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Expedited Processing of Veteran’s 100 Percent Disability Claims
Expedited Processing of Veteran’s
100 Percent Disability Claims
The Social Security Administration provides
expedited processing of disability claims filed
by veterans who have a U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs Compensation rating of 100
percent Permanent & Total (P&T).
What do I need to know about
the Veterans Affairs and Social
Security programs?
Both Social Security and Veterans Affairs pay
disability benefits to qualifying people, but their
programs, processes, and criteria for receiving
benefits are different. A Veterans Affairs
compensation rating of 100 percent P&T doesn’t
guarantee that you’ll receive Social Security
disability benefits. To receive disability benefits
from Social Security, a person must have a
severe impairment that’s expected to last at least
one year or to result in death. The impairment
must be so severe that the person would be
unable to perform any substantial work.
NOTE: Receiving Veterans Affairs compensation
won’t affect your Social Security benefits.
As a veteran rated 100 percent P&T,
how do I receive expedited processing
from Social Security?
You must apply for Social Security benefits.
There are three ways in which you can apply.
• Apply online at www.socialsecurity.gov;
• Call our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213. If
you’re deaf or hard of hearing, call our toll-
free TTY number, 1-800-325-0778; or
• Call or visit your local Social Security office.
What should I do to receive expedited
processing of my Social Security
disability application?
If you’re a disabled veteran rated 100 percent
P&T, you must:
• Identify yourself as a “veteran rated 100
percent P and T” when you apply for
benefits. If you apply in person or over the
phone, tell the Social Security representative
that you are a veteran rated 100 percent P
and T. If you apply online, enter “Veteran
100% P&T” in the “Remarks” section of the
application; and
• Provide Social Security with your Veterans
Affairs notification letter which verifies
your rating.
How will Social Security expedite my
disability claim?
After Social Security identifies you as a veteran
rated 100 percent P&T, we’ll treat your claim
as a high priority workload and rush it through
the application process in our field offices, our
state Disability Determination Services, and the
various levels of appeals.
How long does the process take?
The length of time Social Security takes to make
a disability decision depends on several factors,
but primarily on:
• The nature of your disability;
• How quickly we get medical evidence from
your doctor or other medical sources; and
• Whether it’s necessary to send you for a
medical examination to get evidence to
support your claim.
You can assist in the process by having the
required information on hand when you apply.
What about veterans that live abroad?
We recognize that many of our veterans live
abroad. We have similar processes in place to
expedite their claims.
SocialSecurity.gov
For more information
You can find more information at
www.socialsecurity.gov/pgm/disability-pt.htm.
Contacting Social Security
The most convenient way to contact us anytime,
anywhere is to visit www.socialsecurity.gov.
There, you can: apply for benefits; open a
my Social Security account, which you can
use to review your Social Security Statement,
verify your earnings, print a benefit verification
letter, change your direct deposit information,
request a replacement Medicare card, and get a
replacement SSA-1099/1042S; obtain valuable
information; find publications; get answers to
frequently asked questions; and much more.
If you don’t have access to the internet, we
offer many automated services by telephone,
24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call us toll-
free at 1-800-772-1213 or at our TTY number,
1-800-325-0778, if you’re deaf or hard of hearing.
If you need to speak to a person, we can answer
your calls from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through
Friday. We ask for your patience during busy
periods since you may experience a higher than
usual rate of busy signals and longer hold times
to speak to us. We look forward to serving you.
Social Security Administration
Publication No. 05-10565
July 2017
Expedited Processing of Veteran’s 100 Percent Disability Claims
Produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense
Printed on recycled paper