability benefits. To receive disability benefits from Social Security, a person must have a severe impairment expected to last at least one year or to result in death.How much extra Social Security Do veterans get?
For those who served between 1957 and 1977, credits equal $300 for each quarter of active-duty pay. Those serving between 1978 and 2001 receive credits equal to an additional $100 in earnings for each $300 they receive in active-duty pay (total credits may not exceed $1,200 a year).Can You Collect Both Social Security Retirement and Disability Benefits?
What is the VA 10 year rule?
The VA disability 10-year rule states that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) cannot eliminate a disability rating that has been in place for at least 10 years unless there is evidence of fraud. This 10-year period is calculated from the effective date of VA's original grant for service connection.What age does VA disability stop?
When veterans reach age 67, all VA disability payments would revert to the amount associated with the rated disability level; veterans age 67 or older who are already receiving IU payments would no longer receive them after the effective date of the option.How often is VA disability reviewed?
VA usually reevaluates veterans' service-connected disabilities on two occasions: Six months after leaving military service; and. Between two and five years from the date of the decision to grant VA disability benefits.What is the VA 55 year rule?
What is the VA 55-year-old rule? Veterans who receive VA disability benefits for service-connected conditions are exempt from periodic future examinations once they turn 55 years old. This includes veterans who will be 55 by the date of a future examination, according to the VA Adjudication Procedures Manual.Does disability pay more than Social Security?
In general, SSDI pays more than SSI. Based on data from 2020: The average SSDI payment is $1,258 per month. The average SSI payment is $575 per month.What other benefits can I get with VA disability?
Other VA benefits and services
- Disability housing grants for Veterans. ...
- Fiduciary services. ...
- VA nursing homes, assisted living, and home health care. ...
- Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) ...
- Aid and Attendance benefits and Housebound allowance.