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SSDI, Explained For Veterans

Social Security Disability Insurance is a federal insurance program administered by the Social Security Administration that provides monthly financial benefits to people who are unable to work for an extended period due to a qualifying disability.

The fact most Veterans miss

Qualifying Veterans can receive VA and SSDI disability benefits at the same time.

SSDI benefits are in addition to your VA disability benefits. The two do not offset each other.

Comparing VA and SSDI

Two agencies, two standards, two separate claims. Winning one does not win the other, and neither one reduces the other.
FeatureVASSDI
Administered byThe VAThe SSA
PurposeCompensate disabilitiesReplace lost wages
Funded byCongressional appropriationFICA taxes
Eligibility basisService-connected disabilityWork credits + SGA ability
Disability standardRatings from 0% – 100%Binary — disabled or not
Work requirementNoLimited SGA
Income basedNoLimited SGA

SSDI for Veterans

If work has stopped, or shrunk to almost nothing, SSDI is the program that replaces the wages.
Veterans who cannot work
Veterans who cannot work much
Veterans below retirement age
Veterans on TDIU

Veterans on TDIU status can also receive SSDI.

What It Takes to Qualify

1
FICA Tax History

Enough work credits earned through FICA taxes, with a share of them earned recently.

2
Disability

A condition in one of the fourteen categories of qualifying disabilities.

3
Disability Length

Expected to last twelve or more months, or to result in death.

The 14 Categories of Qualifying Disabilities
Cardiovascular Digestive Mental Hematological Genitourinary Senses and Speech Cancer Musculoskeletal Respiratory Neurological Immune Endocrine Skin Congenital
12+
Months

Anyone with a qualifying disability expected to last twelve or more months, or to result in death.

Work Credit Requirements by Age

The older you are when the disability begins, the more credits you need — and some of them must fall in the last ten years.
Credits Required at Each Age
Full bar = total credits · red segment = the recency portion
Age 24
8
4 of 8 in last 10 yrs
Age 28
16
8 of 16 in last 10 yrs
Age 32
20
10 of 20 in last 10 yrs*
Age 36
20
10 of 20 in last 10 yrs*
Age 40
20
10 of 20 in last 10 yrs*
Age 44
22
10 of 22 in last 10 yrs*
Age 48
26
10 of 26 in last 10 yrs*
Age 52
30
10 of 30 in last 10 yrs*
Age 56
34
10 of 34 in last 10 yrs*
Age 60
38
10 of 38 in last 10 yrs*

* The last-10-years recency rule is waived for blind persons.

Special Circumstances for Work Credits
Disabled adult children
Non-covered employment
Disabled widowers
Blind individuals

Substantial Gainful Activity

The money you earn, pre-tax, less IRWE deductions. Earn above the monthly limit and the SSA treats you as able to work.
$1,690
Per month

Maximum SGA for non-blind recipients after IRWE deductions

$2,830
Per month

Maximum SGA for blind recipients after IRWE deductions

Counts as SGA
Gross W-2 wages
Net self-employment income
Bonuses or commissions
Sick pay and paid leave
In-kind compensation
Does Not Count as SGA
VA disability payments
Rental or investment income
Pension or retirement income
Workers’ compensation
Unemployment benefits
Hobbies or volunteer work
Household tasks
School attendance
IRWE deductions
Employer subsidies

Impairment Related Work Expenses

What you spend to be able to work comes off your earnings before the SGA test is applied. An expense has to pass all four tests.
Disability Related

The item or service is needed because of your physical or mental impairment.

Work Related

The item or service is needed to work, not just for daily living.

Out of Pocket

Costs with no reimbursement from insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, or any other source.

Reasonable Cost

The amount paid is reasonable for the item or service.

Counts as IRWE
Special transportation
Medications and medical treatment
Medical devices and equipment
Attendant care services
Adaptive technology and equipment
Workplace modifications
Service animals
Mental health and cognitive support
Residential support costs
Does Not Count as IRWE
Standard eyeglasses and contacts
Regular commuting costs
Standard health insurance premiums
Ordinary work clothing
Meals at work
General exercise equipment
Insurance reimbursed items
Medicare and Medicaid paid items
Employer paid items

