Programs For Homeless Veterans
VA’s specialized programs for homeless Veterans serve hundreds of thousands of homeless and at-risk Veterans each year. Independently and in collaboration with federal and community partners, VA programs provide Veterans with housing solutions, employment opportunities, health care, justice- and reentry-related services and more. Learn more about these programs at VA Programs for At-Risk Veterans and Their Families.
Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless can call or visit their local VA Medical Center or Community Resource and Referral Center where VA staff are ready to help. Many CRRCs offer free tax preparation services. VA and other organizations work together through neighborhood Stand Downs to help Veterans who are homeless. The IRS attends many Stand Down events and provide services such as help with IRS letters, notices and levies on wages or bank accounts as well as free tax preparation. Also, the Taxpayer Advocate Service often attends to ensure that every Veteran is treated fairly.
What Should I Do If I Dont Agree With The Amount Listed On My Form 1099g
If you received Unemployment Insurance benefits, became disabled, and began receiving Disability Insurance benefits, you can confirm the amount on your Form 1099G by viewing your Payment History in UI Online.
If you still dont agree with the amount, call 1-866-401-2849 to speak to a representative, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. , except on state holidays.
If you have a Paid Family Leave claim, call us at 1-866-401-2849 to get your Form 1099G information.
If your question about the amount listed on your Form 1099G cannot be answered during the call, we will look into this further, and a written response will be mailed to you. Be sure to provide your current address and telephone number when you speak with one of our representatives.
For more DI or PFL questions, call:
- DI: 1-800-480-3287
Is Disability Income Taxable Federally
Whether you pay tax depends on what kind of policy it is, who paid for it, and whether it was paid for with pre-tax or after-tax dollars. The income should be reported on your tax return, employer-paid short and long term disability income is subject to federal tax. SSDI disability benefits may be considered taxable disability income and subject to federal income tax if you have enough additional income.
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How Should I Handle Income Taxes On My Retroactive Lump Sum Payment Of Disability Benefits
Social Security is required to send each benefit recipient an SSA-1099 by February 1 of the following year, specifying how much of the Social Security benefit received in the lump sum was really a payment for some prior year or years. The 1099 also lists the attorney fee. These SSA-1099 forms are often inaccurate, and the taxpayer must use award notices to double check the 1099. You may want to set aside 35% of your award until your taxes are professionally completed.
Understanding What Social Security Disability Is

The Social Security Disability Insurance program pays benefits to eligible people who have become disabled. To be considered eligible for Social Security disability benefits, you have to be insured, which means you worked long enough and recently enough to accumulate benefits based on your Social Security taxes paid.
You also have to meet the Social Security Administrations definition of disabled. To be considered disabled, it would have to be determined that you can no longer do the kind of work you did before you became disabled and that you wont be able to do any other type of work because of your disability. Your disability must have lasted at least 12 months or be expected to last 12 months.
Social Security disability benefits are different from Supplemental Security Income and Social Security retirement benefits. SSI benefits are paid to people who are aged, blind or disabled and have little to no income. These benefits are designed to help meet basic needs for living expenses. Social Security retirement benefits are paid out based on your past earnings, regardless of disability status.
Supplemental Security Income generally isnt taxed as its a needs-based benefit. The people who receive these benefits typically dont have enough income to require tax reporting. Social Security retirement benefits, on the other hand, can be taxable if youre working part-time or full-time while receiving benefits.
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Can You File Taxes For Disability Income
Yes, you should file an income tax return for your disability benefits, and you can even have federal tax withheld. To withhold tax for SSDI, file IRS Form W-4V. If you are receiving disability benefits from an insurance company, you can have tax withheld by filing IRS Form W-4S.
1 Social Security Administration Fact Sheet, December 2019.
2 last accessed September 2020
3 Council for Disability Awareness, ,last accessed June 2021
Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents, and employees do not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. Consult your tax, legal, or accounting professional regarding your individual situation.
For more information, please visit irs.gov.
Guardians Group Long Term Disability Insurance is underwritten and issued by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. Products are not available in all states. Policy limitations and exclusions apply. Optional riders and/or features may incur additional costs. Plan documents are the final arbiter of coverage. This policy provides disability income insurance only. It does NOT provide basic hospital, basic medical or major medical insurance as defined by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Policy Form # GP-1-LTD-15.
