Ss Disability Or Va Benefits

[teejay53]

i would like your advice on the following.

my leg was removed oct 4, 2009. my hubby suggested i file for ss disability benefits on oct 10, 2009 and i did.

he passed away unexpectedly on oct 15, 2009 and i was instructed to file for veteran widow's benefits even though i had already filed for ss benefits.

i had not heard anything from ss until friday (feb 19, 2010) telling me of a coming one time appointment with their doctor in march 10 - i have forgot about filing ss with all information gathering for the va and other issues that has been going on.

my question is:

should i keep my ss disability appointment in march or not go and wait on the va.

i have sent all information the va required (including his doctor's letter showing what he passed away from was service related and the vcca letter)?

i filed for homebound and dic and pension (st. paul is working claim).

again thank you for the help.

B)

[halos2]

teejay53, First I sorry hear of your losses. Do follow the advice of those here to follow through with your claims. Hoping you will find solice here with people who care about you.

[teejay53]

thank you, i will follow through with my social security disability appointment and wait to hear from the veterans about my claim with them also.

thank you all and have a blessed day.

[Berta]

If VA awards you a death pension and also you get SSA disability- the VA will surely offset or possibly eliminate the pension amount.

They would have to consider,however, your medical expenses when they determine what amount they would have to offset.

DIC is the better benefit for a widow -as it is not offset by anything else (unless it involves an SBP widow who survives a retiree)

I hope you have a good vet rep who can advise you as to how these benefits can work against each other-

On the 21-534 form did you not only apply for the pension but also for direct SC death?

Did he have a SC rating in his lifetime and did any SC disability possibly continue to his death?

In 1982 I got a letter from the VA_

my other veteran husband had died.

I had become the first associate member as far as I knew-if the VVA at that time and they told me to see a VVA VSO to file a claim.

The VSO filled out the forms very fast and I sure didnt have a clue about DIC then.

Some months later the VA sent me a nice letter-they had denied DIC but awarded me a death pension -which they also stated they couldnt send because I got SSA survivors benefits for my daughter that was far more than the death pension.

I never even appealed the DIC denial but realized years later maybe I should have.

It should be easier for the VA to determine your pension eligibility (and faster then the DIC) but it is always good idea-even when they award a death pension-to continue to try for the DIC benefit if possible,

[Berta]

PS- by all means apply for SSDI- as this could be a greater amount in some cases then the VA pension would have been.

Maybe I didnt quite make that clear-

In 2 years after SSDI awards you for total disability-assuming that they will award- then you would be eligible for Medicare-

you mentioned CHAMPVA- I have this and it is absolutely wonderful and picks up what my Medicare doesnt pay with a small co pay fee.

CHAMPVA however is only awarded for dependents of 100% P & T SC vets or survivors of veterans who died due to service disability causing or contributing to their deaths.

If you can succeed on a DIC claim- then you will be CHAMPVA eligible.

[teejay53]

it is very frustrating as i can never get in contact with the va representative that i went to see to help me with my forms in the beginning. he goes from office to office to office.

the other different va agents i have seen never have time to spend to help other than to answer a question and we are through with our fast appointment.

my hubby's personal doctor wrote a letter to the va (the following was part of the letter):

specifically, his hepatic cirrhosis and resultant esopageal varices were the direct result of the hep c and had no risk factors for contracting hep c except for the blood products he received while hospitalized in 1978 for the severe injury he received while active in the marines.

he was 25% disabled

i filed for dic, homebound and pension ... this was the correct thing to do?

i was under the impression that you could only receive on or the other (ssdi or dic, homebound or pension)?

any help is appreciated.

have a blessed day.

[teejay53]

hepatic cirrhosis and resultant esopageal varices are listed as the cause of his death on the death certificate.