Military service members who live in Louisiana can apply for Social Security Disability benefits like other residents of the state. Unlike other residents, military service members will receive an expedited application process when they apply for disability benefits.

Social Security Disability benefits are different than benefits military service members receive from the Department of Veterans Affairs and therefore military service members need to complete a separate application with the Social Security Disability program. Military service members and certain family members are eligible to receive benefits from Social Security Disability insurance if a military service member has worked for a certain number of years and has paid Social Security taxes. To receive, disability benefits, military members must also meet Social Security's definition of disability.

Under Social Security's definition of disability, a military service member must not be able to complete substantial work because of a medical condition and the medical condition must have lasted or be expected to last at least one year. Social Security Disability does not provide benefits for partial or short-term disability. Military service members may also want to know how active duty status and military pay affect eligibility for disability benefits.

According to the Social Security Administration's website, active duty status and receipt of military pay does not absolutely prevent the payment of Social Security disability benefits. The receipt of disability benefits is dependent on the type of work activity the applicant is engaged in and not dependent on the amount of pay a military service member receives or the service member's duty status. A service member will not receive disability benefits if she or he is engaged in substantial work for pay.

Source: ssa.gov, "Disability benefits for wounded warriors," Jan. 2012