If you have applied for or are receiving Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits, VA is required to obtain those records when they may be relevant to your VA claim. SSA records can be extremely valuable because they often contain medical evidence, functional assessments, and disability determinations that directly support your VA claim. VA must request SSA records whenever there is any indication that you have filed for or are receiving SSA benefits. This includes both the SSA decision itself and all the medical records SSA used to make that decision. These medical records are often from private doctors and hospitals that VA might not otherwise know about. The SSA decision can also be persuasive evidence, especially if SSA found you unable to work due to conditions related to your military service. If VA fails to obtain your SSA records before denying your claim, that can be grounds for an appeal. You should let VA know if you have applied for SSA benefits, even if your application was denied, because SSA records from a denied claim can still contain useful medical evidence. You can also request your own SSA records by contacting your local Social Security office.
Note: This article references sections of the VA's M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual. The VA periodically reorganizes the M21-1 and section numbers may have changed since this article was written. For the most current section references, visit the VA's public M21-1 Web Automated Reference Material System (WARMS).