Our team at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur would like to thank you for serving and protecting our country. And after retiring from a challenging career in the United States military, we think you earn the full extent of your military pensions. But if you have also incurred an injury or disability, which may or may not be related to your time in active duty, you may also merit Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. With this, though, you may wonder whether collecting both simultaneously will lessen the total amount of financial aid you receive each month. If this is your concern, please continue reading to learn whether receiving military pensions will affect the amount you get in SSDI benefits each month and how an experienced New Jersey SSDI benefits lawyer at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur can help you earn whatever you deserve.
Does my receiving military pensions affect my SSDI benefits?
You may rest easier learning that the Social Security Administration (SSA) views your military pensions and SSDI benefits separately. This is to say that you may apply for both benefits separately and concurrently, and your eligibility for one does not affect the other in any way. The same may be said for other benefits, such as survivor, retirement, and Medicare benefits.
This is because, to qualify for SSDI benefits, you must first meet the SSA’s definition of disability. From here, you must have worked long enough and recently enough under Social Security. Lastly, and most relevant to this topic, you must possess an earned income below the substantial gainful activity (SGA) limit. Specifically, as of 2024, this limit is set at $1,550 per month for individuals with disabilities other than blindness and $2,590 per month for individuals with blindness. Therefore, the SSA does not count military pensions as part of your earned income. This means these monthly checks will not set you over the edge of your SGA limit.
How much can I receive in military pensions and SSDI benefits?
For one, the amount you receive in military pensions each month may depend on your military status and retirement plan. For example, there is the Final Pay, the Legacy or High 36 Retirement, and the Blended Retirement systems. But on average, a typical enlisted service member may earn $2,500 to $2,916 while a typical officer may earn $5,000 to $5,833 per month.
Then, your rate of SSDI benefits may be primarily based on your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME). But as of 2024, the average SSDI benefits amount is $1,542 per month; while the most an individual can receive is $3,822 per month. So it can be argued that, as a veteran military officer with a high AIME, you can earn as much as $9,655 per month in benefits alone.
To better understand your rights in the matter at hand, please seek the advisement of a sound and skilled New Jersey SSDI benefits lawyer. Please feel confident in knowing that our team at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur has significant experience in handling cases just like yours. So call us today.
