The Social Security Administration is expected to begin a new process that will streamline veteran’s disability claims, expediting the process to approval.
In the past, former service members waited years to find out if they were approved for or denied benefits. According to reports, claims will be streamlined for veterans who have already been deemed fully disabled by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. This step will take away the bureaucratic overload for veterans who need Social Security disability.
With this new move underway, veterans will be placed in high-priority groups. This will move veterans and any service members wounded in combat to the head of the line for review.
Although it is not known how many people will be impacted by this change, the Social Security Administration (SSA) estimates as many as tens of thousands of veterans’ applications could be pushed to the front of the line for approval.
Approximately 10 percent of all veterans in the VA in 2012 were considered fully disabled. That equates to approximately 360,000 people, but many of those may already receive disability benefits.
Around 11 million Americans receive Social Security disability. This number is up from 7.6 million a decade ago. Initial claims through the VA take an average of 168 days to process, with many taking over a year. With so many applications to be processed, the SSA has struggled to keep up with the high demand, causing a significant backlog in applications.
As New England Social Security disability lawyers, we are hopeful that the new process will speed the application time for veterans. It is our hope that through new process changes, everyone will be able to receive the benefits they need to live.
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If you are looking to apply for social security disability, you need to speak with an experienced social security disability lawyer as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Natick Office directly at 888.904.6847 to schedule your free consultation.
