Note: Social Security disability benefits may be in addition to any benefits paid by the VA.

To have the case flagged under this program (and receive critical case / dire need expedited processing) apply online through www.socialsecurity.gov/woundedwarriors, or at your local Social Security office.

After reading the online material, a question I had was whether expedited processing applies through the hearing level (if the case is denied) or only in the initial disability determination process. The initial application process is the short part of a disability claim taking about 4 to 6 months for a decision. On expedited cases, the initial decision is reached in about 2 months based on the cases I have seen. However, at the appeal stage, it can take 12 to 14 months (or longer) for a case to be scheduled with an Administrative Law Judge. If the expedited process only applied to the initial decision, it would not help veterans very much.

I contacted my local ODAR (Office of Disability Adjudication and Review) appeals office. I was informed the expedited process applies through the hearing level as well and that the cases continue to be flagged as expedited.

However, to be on the safe side, it is a good idea to add a cover letter to the appeal specifically requesting expedited processing under the Wounded Warrior program.

CC photo credit: uhuru1701

I recently came upon an article asking the question why doesn’t the Department of Veterans Affairs provide money for service dogs?  There is no question about the benefits provided to disabled individuals by service animals.

… while the VA talks about “providing” dogs, the only thing they’ve really been trying to decide is whether to pay the same monthly stipend to disabled veterans with a service dog that they’ve been paying to those with guide dogs for many years.  That’s it – there’s been no intent (and that I’m aware of there still isn’t) to “pay for service dogs” the way some describe it, i.e., fund organizations who train assistance dogs.

There was a January 2008 memo signed by the former Secretary which summarized their position. …  I’ve read the memo, but I’ve got something even better for you – the man behind the memo describing the VA thinking about service dogs in his own words a few months later.

Fred Downs, the VA’s Chief Consultant, Prosthetics and Sensory Aids did an hour-long interview with Brian Lamb for C-SPAN on June 5th, 2008, during which he discussed many things, including his handling of the service dog issue.  You can watch the video below – skip to the 51:20 mark which is where the pertinent section starts.

Click the link: Al Brittain to read the entire article and watch the linked video.

Remember the article about veterans suing for faster disability rulings in VA cases? Sadly, the lawsuit was denied.

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton in Washington, D.C., has ruled that the court does not have the authority to require the Department of Veterans Affairs to accelerate efforts to process disability claims.

Federal Judge Rejects Request By Veterans Groups To Require VA To Process Disability Claims Within 90 Days.

The lawsuit, filed by the Vietnam Veterans of America and Veterans of Modern Warfare in U.S. District Court in Washington, seeks to force the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide an initial ruling on every veterans claim for disability benefits within 90 days and to resolve appeals within 180 days.

The veterans’ groups also are seeking interim benefits for veterans whose claim rulings take longer than those time periods.

Don’t you wish someone would do this with the Social Security Administration?  

In case you missed my earlier post the average wait time in a Social Security case is 532 days!

Veterans groups sue for faster disability rulings – CNN.com.