Social Security Honors Our Military Heroes

On Memorial Day, our nation honors military service members who gave their lives to preserve our freedoms. Families, friends, and communities come together to remember the great sacrifices of military members and ensure their legacies live on.

Social Security benefits can help the families of deceased military service members. For example, surviving spouses and dependent children may be eligible for Social Security survivors’ benefits. You can learn more about those benefits at www.ssa.gov/benefits/survivors.

Social Security also offers support to wounded warriors. Social Security benefits protect veterans when injuries prevent them from returning to active duty or performing other work. Both the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security have disability programs. You may qualify for disability benefits through one or both programs. Read the “Social Security Disability and Veterans Affairs Disability—How Do They Compare?” fact sheet. Depending on your situation, some members of your family, including your dependent children or spouse, may be eligible to receive Social Security benefits.

Wounded military service members can receive quicker processing of their Social Security disability claims. If you are a veteran with a 100% Permanent and Total Disability compensation rating from Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration will expedite your disability claim.

Thinking about retirement? Know a veteran who is nearing retirement? Military service members can receive Social Security benefits in addition to their military retirement benefits. For details, visit www.ssa.gov/people/veterans.

Share this information with the military families you know. The Social Security Administration honors and thanks the veterans who bravely served and died for our country and the military service members who serve today.

Contributor Kirk Larson is the Social Security Administration Public Affairs Representative for Washington State.