Can veterans collect military retirement and Social Security? What the rules say – Diario AS

Can veterans collect military retirement and Social Security? What the rules say  Diario AS

There are always plenty of questions to consider when you’re planning for retirement. For veterans in the U.S., one of the biggest concerns is whether their military pension will affect their Social Security benefit amount. The short answer is reassuring for most veterans: in the vast majority of cases, you can receive both. Despite the term “double-dipping” sometimes being thrown around, military retirement pay and Social Security are two separate programs, and one generally doesn’t cancel out the other. Yes. If you’ve earned enough Social Security credits during your working life, receiving a military pension won’t usually stop you from collecting retirement benefits as well, as explained by the Military Service and Social Security webpage.

That’s because active-duty military service has been covered by Social Security since 1957. Just like civilian workers, service members pay Social Security payroll taxes during their careers, meaning those earnings count toward future retirement benefits. Some veterans may even receive a small boost. If you served on active duty between 1957 and 2001, the Social Security Administration (SSA) may have credited your earnings record with additional military earnings. Those extra credits don’t appear as a separate payment, but they can slightly increase the amount your retirement benefit is based on. Veterans who served before 1957 fall under different rules. They didn’t pay Social Security taxes