Benefits panel nixes SSDI, VA compensation offset.

Amid growing controversy over the scope of its congressional mandate, the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission has voted to conduct a narrowly defined study into the issue of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits for veterans who receive VA disability compensation.

By an 11-2 vote, the commissioners agreed to limit its study of the issue to four distinct areas, which does not include consideration of an offset between SSDI and VA disability compensation. The commission, however, would be allowed to collect data on SSDI usage by disabled veterans to better understand issues such as the impact of one or both benefits on the veteran's quality of life, underutilization by veterans who are eligible for benefits under both programs and how to expedite claims for service-connected disabled veterans who may be eligible for SSDI as well as VA compensation. The commission also would be able to explore the feasibility of granting waivers for disabled veterans who had not met the minimum Social Security insurance payment requirements for SSDI eligibility.

The issue of SSDI and VA disability compensation became a highly charged one after the commission's March 16-17 meeting when a move to sidestep proper procedures and hold a secret ballot on the matter was postponed. (See the May/June DAV Magazine.) The commission chairman then asked for, and received, support from the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services committees to expand the study of veterans benefits to include SSDI, which was strongly opposed by the DAV. Many in the veterans community also became concerned that the study would set the stage for a recommendation to offset SSDI and VA disability compensation, something the commission has denied.