Additional Social Security benefits for veterans may be available to people who served in the military. The Social Security Agency determines who is eligible to receive benefits and who is not. In order to collect veteran Social Security benefits, applicants need to meet certain program eligibility requirements.
Typically, former armed services members are eligible to receive additional compensation for their service. It is beneficial that recipients understand where their funds come from and how much they might receive.
How to Qualify for Social Security Benefits for Veterans
In order to qualify for Social Security benefits for military veterans, you must have served in the US armed forces like the army, navy, air force, marines, and coast guard. Naturally, you need to have worked enough years and earned enough credits to apply for Social Security. Depending on when you served in the military, you may be able to earn additional work credits towards qualification. Furthermore, one must meet all of the standard Social Security eligibility requirements that other applicants must meet including age and work history.
Do veterans get extra Social Security benefits?
As a veteran, it is natural to wonder if you might be entitled to additional Social Security benefits. Remember, veterans generally collect similar monthly amounts of Social Security benefits as civilians do. Now, depending on when you served, you may qualify to receive special credits that can increase your benefits. However, Congress eliminated this program in 2001. Therefore, you cannot collect special credits for service after that date.
You may be able to collect Social Security special veterans benefits even if you are also receiving military retirement funds. These retirement benefits draw from two different sources