There may be special circumstances where individuals filing for Social Security disability claims will be allowed to have their applications receive more immediate attention. For example, we have written about the Compassionate Allowance program and how that allows individuals with certain conditions to have their claims expedited.
Similarly, the Social Security Administration has put in place a new process for veterans. These veterans will also have their applications processed more quickly if they happen to have a 100 percent permanent and total Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation rating.
Disability claims for what are called Wounded Warriors are handled in a comparable manner. It has now been determined that those who have served our country in the military and are also suffering from a disability should not have to endure all of the bureaucratic red tape.
Even under these new circumstances, however, those seeking disability payments must still demonstrate that their disability is 100 percent permanent and total. The veterans must be able to provide a VA Notification Letter concerning this level of disability. Also, it needs to be understood that while expediting the claims, a VA rating does not automatically mean that benefits will be approved.
The requirements for receiving Social Security disability are strict. Though this intended to be safety net for individuals suffering from disability, it’s extremely difficult for benefits to be approved under even normal circumstances. That’s why so many applicants turn to experienced attorneys in this area to make certain their applications are approved.
We hear many stories about individuals who have given their all in the conflicts in Afghanistan or Iraq. We cannot understate the sacrifices that such individuals have made. Though no amount of compensation can ever completely make up for what these individuals have been through, we do need to have in place benefits for these people so they can have their daily needs addressed.
Source: The Gadsden Times, “Social Security launches expedited disability process for veterans,” April 20, 2014
