October 2018

The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently announced a 2.8% increase in benefit payments for 2019. A detailed story on the increase—the largest adjustment since 2012—is available here. The cost of living adjustment (COLA) will benefit both military retirees and veterans receiving disability benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Last year’s increase was 2%,…

A new study examined economic outcomes of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) applicants denied benefits by the Social Security Administration (SSA). Findings indicate such applicants suffer economic harm and fare poorly in the job market. A detailed article on the findings appears here. Older SSDI applicants denied benefits due to stringent SSA standards go on…

Each year, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) processes more than one million compensation claims, which provide $65 billion in benefits. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) suggested recommendations to improve the processing performance. The GAO’s full report appears here. About the Report The report examines how the VBA manages workload performance, how the VBA reports timeliness…

Some disabled veterans are eligible to receive both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) through the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Disability Benefits through the Veterans Administration (VA) at the same time. A detailed article on the process appears here. About VA & SSDI The VA provides disability benefits to military veterans who were disabled during…