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Do veterans with PTSD qualify for SMC housebound?

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HAR2016

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My husband is rated 100% permanent and total for PTSD. He was awarded this rating in 2019. He can no longer leave the home due to this disability. Can he qualify for Housebound benefits? He won’t even talk about the subject because he doesn’t believe he should receive income for not being able to leave the home but this causes a financial and emotional hardship on myself, his wife, and our 4 young children. I run all errands as well as care for our children and my husband. I do work as an in home care support provider for one of my children who has autism, but that is our only income besides my husband va disability benefits. Being at home and caring for my disabled child as well as my other children and taking care of my husband is extremely challenging financially, emotionally, mentally and physically. With his ptsd comes anger, flashbacks, mood swings, depression, suicidal ideation all while he is in the home. Leaving the home worsens these symptoms due to triggers. He has had service connected ptsd since 2011. It went from 30% to 70% to 100% permanent and total over the last 10 years. 
 

I was reading about requirements to qualify for housebound benefits and it was a bit confusing. Can someone help me clear it up? I do not want to upset my husband again with this topic unless he can actually qualify for it and if it would benefit our family. Thank You. 

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Since he is 100% P&T then may qualify for one of two SMC-S housebound Benefits such as S1 or S2.  In order to receive S2 for true stay at home house bound status he would need a doctor's medical opinion statement that he is house bound due to his VA service connected condition and may or may not need other supporting medical evidence for this.  Others can provide you more accurate info on this.

In order to receive SMC-S1 housebound benefits that do not require the vet to actually remain in his home full time he would need additional ratings of service connection of at least 60% or more combined to qualify for this almost 400.00 dollars a month additional compensation.  Here is my recent example of myself.

I was rated for over 20 years at P&T TDIU due to 70% PTSD and then the BVA appeals judge awarded me 50% OSA Sleep Apnea and this added to my 30% for AO heart disease brought me up to and over 60% so he the judge also automatically gave me SMC-S1 back dated to date of the OSA claim in 2017.

Others can provide you with even more detailed info on this.  An experienced paid professional VSO at a VA Regional Office may be of good assist to you and they charge you nothing for their service. I feel sorry for you and wish your hubby would change his mind for family sake. Good luck.

My comment is not legal advice as I am not a lawyer, paralegal or VSO.

 

Edited by Dustoff 11
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1 hour ago, HAR2016 said:

I run all errands as well as care for our children and my husband. I do work as an in-home care support provider for one of my children who has autism, but that is our only income besides my husband VA disability benefits.

There are certain situations that your husband may qualify for SSDI (SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY INSURANCE) where he would get his SSA benefits early due to his disability along with the possibility of getting a little extra for your children and you.  You should contact the local SSA Office. 

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22 minutes ago, Dustoff 11 said:

Since he is 100% P&T then may qualify for one of two SMC-S housebound Benefits such as S1 or S2.  In order to receive S2 for true stay at home house bound status he would need a doctor's medical opinion statement that he is house bound due to his VA service connected condition and may or may not need other supporting medical evidence for this.  Others can provide you more accurate info on this.

In order to receive SMC-S1 housebound benefits that do not require the vet to actually remain in his home full time he would need additional ratings of service connection of at least 60% or more combined to qualify for this almost 400.00 dollars a month additional compensation.  Here is my recent example of myself.

I was rated for over 20 years at P&T TDIU due to 70% PTSD and then the BVA appeals judge awarded me 50% OSA Sleep Apnea and this added to my 30% for AO heart disease brought me up to and over 60% so he the judge also automatically gave me SMC-S1 back dated to date of the OSA claim in 2017.

Others can provide you with even more detailed info on this.  An experienced paid professional VSO at a VA Regional Office may be of good assist to you and they charge you nothing for their service. I feel sorry for you and wish your hubby would change his mind for family sake. Good luck.

My comment is not legal advice as I am not a lawyer, paralegal or VSO.

 

Thank you for your information!

