Medal of Honor pay centers on a tax-free special pension of $5,625 a month, roughly $67,500 a year, that the Department of Veterans Affairs sends to every living recipient on top of any military retirement, VA disability, or Social Security payment they already collect. Military retirees who hold the medal also see their retired pay calculation increased by 10%. The pension is protected from creditors and courts, adjusts each December for inflation, and can pass to a surviving spouse who meets a short list of conditions.
The Monthly Special Pension
The pension is paid monthly by the VA to every living person listed on the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Coast Guard Medal of Honor Roll. Federal law sets the rate by formula, tying it to the compensation schedule for severely disabled veterans under 38 U.S.C. § 1114 and then bumping it to the next intermediate rate. Under the Monetary Enhancement for Distinguished Active Legends (MEDAL) Act, signed December 3, 2025, that formula produces $5,625 a month.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 U.S. Code 1562 – Special Provisions Relating to Pension
Before the MEDAL Act, recipients had been receiving roughly $1,490 per month. Congress raised the figure in recognition of the ongoing public obligations recipients carry, including travel to ceremonies, speaking engagements, and events supporting military recruiting and national morale, often at their own expense.2Congress.gov. Public Law 119-43 – MEDAL Act
The pension is not based on income or financial need. It is a flat entitlement tied to the recipient’s place on the Medal of Honor Roll, whether the recipient is wealthy, employed, or already drawing other government payments. Someone collecting military retirement pay, VA disability compensation, and Social Security still gets the full pension on top of everything else. The statute is explicit that the pension is paid “in addition to all other payments under laws of the United States,” and no other benefit is reduced or offset because of it.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 U.S. Code 1562 – Special Provisions Relating to Pension
Only one pension is payable per person, even if the individual received the Medal of Honor more than once. The handful of double recipients in American military history received a single pension, not two.
Annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment
The pension receives an automatic cost-of-living adjustment every December 1. The increase matches the percentage applied to Social Security benefits that year. In years when Social Security benefits do not increase, the Medal of Honor pension stays flat.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 U.S. Code 1562 – Special Provisions Relating to Pension
The 10% Retired Pay Increase
Military retirees who hold the Medal of Honor receive a 10% increase in their retired pay calculation, computed as 10% of the product of basic pay and years of service. This produces a permanent addition to retirement income and is entirely separate from the VA special pension. The increase recognizes “extraordinary heroism in line of duty.”
Getting on the Pension Rolls
Payment is not automatic. A recipient’s name must be formally entered on the Medal of Honor Roll maintained by their branch of service, and the VA must receive a copy of the enrollment certificate. The recipient then files a written application with the Secretary of their service branch. Payment runs from the date the recipient’s name was entered on the Roll, once the application is on file.3Department of Veterans Affairs. Medal of Honor Pension and Purple Heart FAQ
Tax and Creditor Protection
The special pension is entirely exempt from federal income tax. The statute goes further than a tax exemption: the pension cannot be subject to any attachment, execution, levy, tax lien, or detention under any legal process. Creditors, courts, and government agencies cannot reach the money.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 U.S. Code 1562 – Special Provisions Relating to Pension
Most states also exempt the pension from state income tax, though the specifics vary. Some states with no income tax provide an automatic exemption; others explicitly exclude military pensions or VA benefits from taxable income.
Pension for a Surviving Spouse
When a recipient dies, their surviving spouse may continue drawing the special pension. Federal law requires either that the marriage lasted at least one year before death or that the marriage produced a child.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 U.S. Code 1562 – Special Provisions Relating to Pension
There is one significant trade-off. A surviving spouse already receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1311 or § 1318 cannot also receive the Medal of Honor special pension. The spouse must choose between the two, so it is worth comparing the amounts carefully before electing.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 U.S. Code 1562 – Special Provisions Relating to Pension
Remarriage
Remarriage does not necessarily end the surviving spouse’s pension. A surviving spouse who remarries after age 57 keeps it. If a remarriage ends in divorce or the new spouse dies, the pension can be restored. A remarriage that is legally void or annulled also does not bar benefits.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 USC 103 – Special Provisions Relating to Marriages
VA Healthcare and Means-Tested Programs
Medal of Honor recipients are assigned to VA healthcare Priority Group 1, the highest tier, and pay no copayments for VA medical care or prescriptions.5Veterans Affairs. VA Priority Groups
The pension itself is not treated as income for means-tested programs. The Social Security Administration does not count it toward Supplemental Security Income (SSI) eligibility, and the VA does not treat it as a needs-based benefit.6Social Security Administration. Veterans Affairs (VA) Pension Payments
Travel and Base Access
Recipients are eligible for space-available travel on military aircraft, placed in Category III alongside service members on ordinary leave. Their dependents travel under Category VI, not the recipient’s higher category. Space-A flights are free but never guaranteed, and travelers must stay flexible on timing and destinations.7Military OneSource. Space-A Travel for Military Families
The Department of Defense issues a special identification card to recipients and their eligible dependents. It grants full access to military installations, including commissaries, exchanges, and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation facilities such as gyms, pools, and on-base clubs. Recipients hold honorary club memberships without dues.8The United States Army. Medal of Honor – Recommendation Process
Other Entitlements With Real Value
The children of Medal of Honor recipients, biological or adopted, are eligible for a presidential appointment to a U.S. military service academy. This is a separate appointment authority from the standard congressional and senatorial nominations, giving these children an additional admissions path. They still must meet the academy’s academic, physical, and medical requirements.9GovInfo. 10 U.S. Code Subtitle B – Army – Section 7442
Recipients are eligible for both in-ground burial and inurnment at Arlington National Cemetery, regardless of rank, and receive full military funeral honors with a funeral escort, a distinction normally reserved for senior enlisted and field-grade officers and above. For those buried in private cemeteries, the VA provides a Medal of Honor Medallion inscribed with the recipient’s branch of service.10National Cemetery Administration. Burial and Memorial Benefits
Recipients may also wear their military uniform at their pleasure after separation from active duty, a privilege set out in Army Regulation 670-1 and mirrored by the other service branches. Most former service members face restrictions on when and where the uniform may be worn; Medal of Honor recipients do not.