Am I eligible for a higher Social Security payment? That refers to a special Social Security accommodation available only to those who served in the military during specific periods of time – but it does not add to your monthly Social Security payment. Rather, it adds to your military earnings record for the years you served, which may (or may not) result in a higher Social Security benefit when you later claim Social Security. However, whether those special extra credits would affect your monthly Social Security benefit depends on your lifetime earnings record when you later claimed Social Security. Russell Gloor is an Association of Mature American Citizens certified social security advisor.