Question: I will be receiving my Navy Reserve retirement pay when I turn age 60. I also paid into the Social Security system the entire time. Will I receive full Social Security benefits when I retire at age 65, or will that amount be reduced by the amount I am receiving from the military retirement? Bob, Lodi, CA
Answer: According to the Social Security Administration, there are 9.4 million military veterans receiving Social Security benefits. That means that almost one out of every four adult Social Security beneficiaries has served in the United States military. Veterans and their families make up almost 40% of the adult Social Security beneficiary population.
Your military pension should not reduce your Social Security payments. “You can get both Social Security benefits and military retirement,” says Social Security on its website. “Generally, there is no reduction of Social Security benefits because of your military retirement benefits. You’ll get your full Social Security benefit based on your earnings.”
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
