Special Benefits For Certain World War II Veterans

Special benefits can be paid to certain World War II veterans. These include veterans who served in the active U.S. military from September 16, 1940, through July 24, 1947. It also includes Filipino veterans who served in the organized military of the Philippines from July 26, 1941, through December 30, 1946 (while those forces were in the service of the U.S. Armed Forces). The special veterans benefits are payable for months in which qualified veterans live outside the United States.

Who may qualify

To qualify for special veterans benefits, you must meet all of the following requirements:

• Be age 65 or older as of December 14, 1999;
• Be a World War II veteran as described above;
• Be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for December 1999;
• Be eligible for SSI for the month you apply for special veterans benefits; and
• Have other benefit income that is less than 75 percent of the current SSI federal benefit rate.

This benefit cannot be paid to the veteran’s dependents or survivors.

When the benefits start

If you qualify, you will receive benefits for each month in which you reside outside the United States on the first day of the month.

When the benefits stop

Benefits will stop if:

• You tell us that you no longer consider yourself to be residing outside the United States;

• You visit the United States and stay for more than a full calendar month. For example, if you come to the United States on January 15, your benefits will stop on March 1;

• You come to the United States to visit and decide to stay. Your benefits will stop effective with the earlier of the following:

  • The month after the month in which you decide to live in the United States; or

  • The month after the first full calendar month you were in the United States.

Special veterans benefit amount

By law, the amount of the monthly special veterans benefits cannot be more than 75 percent of the current SSI federal benefit rate. To figure out the amount of your monthly special veterans benefits, we take 75 percent of the current SSI federal benefit rate and subtract the amount of any other benefit income you receive for the month.

The current SSI federal benefit rate is $637, effective January 2008. This means that your total other monthly benefit income must be less than $477.75 (75 percent of $637) in order for you to receive special veterans benefits.

“Other benefit income” usually means any recurring payments you get on a regular basis, such as annuities, pensions, retirement or disability benefits.

Things you need to give us

Following are examples of the kind of information you may need to provide:

• Proof of birth date;

• Proof of your other income;

• Proof of your military service in World War II, such as U.S. military discharge papers (DD Form 214) showing honorable discharge;

• Proof of service in the organized forces of the Commonwealth of the Philippines; and

• Proof of residence in a country other than the United States.

Contacting Social Security

Contact your local Social Security office for more information about applying for benefits. If you are in the Philippines, contact the SSA Division of the Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Manila, 1131 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita 0930 MANILA.

If you live in Mexico, contact the nearest U.S. Social Security office or U.S. embassy or consulate.

Contact the nearest Social Security office if you live in American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.  If you live in the British Virgin Islands, Canada or Samoa, you also may contact a U.S. Social Security office.

If you are living in any other country, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

This publication is available in Tagalog on our website at www.socialsecurity.gov/multilanguage/Tagalog/10157-TL.pdf