WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Sam Johnson (R-TX) announced today that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled “Ensuring Social Security Serves America’s Veterans” on Wednesday, February 7, at 9:00 AM in room 2253 of the Rayburn House Office Building. At the hearing, Members will examine the effectiveness of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) initiatives to reduce processing times and expedite claims for certain veterans, as well as efforts by the agency to hire veterans.

Upon announcing the hearing, Chairman Johnson said:

“When our brave veterans come home from serving our country, our programs should be working effectively to serve them. The Social Security Administration has taken action to do just that by partnering with the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to streamline efforts. But there is more work the agency can and must do to improve the service it provides our veterans – from making the process simpler for veterans to apply for disability benefits to helping more veterans make their way back into the workforce. As a veteran myself, I understand the difference it makes when you can trust the programs you rely upon to run smoothly and fairly. I am eager to learn more about the steps Social Security is taking to make sure our veterans receive the service they deserve.”

Background

Military service members can receive expedited processing of disability claims from the SSA. The expedited process is used for military service members who become disabled while on active military service on or after October 1, 2001, regardless of where the disability occurs. In addition, since March 17, 2014, veterans who have a VA compensation rating of 100% permanent and total may receive expedited processing of applications for Social Security disability benefits.

In Fiscal Year 2017, 32.5 percent of the SSA’s new hires were veterans.