In September, the agency published final rules about the Heroes
Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax (HEART) Act. The HEART Act
changes the way we treat some cash payments to members of the
uniformed services and veterans under the Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) program. As Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue
noted at the time, “This law allows the men and women of our armed
forces, veterans, and their families to keep more of their
military-related payments while also maintaining eligibility for
valuable cash and healthcare benefits.”
The HEART Act does the following:
* Treats most cash military compensation as earned income for SSI
purposes, which generally provides a higher benefit to the service
member as a result of the SSI program's more favorable consideration
of earned income.
* Excludes certain State annuity payments to disabled, blind or aged
veterans from countable income and resources used to determine SSI
eligibility.
* Excludes any cash or in-kind payments provided by AmeriCorps State
and National and AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps from
countable income.
Social Security also makes it easy to get information about benefits
for wounded warriors. The first place to go is our website designed
specifically for our wounded veterans: www.socialsecurity.gov/woundedwarriors.
There, you will find answers to a number of commonly asked
questions, as well as other useful information about disability
benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Please pay special
attention to the fact sheets available on that website, Disability
Benefits for Wounded Warriors and Expediting Disability Applications
for Wounded Warriors.
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You will also find a “webinar” that explains the Social Security
disability application process and expedited processing available to
wounded warriors. This outreach program provides general information
about Social Security disability benefits as well as topics unique
to wounded warriors, and is a great way to orient yourself to
disability benefits for veterans and active duty military.
It is important to note that benefits available through Social
Security are different than those from the Department of Veterans
Affairs and require a separate application.
Military service members are covered for the same Social Security
survivors, disability, and retirement benefits as everyone else.
Military personnel have been covered under Social Security since
1957, and people who were in the service prior to that may be able
to get special credit for some of their service.
To learn more about Social Security for current and former military
service members, read Military Service and Social Security. You can
find the publication online at
www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10017.html.
[By Judith Bartels, Social Security District Manager in
Springfield, IL ]
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