2021-112429 20231130
Short Term Disability Insurance
This is coverage for temporary disabilities not covered by SSDI or long term disability insurance . Most short term disability policies are provided by private insurance companies, although some states provide their own plans. Coverage is typically obtained through the workplace as a group benefit available to employees. Premiums are usually paid by the employer, either partially or in whole . Compared to SSDI or long term disability plans, the waiting period is much shorter typically one to two weeks and the income benefit usually equals 60%-70% of your normal earnings. However, those payments only last for a short period of time: the benefit period is typically 3-6 months or until you can get back to work.
The process of applying for STD benefits is usually simpler than the SSDI claim process. The definition of disability will typically cover non-occupational injury or illness that keeps you out of work, but the insurance company will still need to see medical records or other evidence that you have a disabling condition. If you have coverage through work, your first step should be to contact your HR department to find out how to apply.
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Why Are My Disability Insurance Benefits Included As Taxable Compensation
In most cases, Disability Insurance benefits are not taxable. But, if you are receiving unemployment, but then become ill or injured and begin receiving DI benefits, the DI benefits are considered to be a substitute for unemployment benefits, which are taxable.
If your DI benefits are taxable, you will receive a notice with your first benefit payment. You will receive a Form 1099G for your federal return only. The DI benefits are reported to the IRS up to your unemployment maximum benefit amount.
If you do not work because of a disability and receive DI benefits, those benefits are not taxable.
Consider Getting An Individual Ltd Policy
You can get an individual policy as standalone coverage or to supplement your work plan. This lets you tailor the coverage to your specific needs, and since it is paid for with after-tax dollars, the replacement income it provides is also tax-free.
Long term disability insurance is typically bought through a financial professional. Be prepared to share as much as you can about your financial situation, tax strategies, and goals with your financial professional so that he or she can create the disability insurance plan that suits your needs. If you dont have a financial professional, or if that person doesnt have a lot of experience with disability insurance, a Guardian financial professional can give you a disability insurance quote. Why a financial professional and not a regular insurance agent? Because disability insurance is meant to replace a portion of your income and can be a key part of your overall financial plan.
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The above article is intended to provide generalized financial information designed to educate a broad segment of the public it does not give personalized tax, investment, legal, or other business and professional advice. Before taking any action, you should always seek the assistance of a professional who knows your particular situation for advice on taxes, your investments, the law, or any other business and professional matters that affect you and/or your business.
When Social Security Disability Is Taxable
Social Security disability benefits are not taxable if you didn’t earn any income during the year. They are also exempt from taxes if your disability was caused by a domestic or international terrorist attack.
But if you do earn an income while receiving Social Security benefits, your benefits are taxable if your total income exceeds a certain threshold set by the IRS. The IRS defines this income threshold amount as:
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$25,000 for people filing as an individual, head of household, qualifying widow or widower, or married couples filing separately and who live apart from each other
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$32,000 for married couples filing a joint return, even if one spouse isn’t receiving Social Security benefits
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$0 for married people who live together but file separately
When you calculate your income, it includes 50% of your disability benefits, unearned income and your spouse’s income.
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What Should I Do If I Used All Or Part Of A Social Security Back Payment To Reimburse A Long
Special tax relief is available under §1341 of the Internal Revenue Code, again avoiding the need to amend a prior tax return. See IRS Publication 525. If the repayment to the LTD carrier is under $3,000, the taxpayer gets a deduction on the current years tax return. For repayments over $3,000, the taxpayer chooses either the deduction or a tax credit for the excess tax paid in the prior year. A subtle tax issue to watch: LTD reimbursements to the carrier also cause phantom taxable income in some cases, due to the separate 1099 forms issued for the year by SSA and by the carrier.
Veterans Justice Outreach Program

The aim of the Veterans Justice Outreach program is to avoid the unnecessary criminalization of mental illness and extend incarceration among Veterans by ensuring that eligible, justice-involved Veterans have timely access to Veterans Health Administration services, as clinically indicated. VJO specialists provide direct outreach, assessment and case management for justice-involved Veterans in local courts and jails and liaison with local justice system partners. For legal assistance, visit State Side Legal’s help page or contact the nearest VJO specialist, who may know of community legal assistance resources.
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I Owe Most Of The Social Security Lump Sum To A Long
You can do this by lowering the tax impact of a lump sum. Congress has provided a special election allowing a client to take advantage of the tax exempt base amount for each of the retroactive years represented in a Social Security lump sum. In most cases, this special election will be desirable, because it enables the taxpayer to offset the lump sum with a multiple of base amounts, described below. Also, the election removes the need to amend prior tax returns.
