Pension?

[mymissie]

Well,my brother just called,an said that he had recieved a Check-for $5,460.00 (He CALLED-Said pension A&A)on the Check. No letter yet.

It was 10 mo. ago when we filed for Comp.with service heart,hearing,ED,

And also filed for unimployabilty ---- So what do you think is going on????

He has been on SSD back to 92

[Testvet]

A&A stands for Aid and attendance but it's not that much for 10 months so you really need to wait and see the letter saying what he was rated for and at what percentage.

[Guest Berta]

They could have made a typo-then again they could have awarded a pension instead of SC comp- but I see he is getting SSD so that usually knocks out a pension.

My DIC check says VA comp but I am not even a vet-

Like Mike said , when the letter comes you will know more and whether this should be NODed. Berta

[Hoppy]

The brother could be confused as to his relationship with social security. When you first submit a claim to social security they are supposed file on your behalf for both SSI and SSD. He could be getting SSI. The VA told me they do not subtract from a pension award any money you get from entitlement programs. The ketch is that SSI will cut you off when you start getting your VA pension. If he was getting SSD then the VA VA might have made a mistake. You are not supposed to get both SSD and a VA pension at the same time. The exception would be if your SSD payments are less than the monthly amount for the VA pension. The VA will pay the difference. If this sounds confusing to you make sure you know the difference between SSI and SSD. SSI stands for suplimental security income. SSD stands for Disabled workers benefits available from the Social Security administration. SSI is an entitlement program. SSD requires that you qualify bu working. The VA pension used to be about $50.00 a month more than SSI.

This is the way it was explained to me in 1997. I went through all these programs for some period of time.

[Guest Jim S.]

I just resently helped a friends mother to apply for Pension with A&A. The amount she gets total from her SSDI and her late husbands retirement from the US Marines, Come to slightly under one thousand dollars.

Since the amount she would receive under the VA pension plan would be more, we hope that the VA will pay the difference, which is a couple of hundred dollars more each month. It depends if the VA accepts the fact, since she is blind, and is a senior citizen, that she has one of her daughters living with her, to help her, and her Dr. concurs, that the VA will pay the difference from what she is getting now and what the VA pension would pay, combined with A&A.

It will probably take a few months for the VA to process her completed application, since they will have to chech on her late husband statis on retiring from the US Marines and from SS.

So If the Brother starts getting a check for a couple of hundred dollars, depending on his SS amount, it will pretty much tell you, that he is getting SSI and the VA pension with A&A, The amount from the VA depends solely on the amount from SS.

Jim S.