Social Security To Expedite Veteran Disability Claims

[pacmanx1]

The Social Security Administration plans to streamline its review of disability claims for veterans starting next month, shaving weeks off the process by which it determines benefits, officials are set to announce Wednesday.

The Woodlawn-based agency says it will expedite claims for former service members who already have been deemed fully disabled by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, alleviating a bureaucratic nightmare for veterans who sometimes waited years to get a decision about their eligibility for benefits.

Carolyn W. Colvin, the acting commissioner of Social Security, is set to announce the policy change in Baltimore. The move would add disabled veterans to the list of high-priority groups — including service members wounded in combat — that are put at the head of the line for review.

"It's a very good result for veterans who obviously made a tremendous commitment to their country," said Rep. John Sarbanes, a Baltimore County Democrat who has pushed for the quicker review. "They're returning from overseas conflicts and they've suffered injuries that make it impossible for them to have gainful employment."

It's not clear exactly how many people would be affected by the policy, but the Social Security Administration estimates it could be tens of thousands of veterans over time.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-veterans-ssa-20140218,0,3719630,print.story

I know this has been posted somewhere on hadit but I feel more eyes will see it here.

[Pete53]

Social Security less than four months and VA 5 and 1/2 years and still got it wrong. Like NavyWife I think Social Security would be better place to handle claims or at least give Veterans a choice on who to do it.

[georgiapapa]

And at the SSA you can actually walk in and talk to a live person, who can pull up your file on their computer, answer your questions all while displaying a helpful positive attitude. They will even give you their name and telephone extension number so you can call them back if you have questions later. The SSA handles more claims than the VA and I would bet their accuracy rate is much higher than the VA. Congress should either turn VA claims processing over to SSA or send SSA supervisors over to the VA to retrain, fire, replace or do whatever is necessary to make VA claims employees function like SSA claims employees.

[Joe Hillbilly]

Carlie,

I worked my last job in 2009. My work history was too destroyed to be employed anywhere doing the work I knew how to do. I have an accounting degree and worked as an accountant. I couldn't remember stuff and just flew off the handle all the time. I never knew what my problem was until my family basically forced me to go to the VA.

SSA has a DLI date which is the Date Last Insured. I believe that date needs to be in the future for a person to file. Someone just told me that so I don't know for sure. I believe that's what it is. I don't really know for sure.

[john999]

SSD is a well oiled machine compared to the VA. I got it in about 3-4 months after I applied. I did not even have an exam. The actual folder SSD, your lawyer and the judge work form is organized, and they don't count the number of angels on the head of a pin. Either your totally disabled or not?

[Vync]

If a vet has been 100% P&T for 5+ years and files for SSD due to their SC conditions, will the SSA put them through the same meat grinder of medical exams?

[jbasser]

Yes they will. There are 2 parts to it. The first part is the claim is completed and worked by your state agency called DDS. These often result in a very high denial rate. Then you appeal and the appeal is done by them. SSA dooesnt look at the claim until the second appeal which is the step where you get an attorney and see the judge. Remember the definitions of disability for the VA and SSA are totally different things. VA is a stepped staged process with percentages that equasl up to 100 percent. The SSA has a 5 step process that the bottom line is that you cannot do any gainful activity and your disease has to last for 1 year or more or result in your demise. So they can expedite the process but the denial rate is the big key. 60 percent of all claims get denied. a very high percentage get it at the ALJ hearing. Then there are the review issues.

I wish they would beave P and T vets alone.

Basser