Requirements

According to the CDC, about three percent of Americans who are 40 years old or older are either legally blind or are visually impaired. About twenty-one million Americans report functional vision problems or eye conditions. These conditions can significantly compromise vision. If you are legally or statutorily blind, you may qualify for SSDI benefits. If you have suffered vision loss, it is important to know that the Social Security Administration looks at vision loss a bit differently than other types of disabilities. 

You may wonder whether you can legally collect Social Security Disability benefits at the same time you are receiving VA disability benefits. In fact, it is not all that uncommon for veterans to be receiving both Social Security Disability and Veteran’s disability benefits at the same time. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2017, nearly 4.2 million U.S. veterans lived with some level of disability. Of these, approximately 1.4 million have been given a VA disability rating of 70 percent or higher. This means their current disability prevents them from obtaining employment and earning a living, or even living “normally.”

If you are living with a disability in Virginia, you may be eligible to receive Social Security Disability and/or SSI benefits. These benefits can help struggling families make ends meet after a life-changing injury. Without these benefits, you may not be able to provide for your loved ones as you once did. 

Unfortunately for those who may desperately need disability benefits, the process for filing a disability claim with Social Security can be a lengthy process. Even more disheartening, during the initial application and reconsideration stages, many applicants will be denied.

If you are a federal employee that has suffered a disability, you may be eligible to collect benefits through the Federal Disability Retirement System (FERS). This retirement system offers long-term disability benefits to those federal employees that have a qualifying disability. However, this program has numerous requirements and is difficult to navigate without the help of an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer. One of those requirements is that applicants must apply for Social Security Disability Benefits (SSDI).