Repost from the Social Security Administration
Every day—but particularly on Veterans Day—Social Security salutes those who have put their lives on the line for our freedom.
Members of the United States armed forces receive expedited processing of their Social Security disability applications. The expedited process is available for any military service member who alleges he or she became disabled during active duty on or after October 1, 2001, regardless of where the disability occurred—at home or in the line of duty. Expedited processing is also available to veterans who have a compensation rating of 100% Permanent and Total (P&T) disability, regardless of when the disability occurred. Some dependent children and spouses of military personnel may also be eligible to receive benefits.
Visit our website designed specifically for our wounded veterans, www.socialsecurity.gov/woundedwarriors, where you will find answers to a number of commonly asked questions, as well as other useful information about disability benefits available under the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. Our website includes a fact sheet on the subject: Disability Benefits For Wounded Warriors.
You’ll also find a webinar, “Social Security for Wounded Warriors,” that explains the expedited disability process available to wounded warriors. The one-hour video is an introduction to disability benefits for veterans and active duty military personnel. If you would like more detailed information about the disability process, you can watch our seven-part video series “Social Security Disability Claims Process” at www.socialsecurity.gov/socialmedia/webinars.
On the Wounded Warriors webpage, you’ll find links to the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense websites. Please keep in mind that the requirements for disability benefits available through Social Security are different from those of the Department of Veterans Affairs and require a separate application.
Military service members are covered for the same Social Security survivors, disability, and retirement benefits as everyone else. Although the expedited service is relatively new, military personnel have been covered under Social Security since 1957, and people who were in the service prior to that may be able to get special credit for some of their service.
Read our publication, Military Service And Social Security, to learn more. It’s available at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs. Also, navigate to www.socialsecurity.gov/woundedwarriors.