Will I Lose My VA Disability If I Get a Job?

You will continue to get your VA disability benefits if you get a job. The regular VA compensations are based on your disability rating. VA determines this rating based on the illnesses or disabilities that developed or worsened during your service days.

This compensation has nothing to do with having a job. You deserve it for serving the country and sacrificing your health and peace. However, there are other benefits aside from the regular ones that you may be ineligible for if you have a job.

Check out more details about this topic below.

Understanding the VA Disability Benefits and Its Process

Okay, we did explain it above, but let’s give you a proper view of the VA disability benefits. If you get a sickness or disability from your service days or any existing condition worsens, you will be eligible for VA disability benefits.

But to get them, you need to file a claim to VA with evidence that your conditions are indeed service-connected. Some of these proofs include-

• Supporting letters from fellow veterans.
• Supporting letters from family and friends.
• Medical reports from private or VA doctors.
• Other reports from any field doctor from your service days.

Getting an eligibility review from VA Disability Coach helps in this process too. Once you are done gathering all the information, you can submit them alongside your form. Doing this process online is not only faster, but also easier, and VA replies to online claims within only a week or two.

Afterward, VA will call for a C&P exam, examine your body and mind, and give you a VA rating based on the result. The higher rating, the more compensation you get.

To Get a Job or To Not to Get a Job

If you have been following so far, you will notice that nothing in this talks about your ability to have a job or not. Yes, that answers your initial question. You will continue to get your benefits regardless of having a job.

Moreover, VA always encourages veterans with disabilities to work as much as it is healthy for them. Now there is a catch, however.

Once you get a job, VA may ask you for a reevaluation to check for any changes in your conditions. If they find any improvement, they may reduce your rating. It means that your compensation amount may also drop. But VA calls for reevaluations every 2-5 years anyway.

Meanwhile, your job may end up being a remedy for your mental health. Conditions such as depression, anxiety, and others may heal gradually by interacting with the right people in your workplace. So, that may also be a reason behind the drop in your VA rating.

Financial Requirement for VA Benefits

Almost all VA benefits have a set limit of financial requirements, except the disability ones. However, Congress has set and changed a net worth amount that a beneficial must stay below. Till November 30, 2023, the amount is $150,538.

Many other benefits have their own separate income threshold. For example, without any dependents, the annual income limit requirement for Aid and Attendance benefit is $26,752. Each dependent you have will increase this limit.

Of course, there are other requirements too, like service or healthcare criteria.

For more information, check the VA’s Health Benefits, Annual Income Limit page.

Other VA Benefits That Depend on Your Income or Job

Aside from the regular monthly compensation based on the VA rating, there are other VA benefits too. People with various issues or situations get eligible for them. Some of them depend on whether you have a job or how much you earn. For example-

• Individual Unemployability: If a veteran’s condition is at a point that it makes them unable to get a job (proper and stable jobs with daily, weekly, or monthly salary), they are eligible for the Individual Unemployability (IU) benefit. However, there are some other criteria to match.

Veterans can get a similar amount as the 100% VA rating with this benefit.

• Aid and Attendance: If a survivor veteran or their spouse is in a condition where they need help in regular daily activities such as dressing, eating, bathing, etc, they may get the Aid and Attendance benefit. However, they need to be 65 years or older.

If someone getting the Aid and Attendance benefits heals enough to earn over a certain limit, they won’t get it anymore.

Conclusion

If you get a job while receiving VA benefits, there is no need to worry. The VA disability benefits will continue as usual. Except for the IU, all other benefits usually have a high amount of annual earning limits. So, you will mostly be fine there too. Work to your fullest extent.