Skyler0311

After I've been approved? Approved of what?

Okay, new question. So suppose I am doing my job search thing, looking at jobs on Indeed, and I find one that I want to apply to. How does the 9 month SSDI trial thing work? Do I need to give SSA several weeks notice? If I get a sudden job offer that I want to accept, can I notify SSA the the day I start? Do I need to notify them beforehand? Can I notify them after I've started? How much coordination do I need to do with SSA beforehand? Will they need to contact my employers? That could be weird.

Thanks for the links. They are informative! This is great news! I want to have a career in the non-profit sector doing community service work or other related jobs. But I'm glad I will be able to work, do my SSA trial work period, still have my VA benefits! I feel free to actually pursue my dreams!!

One more question: Since I am medically retired and also have SSDI, I use both Tricare and Medicare as health insurance. If I use the SSA work trial program, and eventually lose my SSDI benefits, I will also lose medicare too, right? How will that affect my insurance coverage when seeing health care providers? Will my tricare coverage be different?

So then I am safe in telling the SSA I want to try 9 months of work trial, get a job, without risking my VA benefits? This sounds like a win-win, no?

Will this prevent my ability to work??

Okay, I just called the VA rep. This is what they told me: I am 100% for PTSD and Bipolar (Permanent and Total), 10% for arthiritis in my left knee, 10% for ringing in my right ear, and 0% for flat feet. What does this mean for me??

Should I just call the VA tomorrow and ask them if I am on P & T? If not, then am I good?

I just tried to register an account. I got all the way through, and then it asked me to (in under 2 minutes) enter in my DoD ID number on my retiree ID Card (medically retired). I did so, clicked next. Then a screen came up saying remote proofing unavailable.

I'm trying to access the ebenefits website. I'll have to create an account I guess. Is there a specific link I should go to? Once I find my rating, I will let you guys know what it says.

Stupid question. How do I access them? Is there an online account I can look at? I do have my awards letters, but they are in a box somewhere.

When you say cancel, do you mean do the 9 month trial, or cancel outright? Because people here seem to be suggesting I should do the 9 month option, which I do feel like is being honest. Trust me, I have no interest in being dishonest. I do want to work and be productive, but I don't want to screw myself over in the end. Especially since I have no safety net or family to go to.

This is very helpful. Thank you. Yes, so getting a job and taking the 9 month work trial option won't trigger an immediate VA review? Great. I know I am not TDIU. I simply have a 100% overall rating. I don't think I am P & T, or if I were, I would assume I would know. From your long text, it sounds like there is an expectation that my conditions have symptoms that make it overall hard to function, Total occupational and social impairment, but not necessarily just for employment. If my personal life also has issues, that is also taken into account. I understand that there is always risk that they might reduce my rating if they think I'm doing better based on my life, but my personal life is genuinely difficult enough that I think I could make an honest case that I am definitely still suffering alot due to my injuries. In the event that they decide to reduce my rating down the road, that's a risk I am willing to take. I don't want to spend my life sitting on the sofa eating jelly beans. That's such a depressing existence that I don't want to consider having. I want to be productive. I want to attempt to have as normal a life as possible, job, marriage, kids one day, etc. The 9 month option sounds like a good one. And you guys are right. I don't know how well I will be able to hold down a job. I honestly don't know. I still have severe issues, including those affecting my sleep. I see a therapist. And if I fall on my butt, I don't want to get screwed from canceling my SSDI. But I need to try, at the very least.

Good point. I will probably do the 9 month trial though. Just as long as SSA doesn't talk to the VA and the VA doesn't start sending me letters asking me about my employment status, etc.

Sorry for all my questions, but just to clarify: The Social Security Administration and VA don't talk to each other regardless whether I flat out cancel my SSDI all at once, or do the 9 month trial work period, both? I just want to know which option is better. I just don't want the VA sending me letters either way.

I'm not TDUI, I just have an overall 100% rating. It is partially due to things like hearing loss (tinittis) and partially due to PTSD/depression, etc. So it's not entirely mental health. I called my buddy from the Marines who now works disability claims for the VA, and he said there is no reason I should not be allowed to work, even though much of my disability comes from mental health though, as my personal life is also affected.

I don't think I am TDIU. I simply have a high disability rating due to ratings of my various injuries totaled together, but not like unemployable, or whatever the term is.

Well my one question still remains: Do SSDI and VA disability talk to eachother? Do they have a link? Like if I terminate my SSDI in order to work, will the VA automatically be notified of the change? If so, will they immediately ask me to do a reevaluation?

I understand that the VA might have me reevaluated from time to time, and I accept that. My question is whether cutting off my SSDI will call for an immediate reevaluation by the VA. Also, my friend who works VA disability claims told me that while employability is a point of consideration for VA disability, the primary thing they look at is how your disability affects your life on the whole, not just the employment part. For example, you might have a full time job, but if your personal life is in shambles (whatever the case may be), then your rating might not be affected. It's a judgement call. Like I said, my disability does affect my personal life every day, but I still want to work. If my disability rating gets reduced by 10 percent, then so be it. I'd rather that not happen, but I don't think SSDI and VA are intrinsically connected. But I want to know if the SSDI people talk to the VA people and say, "Hey, this guy just discontinued his SSDI benefits, you guys might want to check him out right quick" or if there is any sort of automatic connection of sorts.

I do have a VA disability rating, but it is not IU. I have a friend who works VA disability claims and he told me that I can have a full time job, and still keep my VA benefits since they are not IU. I am hoping this will be the case. As far as SSDI goes, I am willing to just cut the whole thing off. I know they send letters stating that they will let you work on a trial basis. From my knowledge, basically if you are doing well enough to work on the trial period with no issues, it probably means they will eventually reduce or cut your SSDI benefits, which I don't mind since even a full time job at McDonalds would earn me more than my SSDI payments. With the minimum wage being higher where I live, even a basic part time job would probably net me more. So why not just call SSDI and tell them to cut me off outright instead of going through a lengthy process? I'm only concerned that if I do this, my VA Disability would be affected. My friend gave me a long spiel basically saying that my VA Disability isn't a reflection on my ability to work, but how much my disability impacts my life. My personal disability deeply affects me in every aspect of my life and it has messed up alot of things in my life, so I don't see that being an issue of losing my VA disability. But if I DID lose my VA disability, it would make it impossible for me to live my life as it is right now.

So I will try to make this short. I am on VA disability and on SSDI. I want to start working soon, and am considering stopping my SSDI in order to do so. Is this possible, and if I do so, can I continue to get my VA Disability? While I will never be fully recovered from my injuries overseas, I feel that I can atleast have a job. I don't want to spend the rest of my days doing nothing. I'm still in my 30's and want to have a life.