September is Suicide Prevention Month, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is commemorating the occasion by seeking new ways to reduce suicide among veterans. In that vein, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie has called upon Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to allow a vote for the “IMPROVE Well-Being for Veterans Act.” The proposed legislation would grant funding to community groups to help support veterans at risk of suicide or self-harm. Continue reading “VA Urges Congress to Pass New Suicide Prevention Bill”
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VA Urges Congress to Pass New Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is commemorating the occasion by seeking new ways to reduce suicide among veterans. In that vein, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie has called upon Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to allow a vote for the “IMPROVE Well-Being for Veterans Act.” The proposed legislation would grant funding to community groups to help support veterans at risk of suicide or self-harm. Continue reading “VA Urges Congress to Pass New Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill”
What’s the Difference Between SSDI and SSI?
If you’re applying for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA), you’ll be applying for one of two programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). But what’s the difference between the two, and how do you know which one you’re applying for? Continue reading “What’s the Difference Between SSDI and SSI?”
The Determination of Disability Rating
If you’re a veteran being assessed for disability benefits by the United States Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA), chances are you’ve heard about your disability “rating.” However, you might not know what it is, or what it means for you. This can be an issue, as your disability rating determines exactly how much the government will give you, should they determine you are eligible for disability benefits. Continue reading “The Determination of Disability Rating”
SSA Adds to Compassionate Allowances List
The Commissioner of Social Security, Andrew Saul, recently announced four additions to the Compassionate Allowances list: CDLK5 Deficiency Disorder, Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome, Primary Peritoneal Cancer, and Richter Syndrome. These conditions have a severe impact on people’s lives and adding them to the Compassionate Allowances list can make it easier for them to receive disability benefits, by cutting out some of the bureaucracy that might get in the way. Continue reading “SSA Adds to Compassionate Allowances List”
VA Updates Disability Rating Schedule For Certain Diseases
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has recently updated its disability rating schedule for certain infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, and nutritional deficiencies. This change in the schedule is meant to bring the disability ratings for these diseases in line with the current understanding of medical science. As a result, it could affect the disability ratings of many veterans who either are currently receiving disability benefits, or who are looking to receive those benefits. Continue reading “VA Updates Disability Rating Schedule For Certain Diseases”
What Does It Mean to Be Legally Disabled?
According to the 2017 American Community Survey (ACS), more than 40 million Americans, or about one in eight people in the United States, suffers from some form of disability. However, only about 10 million people in the United States received Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits in that same year. Partly that’s due to variations in how disabilities are defined, but more importantly, it has to do with the difference between having a disability and being legally disabled. Continue reading “What Does It Mean to Be Legally Disabled?”
VA Extends Agent Orange Presumption to “Blue Water Navy” Veterans
The Veterans Administration recently announced that it would extend the presumption of Agent Orange exposure to “Blue Water Navy” veterans for the first time, according to a press release on the Department of Veterans Affairs website. These veterans include those who served offshore of the Republic of Vietnam between Jan. 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, no more than twelve nautical miles seaward of demarcation line between Vietnam and Cambodia. This new ruling is estimated to affect between 420,000 and 560,000 Vietnam-era veterans. Continue reading “VA Extends Agent Orange Presumption to “Blue Water Navy” Veterans”
New Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Erase Student Loans for Disabled Vets
According to the Military Times, a new law currently being considered in Congress (called the Federally Requiring Earned Education-Debt Discharges for Veterans Act (FREED Vets) Act) would discharge the student debt of veterans determined to be at 100% disability who had not yet paid back their student loans. The bill follows a proposal made the Department of Education and the Department of Veterans Affairs last year and would affect an estimated 42,000 veterans in the United States. Continue reading “New Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Erase Student Loans for Disabled Vets”
A “Ticket to Work” For People With Disabilities
It’s easy, when you apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, to think that your time as a fully employed adult is over. After all, if your disability was manageable enough to allow you to work full time, you probably wouldn’t have needed to apply for SSDI or SSI benefits in the first place. However, just because you’re unable to work now doesn’t mean you won’t be able to work in the future, and the “Ticket to Work” program is designed with exactly that in mind. Continue reading “A “Ticket to Work” For People With Disabilities”
