Military Service and Increased Social Security Benefits
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: January 18, 2022
A misleading letter, from an unknown source, is circulating online that mentions a $1,200 special Social Security earnings credit for people who served in the military. We want to make sure veterans with active and inactive service have the appropriate information that they need and do not take unnecessary action.
Under certain circumstances, special earnings can be credited to your military pay record for Social Security purposes. Since 1957, if you have earnings for active-duty military service or active-duty training, your military service earnings have been covered under Social Security. Since 1988, inactive duty service in the armed forces reserves (such as weekend drills) is also covered by Social Security. If you served in the military before 1957 and did not pay Social Security taxes, we have added special credit to your earnings record for some of your service. These extra earnings may help you qualify for Social Security benefits or increase the amount of your benefit.
These special earnings credits are added to your earnings record automatically when you apply for Social Security benefits. You do not need to contact Social Security.
You can read more in our Military Service and Social Security fact sheet. We take your benefits seriously because we know you depend on them. Thank you for your service!
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Tags: General Information, retirement, retirement benefits
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Dawn Bystry, Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
Deputy Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
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Cheryl
My father served 20 years active duty in the Navy, retiring in approximately 1974. After that, he worked for many years at USPS. So, because he was considered a “triple dipper” (receiving retirement income from the Navy, USPS, and SS), his social security payment was reduced. Now that he recently passed away, none of the retirement benefits have continued for the sake of my mother, his wife of over 60 years. Her only income is a small SS benefit which she was told by SS would not change. My question is this: when calculating her SS benefit in light of her husband’s death, would the calculation consider what his benefit would have been had he not had his benefit reduced due to triple dipping? None of his pensions will continue for her, and she is worried about how she’ll survive on the SS benefit she receives, which she thought would go up but did not.
A.C.
Hi, Cheryl. We are sorry to hear about your loss. Unfortunately, your question is a bit more complex than we can answer in this forum. For your mother’s security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Suzanne S.
MY husband served in the army for three years, 1952, 1953, 1954 and was in Korea 1952, 1953.
He is now deceased, but my social security is a combination of both his and my earnings.
How can I find out if his earnings from the army were included?
A.C.
Hi, Suzanne. We are sorry for your loss. If your husband was in the active military from 1940-1956, special extra earnings were added to his earnings record when he appllied for Social Security benefits. For more information, please visit our Retirement Planner. We hope this helps.
Steve k.
I had active duty 1956-1960 when I sign up for social security they told me that time did not count.
Ron M.
I served with The United States Marine Corps from 1978 through 1981 (3 years active duty service), in 1982 through 2004 I served as a career county government Fire Fighter/Emergency Medical Technician in the state of Maryland for twenty- one years 10 months, I paid into social security. I am approaching my 62nd year, I was informed that there is a Social Security benefit (added pay) for military/public safety officials which, must be applied for, before one reaches their 62nd birthday, if one fails to apply for this, it is lost to the recipient. Can you help with this question? additionally I worked from 2006 through 2019 full time where I also paid into social security.
A.C.
Hi, Ron. Thanks for visiting our blog. If you were in the active military service from 1957 through 1967, special extra earnings are added to your earnings record when you apply for Social Security benefits. If your active duty was after 1967, the extra earnings are already on your record. There are no special extra earnings credits for military service after 2001. For more information, please visit our Retirement Planner. We hope this helps.
Abhishek G.
Military Service and Increased Social Security Benefits in World War I
The First World War of 1914-1918 caused the U.S. government to greatly expand its social security benefits to veterans, widows, and orphans. The government, then composed of President Woodrow Wilson and Congress, responded by making an unprecedented and highly controversial commitment to a national social insurance program that would pay benefits to individuals without respect to individual income or need.
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What does military service do for your social security?
Social Security can take up to four years of work into account when awarding benefits. During this four year period, a Social Security administration representative will look back at your last 40 or more years of work to determine whether your service will enhance or diminish your award amount.
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misty b.
am i entitled to any benefits that my husband receives? he gets social security and va payments equaling more than 5000 a month. we are seperated. i am disabled as well. are there any benefits im entitled to please? we been married 10 years
misty b.
my husband receives veterans pay and also social security. he claims me as a dependent. we have seperated. am i entitled to receive benefits myself? he gets over 5000 a month. i receive 772 disability myself. am i entitled to any benefits he recieves?
A.C.
Hi, Misty. To qualify for spouse’s benefits, your spouse must be receiving retirement or disability benefits. Keep in mind if you qualify for your own benefits and for benefits as a spouse, we always pay your own benefits first. If your benefits as a spouse are higher than your own benefits, you will get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse benefit. Visit our Benefits Planner for more infomation. We recommend you contact the Veterans Administration (VA) or your military advisor to discuss any potential benefits from the VA. We hope this information helps.
Donna D.
I had two periods of military service, 1974-78 and 1985-2001. When applying, it only asked me if I had served prior to 1957. Will my military service be verified?
A.C.
Hi, Donna. Thanks for visiting our blog. If you were in the active military service from 1957 through 1967, special extra earnings are added to your earnings record when you apply for Social Security benefits. If your active duty was after 1967, the extra earnings are already on your record. There are no special extra earnings credits for military service after 2001. For more information, please visit our Retirement Planner. We hope this helps.