How Your Monthly Amount Is Worked Out

Your benefit is built from your own earnings history, adjusted for inflation, then run through a fixed formula. The sample career below is one worked example, not a quote.
Sample Career Income, Raw Against Inflation-adjusted
Adjusted income
Raw income
Adjusted $23,209.56
Raw $9,867.60
92
Adjusted $25,930.44
Raw $11,354.40
93
Adjusted $27,287.16
Raw $12,254.40
94
Adjusted $28,273.44
Raw $13,057.20
95
Adjusted $28,295.40
Raw $13,453.20
96
Adjusted $29,822.16
Raw $14,504.40
97
Adjusted $30,013.44
Raw $14,824.80
98
Adjusted $29,949.60
Raw $15,120.00
99
Adjusted $30,679.68
Raw $16,009.20
00
Adjusted $32,245.68
Raw $17,305.20
01
Adjusted $32,945.76
Raw $17,960.40
02
Adjusted $37,957.92
Raw $21,164.40
03
Adjusted $38,111.64
Raw $21,816.00
04
Adjusted $37,653.48
Raw $22,284.00
05
Adjusted $37,401.96
Raw $22,849.20
06
Adjusted $37,599.96
Raw $23,619.60
07
Adjusted $38,559.00
Raw $25,156.80
08
Adjusted $47,104.56
Raw $30,618.00
09
Adjusted $47,634.36
Raw $31,482.00
10
Adjusted $46,563.84
Raw $31,734.00
11
Adjusted $46,904.28
Raw $32,634.00
12
Adjusted $47,214.12
Raw $33,336.00
13
Adjusted $47,856.24
Raw $34,326.00
14
Adjusted $69,515.52
Raw $49,924.80
15
Adjusted $69,884.04
Raw $50,824.80
16
Adjusted $70,111.92
Raw $52,074.00
17
Adjusted $70,347.96
Raw $53,528.40
18
Adjusted $71,201.04
Raw $55,170.00
19
Adjusted $64,486.20
Raw $50,572.80
20
Adjusted $75,597.96
Raw $62,082.00
21
Adjusted $71,953.80
Raw $63,820.80
22
Adjusted $72,317.16
Raw $66,772.80
23
Adjusted $80,418.12
Raw $76,446.00
24
Adjusted $81,897.84
Raw $79,887.60
25
Adjusted $82,875.60
Raw $82,875.60
26
Year of earnings
Step 1
Calculate Your AIME

Average yearly earnings adjusted for inflation, spread across 420 months.

AIME = $1,709,820.84 / 420
AIME = $4,071.00
Step 2
Calculate Your PIA

Primary Insurance Amount, which is your monthly SSDI benefit.

PIA = [90% × $1,286] + [32% × (AIME − $1,286)] + [15% × (AIME − $7,749)]
Estimate Your Monthly SSDI Benefit

Enter what you have typically earned in a year, in today’s money, and we will run the same AIME and PIA formula the SSA uses.

$
$0 $180,000
Years of covered work
Estimated monthly benefit
For a Veteran receiving compensation alone
Average indexed monthly earnings (AIME) $4,333
90% of the first $1,286 $1,157
32% of earnings to $7,749 $975
Your PIA, before dependants $2,133

An estimate only, using the 2026 bend points of $1,286 and $7,749 and a 150% family maximum. Your actual benefit depends on your full earnings record, your onset date and your dependants. We check the real figure with you on a call.

Potential SSDI Increases of Up to 50% For
Spouses aged 62+
Spouses caring for children under 16
A child under 18, or 19 if a full-time student
A disabled adult child, if disabled prior to age 22

What Usually Gets in the Way

None of these ends a claim by itself. Each one changes how the claim has to be built, which is the part we handle.
Excessive work gaps
Self employed but failed to file taxes
Employed but failed to report income
Employed but in non-covered jobs
Employed but part-time at meager wages
Disabled at a very young age

Potential Timeline

Most cases end at the first or second stage. The bars are scaled to the longest each stage can run.
On average
12 – 15 months

Cases take 12 to 15 months to run their course.

Average results time
Under 14 months

Average results time is less than 14 months.

1 Application
1 month
2 Initial decision
3 – 6 months
3 Reconsideration
3 – 5 months
4 Hearing
12 – 24 months
YEAR 1
YEAR 2
YEAR 3
Where most cases end
Appeal stages, only if necessary
Total timeline
4 months – 4.5 years
Your Alleged Onset Date

Your Alleged Onset Date is the date you claim you became unable to work due to a disability, and it sets the date for your SSDI back pay. This date must be supported by medical records and your work history.

Incentives to Go Back to Work

Trying to work again does not automatically cost you your benefits. Four programs exist to protect you while you test it.

TWP

Trial Work Period
You can test your ability to work for up to 9 months, not necessarily consecutive, in a sixty-month period
SSDI benefits paid regardless of earnings
Must earn at least $1,210 per month to count as a TWP month

EPE

Extended Period of Eligibility
After TWP ends, you enter a 36-month EPE
During EPE, benefits are paid in any month your earnings fall below SGA
No need to reapply, benefits can be quickly reinstated

EXR

Expedited Reinstatement
If benefits stop and you become unable to work again within five years, you can request immediate provisional benefits without a new application

PASS

Plan to Achieve Self Support
Set aside funds to be allocated only for items enabling a future return to work
Maintain SSDI benefits throughout the process
Have or receive income or assets that can be used to fund steps to prepare for future work

Two Situations Veterans Ask About

Substance Use and Alcoholism

SUD and DAA alone will not disqualify you from SSDI benefits. But if they are determined to be a “contributing factor material” to your disabilities, SSDI may be denied.

The SSA works through a six-step test to separate what would remain if the substance use stopped. If the remaining impairments are disabling on their own, the claim is approved.

Incarceration
Suspension trigger: 30+ consecutive days of incarceration after a criminal conviction
Termination: Never terminated; only suspended, regardless of length
Reinstatement: The month following release, with no new application needed
Family benefits: A spouse and children continue receiving benefits during incarceration

Exceptions apply to fleeing felons, parole or probation violations, and disabilities arising during the commission of a felony.

What an SSDI Case Costs You

No upfront costs, ever. No out-of-pocket costs, ever. Only after you win your case, the SSA pays VDB, directly, 25% or $9,200 of your backpay, whichever is less. You keep everything going forward.
Speak to a representative
855-VDB-USA1
855-832-8721
ineed@vdb-usa.com