Permanent And Total Disability
A person has a permanent and total disability if both of the following apply:
- They cant engage in any substantial gainful activity because of a physical or mental condition and
- A doctor determines their condition:
- Has lasted continuously for at least a year or
- Will last continuously for at least a year or
- Can lead to death
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Do I Have To File Taxes On My Disability Income
You typically have to report disability benefit income on your tax return, but if the premiums were paid for with after-tax dollars, then you should not owe federal tax on that money. If premiums were paid by your employer, then your benefit income will be taxable. SSDI income must be reported along with other Social Security benefits, and it may be taxable if you have enough additional income.
Will Auxiliary Spouse Or Child Benefits Be Taxed
Yes. Auxiliary benefits are included in the taxable income of the person who has the legal right to receive them. For example, a childs benefits are added to the childs other income to determine taxability, even though the benefits are paid on the parents earnings record. The child receives a separate SSA-1099.
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Financial Education And Asset Building
Our partners recognize that financial education and asset building starts with ensuring individuals and families receive all the benefits to which they are entitled. These include the Earned Income Tax Credit and other tax credits, nutrition assistance, health insurance, heating/cooling allowance support and other national and local benefit programs. Many SPEC partners have incorporated financial education and asset building programs and services such as income support, debt and credit counseling, financial education training, banking education, home ownership and small business management into their free tax return preparation activities.
What Is Supplemental Security Income
Social Security Disability Insurance benefits and SSI benefits differ based on who receives them and why. SSI recipients do not need to meet the same disability or work credit requirements like those who receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.
Generally, SSI payments go to the elderly, blind, or disabled. Also, SSI benefit recipients often qualify for Medicaid assistance automatically.
Remember, with TurboTax, we’ll ask you simple questions about your life and help you fill out all the right tax forms. With TurboTax you can be confident your taxes are done right, from simple to complex tax returns, no matter what your situation.
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What Is Social Security Disability Insurance
Social Security Disability Insurance is a social insurance program funded by payroll taxes meant to help you if you become disabled. The program’s administrator, the Social Security Administration , generally allows you to earn coverage benefits if you meet their definition of disabled and are unable to work for a year or more.
The Social Security Disability Insurance program provides modest though vital benefits to you if you have suffered a serious and long-lasting medical condition that meets Social Security’s strict definition of disability. As a result, you can receive benefits if you meet the eligibility requirements.
Short Term Disability Income Is Usually Taxed By The Irs

When your employer pays for the policy , the IRS considers those premium payments to be untaxed income so they take taxes on the back-end when you make a claim and get benefits. However, if you paid for some or all of the premiums with your own after-tax dollars, then that portion of the income is not subject to federal tax.
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Claim A Qualifying Child With A Disability
The qualifying child you claim for the EITC can be any age if they:
- Have a permanent and total disability and
- Have a valid Social Security number
If the child gets disability benefits, they may still be your qualifying child for the EITC. Find out more about the additional tests for a qualifying child.
The Basics About Disability Benefits
The SSDI program pays benefits to you and certain if you are insured. This means that you worked long enough and recently enough – and paid Social Security taxes on your earnings. The SSI program pays benefits to adults and children who meet our requirements for a qualifying disability and have limited income and resources.
While these two programs are different, the medical requirements are the same. If you meet the nonmedical requirements, monthly benefits are paid if you have a medical condition expected to last at least one year or result in death.
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Do I Have To File Taxes When Receiving Disability Benefits
There is a saying that the only two things in life that are certain are death and taxes. As United States citizens, we are well aware of the fact that we pay taxes on the income we receive. In fact, a part of those taxes is what makes it possible for disabled workers to obtain Social Security Disability benefits. The question is, do Social Security Disability beneficiaries have to file taxes when receiving disability benefits and do they have to pay taxes on the Social Security Disability benefits that they receive?
Whether or not you actually have to file taxes when receiving Social Security Disability depends on how much income you receive and whether or not your spouse receives an income. If Social Security Disability benefits are your only source of income and you are single, you do not necessarily have to file taxes. Doing so, however, may be in your best interests such as the case with stimulus payments that you may not receive if you do not file taxes.
The general rule of thumb to follow is that you will have to pay federal taxes on your Social Security Disability benefits if you file a federal tax return as an individual and your total income is more than $25,000. If you file a joint return, you will have to pay taxes if you and your spouse have a total combined income that exceeds $32,000.
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