959.Under what circumstances are veterans NOT eligible for noncontributory wage credits?

You are not eligible for noncontributory wage credits as a veteran for military service if you meet any of the following conditions:

  1. Your Social Security benefit payable is larger without considering the wage credits; or

  2. You have been convicted of certain offenses against the Federal Government such as treason, sedition, etc.; or

  3. You refuse upon the ground of self-incrimination to appear, testify, produce books, etc. about your Government employment before a Federal grand jury, U.S. court, or U.S. congressional committee concerning matters of national security or your relationship with a foreign government; or

  4. You are receiving a monthly benefit payable by another Federal agency (other than the Department of Veterans Affairs), based on military service prior to 1957. However, if you were on active duty or active duty for training after 1956, you may be granted Social Security wage credits for active service during the six-year period, 1951-1956. Therefore, even if a service organization uses any or all of your military service prior to 1957 in determining your rights to, or the amount of, a retirement benefit payable by that organization, you may be granted wage credits; or

  5. The wage credits plus your covered earnings exceed the maximum earnings that may be credited for Social Security purposes for that year (see §714). In these cases, only wage credits that do not exceed the maximum earnings allowed will be credited.

Last Revised: Aug. 21, 2009