New Jersey Veteran Social Security and Disability Lawyers

Veteran Social Security and Disability Attorneys in Clark, NJ Assisting With Benefits Claims in Essex County, Hudson County, Middlesex County, Union County, and Throughout NJ

Veterans whose significant injuries affect their ability to work may be entitled to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits as well as benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). For help determining what benefits you could qualify for and how any other benefits you’re receiving impact your eligibility for SSDI, turn to Team Law’s trusted New Jersey Veteran Social Security and disability lawyers. 

Our team assists disabled Veterans with their claims for benefits at no upfront cost. To get started with a free consultation, contact us today. 

Fighting for the SSDI Benefits Disabled Veterans Deserve

When serving your country leaves you so severely injured that it affects your ability to work on a long-term basis, you deserve financial compensation for your loss of income. Social Security Disability Insurance benefits may be one form of compensation available to you. 

Successfully securing SSDI benefits is a difficult matter. Approximately two-thirds of initial claims for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits are denied, which means the odds are against you. 

However, having dedicated New Jersey Veteran Social Security and disability lawyers on your side can help you build a strong case that avoids the common mistakes that lead to claim denials. In the event that your claim has already been denied, our experienced Veteran Social Security and disability attorneys in Clark, NJ, are ready to put in the work to correct and complete your application and resubmit it. 

Team Law considers it a privilege to guide you through the claims process and ensure you receive the full benefits you’re entitled to at no upfront cost. 

Social Security Disability Insurance vs. VA Disability Benefits 

Although both the VA and Social Security cover disabilities, there are important differences between these benefits and the agencies that administer them. 

Who Awards Benefits and Who’s Covered?

VA benefits are provided under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and are specific to disabled Veterans. SSDI benefits are provided under the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA provides a variety of types of Social Security benefits, including retirement income and survivor benefits as well as disability. Benefits through the SSA aren’t exclusive to Veterans. Instead, they cover virtually every American worker. 

Qualifying for Benefits 

The criteria under which a disabled Veteran qualifies for benefits, and even what it means to be eligible for benefits, differs between the VA and the SSA. 

The VA awards partial disability payments, while the SSA awards only total disability payments. This distinction generally makes SSDI benefits more difficult to qualify for, with the exception that the VA requires the injury claimed to be related to your military service. 

SSDI Eligibility 

To qualify for SSDI benefits, you must have a disabling condition that is expected to either last for at least one year or to lead to your death. That condition must impair your ability to work at the level of substantial gainful activity, a criterion that essentially means that you must be sufficiently impaired by your injury that you are not capable of performing most kinds of work. You must also meet work history requirements. Other factors, like your age and education, may affect your eligibility for benefits. 

Qualifying for VA Disability Benefits 

If you can establish that your injury, illness, or aggravation of a past medical condition is connected to your military service, attaining VA disability benefits is easier than getting approved for SSDI. However, because the VA provides payments for partial disability based on a scale of severity, it’s important to document the full extent of your disability. Otherwise, the VA could end up assigning you a lower disability rating than is warranted, and you will receive less compensation than you should be entitled to. 

How Disability Benefits Are Calculated

Another important distinction between disability benefits awarded by the VA and the SSA is how each entity calculates these benefits. 

SSDI Benefit Calculations

SSDI benefits are not based on the extent of your disability, because the SSA only awards these benefits when the disability is deemed to impair your ability to be gainfully employed. Instead, the amount of benefits you’re entitled to is based on the amount of money you have paid into Social Security through payroll taxes on your wages. The SSA uses specific and somewhat complicated formulas to determine how much to award in benefits, but a simplified explanation is that a progressive formula is used to calculate your benefits based on how much you have paid into the program and the age at which you became disabled. 

VA Disability Benefit Calculation

Calculation of VA benefit amounts revolves largely around disability ratings. The VA begins to pay injured Veterans disability payments at a rating of 10%, which, effective December 2023, allows for monthly benefits of $171.23. For Veterans determined to have a 10% to 20% disability rating, the monthly payment is a flat rate regardless of dependants. 

For more severely disabled Veterans, having dependent children, spouses, and parents can increase benefits. The highest benefit amount currently awarded is $4,433.39 for a Veteran who has a disability rating of 100% and a spouse, one child, and two parents to support, plus an additional $103.55 per month per additional child under age 18 or $334.49 per dependent child over age 18 in a qualifying school program. 

Determining the amount of benefits you’re entitled to under either or both disability programs is a complex matter. Through thorough documentation of your disability, our Veteran Social Security and disability attorneys in Clark, NJ, can help you make a strong case to receive the maximum benefits available to you. 

What Injured Veterans Need to Know About Claiming Both VA and Social Security Disability Benefits

Under certain circumstances, a disabled Veteran may qualify for disability payments through both the VA and the SSA. For service-related disabilities, neither VA disability payments nor SSDI benefits reduce the other, so claiming benefits through both programs, if eligible, allows you to secure maximum compensation. 

The Social Security Administration offers expedited claims processing for Veterans through its 100% Permanent and Total Veterans Initiative and its Wounded Warriors initiative. If you qualify for either program, it may be possible to get your case resolved sooner and begin getting the benefits you’re entitled to earlier. 

How Team Law Can Help With Your Social Security Disability Claim 

VA disability benefits and SSDI are awarded through separate programs and use distinct criteria. As a result, you must undertake two different claims processes with different procedures and requirements. 

This obligation can amount to considerable work and a great deal of stress. If either claim is denied, addressing any problems and re-submitting paperwork can take even more time. 

It’s often in a disabled Veteran’s best interests to seek help from experienced New Jersey Veteran Social Security and disability lawyers like Team Law. We will prepare and file these claims for you, handling all of the obligations on your behalf. Our assistance with your claim involves the following: 

• Thoroughly reviewing all of the facts
• Skillfully gathering and presenting documentation that establishes the full extent of your injury 
• Handling all claims responsibilities and interactions on your behalf 
• Assisting you in resolving any disputes or denials that may arise
• Pursuing maximum SSDI benefits for you 

With Team Law on your side, you’ll never feel alone navigating the claims process. We’re here to assist you with every aspect of your claim for benefits and secure the full compensation you’re entitled to. 

Why Choose Team Law? 

Disabled Veterans throughout NJ turn to Team Law for assistance with their benefit claims because we offer: 

• Legal assistance at no upfront cost: Concern over the cost of legal help holds many disabled Veterans back from getting what they deserve. Team Law is here to represent your interests in your Social Security Disability Insurance claim at no upfront cost. 
• 60+ years of experience: In these complicated claims, you want an attorney who knows the ins and outs of Social Security regulations. Our more than six decades of experience have given us an abundance of insight into SSDI benefits and how the SSA approaches claims. 
• A commitment to helping people: Our attorneys went into law to protect the rights of individuals, not government entities or private corporations. We advocate vigorously for the maximum benefits you’re entitled to receive. 

Contact New Jersey Veteran Social Security and Disability Lawyers at Team Law Today for a Free Case Review

Why spend any more time trying to make sense of the claims process or notices of claim denials when experienced lawyers are prepared to take up your cause for you and pursue maximum benefits at no upfront cost? 

For help from Veteran Social Security and disability attorneys in Clark, NJ, contact Team Law online or call us today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Veteran Social Security and Disability Claims in New Jersey