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3 minutes ago, pacmanx1 said:

There are certain situations that your husband may qualify for SSDI (SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY INSURANCE) where he would get his SSA benefits early due to his disability along with the possibility of getting a little extra for your children and you.  You should contact the local SSA Office. 

My husband was approved for SSDI due to his service connected PTSD in April 2021. As well as receiving benefits for our children and myself through SSA shortly after his approval. 

Thank You for your information! 

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You have been given good advice.  We dont know if he qualifies for SMC S, we have not seen his file.  As already stated, the criteria for SMC S housbound is either of the following:

1.  A single 100 percent rating, plus additional rating(s) which combine to 60 percent or more, seperate and distinct.  OR

2.  A single 100 percent rating, and statements from your doctor that you are substantially confined to the home.  

    Of course, it was a good idea to get SS disability, also.  But there may be other benefits you are missing out on.  

(Especially state benefits). For example, many states offer reduced or eliminated property taxes, assuming you own your home.  That alone saves me around $100 per month.  

Go to your states VA benefits, or its available here on a search to find them all.  

    Managing on VA disability and ss disability is somewhat easy for some, while others its nearly impossible.  The cost of living varies widely on where you live.  As an example, a 3 bedroom 2 bath home sells for about 100,000 here, while it would likely be 3 times that or more in many places like California, Hawaii, or many cities in Texas.  When you have an affordable house payment, it makes your life much easier.  Some Veterans relocate to an area with lower costs of living, while others put up with higher cost of living because they dont want to leave.  Only you and your family can decide which is best for you. 

    There may be other benefits you/your husband may be eligible for.  SMC K is one, its around $105 per month.  Here is what you need to qualify for SMC K.  You can get one smc K, for each of these:

Quote

1.each anatomical loss or loss of use of one hand,

2.one foot,  or both buttocks,

3.one or more creative organs,

4. blindness of one eye having only light perception,

5. deafness of both ears, having absence of air and bone conduction,

6. complete organic aphonia with constant inability to communicate by speech

There is a limit, I think, to how many SMC K's you can get under some circumstances, so let us know if he has multiple issues, above.  

Additionally, your hubby "may" be eligible for aid and attendance "even if" this assistance is provided by family members.  To get A and A, he needs a doctor statement that he needs a and a.  

If you dont feel comfortable leaving him alone at your home for more than a couple hours, he may need a and a.  

    All Smc's are "inferred", which means you dont have to apply for them, and the effective date will be the date the doctor says you got this malady.  

     Some Veterans on this board get SMC K, for erectile dysfunction, for example, if it was caused by medications for PTSD.  

     Of course, I dont know how many of these, if any, applies to your family.  

     I have seen some stubbornness from Veterans who wont apply for any/all of their VA benefits due to them.    Its tragic and often hurts the family.  Some of this stubborness is even in my own family, as I have multiple Veteranss in my extended family.  

      If you go to a store, and the item is 25 percent off, do you tell them, "Nope, I insist on paying full price.  I dont beleive in discounts, its not fair if I get a discount when people already have paid full price."

     Whenever you decline to apply for legitimate benefits you are eligible for, you are purposefully making it harder on your family to get by, based solely on stubborness.  

      The Bible says, "ask and ye shall receive", and I think this is great advice here.  

       You probably dont go to the gas station, give them a Twenty, and insist on getting just $15 worth of gas, because you did not do anything which pulled the gas price down from $5 a gallon.  

       My advice is to tell the truth, but apply for all benefits to which you are eligiblle, even if this means appealing, since VA has a habit of denying a high percent of Veterans who are eligible, and they only get those benefits upon appeal.  

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To me it sound like he should apply for aid and attendance.

It sound as if he can't cook for himself. An you are his caregiver cooking washing clothes maybe even make sure he is dress properly.etc 

 

I would also make sure they are paying him for a disabled dependent.

They also have the VA care giver program I would talk to the social worker at the VA hospital about it.

 

 

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