When soldiers return from war as veterans they have often suffered physical or mental traumas which may qualify them for disability benefits. There are several common veterans’ disabilities that qualify for SSDI. These are hearing loss, mental health issues, musculoskeletal conditions and scarring.
Hearing Loss
Currently 60,000 military members receive disability benefits for hearing loss. Most cases of veteran hearing loss are caused by exposure to loud noises that damage delicate hairs in the inner ear.
In order for veterans to qualify for SSDI benefits, the hearing loss must be significant or they must be fully deaf. That means veterans who have “mild to moderate” hearing loss may not be eligible for SSDI benefits, and these may include those people who depend on a hearing aid to improve their hearing. The Blue Book listing for hearing loss is found in Section 2.10. For any hearing loss that is not treated by cochlear implantation, you are required to have medical tests which show one of the following:
- You have an average air conduction hearing threshold of 90 decibels or more in your better ear.
- You need to have an average bone conduction hearing threshold of 60 decibels or more or you have a word recognition score of 405 or less in your best ear.
Mental Health
About 41 percent, or about 1.7 million veterans, live with a mental disability. The three most common mental disabilities for veterans are depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and those resulting from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) which include irritability, anger, depression, insomnia, anxiety and PTSD.
If you are a veteran with a mental health condition that prevents you from performing routine daily tasks and stops you from engaging to in gainful work you may qualify for disability benefits. All listings for mental health conditions are found under Section 12.00 in the Blue Book.
Musculoskeletal Conditions
If you’re a veteran with a musculoskeletal disorder you must show that the disorder is persistent and severe and that it will prevent you from working for at least 12 months. There are several musculoskeletal injuries such as:
- bone fractures;
- carpal tunnel syndrome
- fibromyalgia;
- ligament sprain;
- muscle / tendon strain;
- osteoarthritis;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- tendinitis.
Eligibility for a disability benefit may depend on your musculoskeletal disorder being listed in section 1 of the Blue Book list.
Scars
To qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits (SSDI), a scarring condition must be severe. The scar must be an unstable scar or a painful scar, or both. Scars are compensated based on several factors, which are assessed based on a medical condition related to the scar or the disfigurement it causes the victim. You will be asked to provide documentation that the scars took place when you were on duty.It is best to work with an attorney that can help you through the disability process.
