(over)

2022

Military Service and Social Security

Earnings for active duty military service or 

active duty training have been covered under 

Social Security since 1957.

If you served in the military before 1957, you 

didn’t pay Social Security taxes, but we gave 

you special credit for some of your service.

You can get both Social Security benefits and 

military retirement benefits. Generally, there is no 

reduction of Social Security benefits because of 

your military retirement benefits. You’ll get your 

Social Security benefit based on your earnings 

and the age you choose to start receiving benefits.

Social Security and Medicare taxes

While you’re in military service, you pay Social 

Security taxes, just as civilian employees do. 

You currently pay a 6.2% Social Security tax on 

up to $147,000 of your earnings. The Medicare 

tax rate is 1.45% on all wages. High-income 

earners pay an additional 0.9% on earnings 

above certain amounts.

How your work qualifies you for 

Social Security

To qualify for benefits, you must earn credits by 

working and paying Social Security taxes. The 

number of credits you need to qualify depends 

on your age and the type of benefit for which 

you’re eligible. In 2022, you receive one credit 

for each $1,510 of earnings, up to the maximum 

of four credits per year. The amount of earnings 

needed to get credit for your work goes up each 

year. No one needs more than 10 years of work, 

or 40 credits.

Extra earnings

Your Social Security benefit depends on your 

earnings, averaged over your working lifetime. 

Generally, the higher your earnings, the higher 

your benefit. Under certain circumstances, 

special earnings can be credited to your military 

pay record for Social Security purposes.

The extra earnings are for periods of active duty or 

active duty for training. These extra earnings may 

help you qualify for Social Security or increase the 

amount of your Social Security benefit.

If you served in the military after 1956, you paid 

Social Security taxes on those earnings. Since 

1988, inactive duty service in the armed forces 

reserves (such as weekend drills) has also been 

covered by us.

Under certain circumstances, special extra earnings 

for periods of active duty from 1957 through 

2001 can also be credited to your Social Security 

earnings record.

• From 1957 through 1967, we will add the 

extra credits to your record when you apply for 

Social Security benefits.

• From 1968 through 2001, you don’t need to 

do anything to receive these extra credits. The 

credits were automatically added to your record.

• After 2001, there are no special extra earnings 

credits for military service.

The information that follows explains how 

you can get credit for special extra earnings. 

This applies only to active duty military service 

earnings from 1957 through 2001.

From 1957 through 1977, you’re credited 

with $300 in additional earnings for each calendar 

quarter in which you received active duty 

basic pay.

From 1978 through 2001, for every $300 in 

active duty basic pay, you’re credited with an 

additional $100 in earnings up to a maximum of 

$1,200 a year. If you enlisted after September 7, 

1980, and didn’t complete at least 24 months of 

active duty or your full tour, you may not be able 

to receive the additional earnings. Check with 

us for details.

If you served in the military from 1940 through 

1956, you didn’t pay Social Security taxes, but we 

gave you special credit for some of your service.

SSA.gov Military Service and Social Security
NOTE: In all cases, the additional earnings are 

credited to the earnings that we average over 

your working lifetime, not directly to your monthly 

benefit amount.

Your benefits

In addition to retirement benefits, we pay 

survivors benefits to your family when you die. 

You also can get benefits for you and your family 

if you develop a disability. For more information 

about these benefits, read Understanding the 

Benefits (Publication No. 05-10024).

If you developed a disability while on active 

military service on or after October 1, 2001, visit 

www.ssa.gov/woundedwarriors to find out 

how you can receive expedited processing of 

your disability claim.

When you apply for Social Security benefits, 

you’ll be asked for proof of your military service 

(DD Form 214) or information about your 

Reserve or National Guard service.

When you are eligible for Medicare

If you have health care insurance from the 

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or under the 

TRICARE or CHAMPVA program, your health 

benefits may change or end when you become 

eligible for Medicare. You should contact the VA, 

the Department of Defense or a military health 

benefits advisor for more information.

You can work and get 

retirement benefits

You can retire as early as age 62. But if 

you do, your Social Security benefits will be 

permanently reduced. If you decide to apply 

for benefits before your full retirement age, you 

can work and still get some Social Security 

benefits. There are limits on how much you can 

earn without losing some or all your retirement 

benefits. These limits can change each year. 

When you apply for benefits, we’ll tell you what 

the limits are at that time and whether work 

will affect your monthly benefits.

When you reach your full retirement age, we 

will not withhold your Social Security benefits, 

no matter how much you earn. If some of your 

retirement benefits were withheld due to your 

earnings, we will recalculate your benefit amount 

to give you credit for the months we reduced or 

withheld benefits due to your excess earnings.

The full retirement age is 66 for people born from 

1943 through 1954, and it will gradually increase 

to age 67 for those born in 1960 and later. To 

help you decide the best time to retire, read Your 

Retirement Checklist (Publication No. 05-10377).

Contacting Social Security

The most convenient way to do business with us 

is to visit www.ssa.gov to get information and 

use our online services. There are several things 

you can do online: apply for benefits; get useful 

information; find publications; and get answers to 

frequently asked questions.

When you open a personal my Social Security

account, you have more capabilities. You can 

review your Social Security Statement, verify your 

earnings, and get estimates of future benefits. 

You can also print a benefit verification letter, 

change your direct deposit information, request 

a replacement Medicare card, get a replacement 

SSA-1099/1042S, and request a replacement 

Social Security card (if you have no changes and 

your state participates). Access to your personal 

my Social Security account may be limited for 

users outside the United States.

If you don’t have access to the internet, we 

offer many automated services by telephone, 

24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you do not 

need to speak with a representative. Call us 

toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 or at our TTY number, 

1-800-325-0778, if you’re deaf or hard of hearing.

A member of our staff can answer your call 

from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. 

Wait times to speak to a representative are 

typically shorter Wednesdays through Fridays 

or later in the day.

Social Security Administration

Publication No. 05-10017

January 2022 (Recycle prior editions)

Military Service and Social Security

Produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense