Military Careers, Retirement - Air Force Times

Social Security

As a rule, service members can receive Social Security coverage for retirement, survivors’ income, disability income, Medicare and burial expenses. Retirees can receive military and Social Security retirement checks; neither retirement package affects the other.

Eligibility for various Social Security programs is determined by the number of credits (formerly known as quarters) earned while working. In 2006, a person must have earned $970 to get one credit and can earn a maximum of four credits per year.

The number of credits required for survivor, retirement or disability benefits under Social Security depends on a person’s age at the time of retirement, disability or death. Service members who have accumulated at least 40 credits — on active duty, in civilian work or in a combination of the two — are insured permanently for retirement and survivor benefits.

Social Security retirement benefits are based on a complex formula that takes into account lifetime earnings and inflation. For most military retirees, this means benefits will be affected by their earnings between the time they leave active duty and the time they begin to collect Social Security.

Social Security’s disability program operates under different rules. It is possible for a person to be classified as fully disabled by the military but not by Social Security, and vice versa.

Many veterans who receive disability retirement from the VA or the military also receive a Social Security disability pension. Eligible service members must have a certain amount of recent work covered by Social Security immediately before the onset of the disability.

Social Security provides a benefit statement to every working citizen age 25 and older estimating future retirement, survivor and disability benefits. It also provides a year-by-year breakdown of earnings and Social Security taxes paid since 1951.

Contact: For a copy of SSA-7004 (Request for Social Security Statement), call (800) 772-1213 or go to http://www.ssa.gov/online/ssa-7004.html.