How Does a VA Caregiver Stipend Affect Disability in PA?

When you get disability, your earned income matters. Caregiver stipends and other benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) aren’t earned income, so they don’t affect your disability eligibility.

VA caregiver stipends aren’t paid to the disabled veteran, either, but to their primary caregiver. If you get VA disability benefits, you can also get Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Your VA benefits won’t lower when you get SSDI, and vice versa. The Social Security Administration (SSA) does restrict earned income when on SSDI, like from a part-time job.

For a free case assessment from our Pennsylvania disability lawyers, call Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates today at (215) 515-2954.

Do VA Caregiver Stipends Affect Disability Eligibility in Pennsylvania?

Veterans seeking stipends for caregivers and other support can apply through the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC). If your application gets approved and your caregiver gets a stipend, what does that mean for your SSDI benefits?

If you’re applying for SSDI and your caregiver gets a VA stipend, that will not affect your application. SSDI eligibility is based on having a qualifying disability and working enough years while paying Social Security tax.

If you can’t work anymore, SSDI can replace some of your income. You have to stay under monthly earned income limits while you get SSDI, but a PCAFC caregiver stipend won’t affect that since it goes to your primary caregiver, not you. Even if that person is your spouse, any amounts they make, whether from their job or a caregiver stipend, won’t affect your disability eligibility when applying for or getting benefits.

Does Getting VA Benefits Affect Disability Eligibility in Pennsylvania?

You can get VA benefits if you suffer an injury or illness during military service. The eligibility criteria differ from that of SSDI, and you might even get both types of payments.

VA monthly benefit amounts are based on assigned disability ratings. While your condition must be expected to end in death or last at least a year to get SSDI, those requirements don’t exist for VA disability benefits.

If you get VA disability benefits, you can also apply for SSDI. These benefits do not affect one another’s amounts. VA benefits aren’t earned income, so they don’t count toward your monthly income limits while on SSDI, either.

Getting VA benefits will affect your eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), however. This is a need-based program, so you can only get SSI if you have very limited resources and income.

Monthly Income Limits for Pennsylvania Disability Recipients

If you can engage in “substantial gainful activity” (SGA), it can affect your SSDI benefits. While VA benefits or a caregiver stipend aren’t considered substantial gainful activity, anything that results in earned income is.

Blind SSDI recipients can earn up to $2,700 per month without losing their benefits, and non-blind recipients can earn up to $1,600 in 2025. Remember, your spouse’s earned income doesn’t count against you, as it’s not evidence of SGA on your part.

Earning over the SGA limits means not getting your SSDI payment for that month. If you also get VA disability or your caregiver gets a stipend, those payments will stay unaffected, as they don’t have income limits.

SSDI recipients should also stay mindful of trial work periods. These get automatically triggered when recipients earn over $1,160 in 2025. Trial work periods can test your ability to work. However, if left unchecked, they can also lead to loss of benefits.

Our Philadelphia disability lawyers can work to reinstate SSDI benefits if an unintentional trial work period affects your payments.

What Factors Affect Disability Eligibility in Pennsylvania

When reviewing your SSDI application, the SSA will see if you have a qualifying condition and enough work credits.

Qualifying Conditions

The SSA’s Listing of Impairments provides a range of conditions that qualify for SSDI. Having cancers, mental health disorders, arthritis, and even needing heart transplants may get applicants approved.

Even if the SSA doesn’t expressly mention your condition in its Listing of Impairments, we can use medical records to show it is close enough to qualify.

Many injuries, illnesses, and conditions qualify, so ask our lawyers if yours does.

The SSA may require periodic continuing disability reviews, even if your injury or condition is permanent. We can prepare you for these reviews by organizing updated medical records showing your continued eligibility.

Earning Records

Earning records are the second half of SSDI eligibility. The SSA uses two tests to assess earning records, the first being the recent work test.

Your age dictates how many “work credits” you need in the years leading up to your disability. You can get four work credits per year, one for every $1,810 you earn in 2025.

If you’re under 24, you must have earned six work credits in the three years preceding your disability to pass the recent work test.

If you’re between 24 and 31, you can get SSDI if you’ve worked half the time between turning 21 and when you became disabled. For example, if you are 29, you must have worked for four years since turning 21 and have 16 work credits.

If you’re 31 or older, you need at least 20 work credits earned in the 10 years preceding your disability.

We can then put you through the duration of work test, which requires you to have worked a certain number of years based on your age when you became disabled.

If you don’t have enough work credits yourself, you can qualify using your parent’s earning record if you are a “disabled adult child” (DAC). DACs must be over 18, have a disability that began before age 22, and have a parent with a qualifying earning record.

Call Our Pennsylvania Lawyers About Your Disability Application

For a free case review from our Pottstown, PA disability lawyers, call Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates at (215) 515-2954.