Social Security Administration Has Harsh Requirements To Qualify For Disability
Disabled Veterans will eventually come in contact with the Social Security Administration. Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration are completely different. A disabled veteran will contract the social security office closest to them. An appointment will be scheduled for an in-office interview or over the phone interview. The appointments purpose is to fill out paper work for the initial exam. After the paper work for the initial exam is complete, it is sent to the disability determination services. Once the paperwork arrives at the disability determination service, a specialist will gather the veterans medical records. Then, in consultation with a psysician and/or psychologist a decision will be made. Sadly, the decision that is made is usually a denial. Denials occur about 70% of the time at the initial claim level. An appeal option known as a 'request for consideration' will do the exact same process as the initial claim. Typically the request for reconsideration is also denied but at a much higher rate of 85%. An appeal can also be made for the reconsideration. This time the veteran will request for a hearing before an administrative law judge. Furtunately, this is where veterans will have the best chance of winning their claims. The con is the system is so backed up that it will take an extremely long time for a hearing date.
The difference between the Social Security Administration and Veterans Affairs is: The Social Security Administration has no percentages of disability. It is either all or nothinng. The Veterans Affairs Administration can conclude that a veteran is 60% disabled and then receive the benefits based on that determination.