Ask Larry

Would Taking Your DD-214 To Social Security Give You More Benefits?

If you take your DD 214 to social Security off can you make more on social security ?

Hi,

Maybe, but not necessarily. A military form DD-214 would only prove to Social Security the dates of your military service. But if all of your active duty was after 1967 then Social Security likely already has such proof and has already credited you will all of the deemed military wages (https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.09/handbook-0953.html) for which you are eligible.

So, the only way that showing a DD-214 form to Social Security would increase your benefit rate would be if they don't already have proof of your service, and if your countable earnings in the years that you were in the military were high enough to be used in the computation of your benefit rate (https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10070.pdf).

Best, Jerry

Posted: 
Feb 26 2018 - 9:32am
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