March 8: Application Deadline Extended for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay

Congresswoman Kaptur has issued a reminder: the deadline for eligible service members, veterans and their beneficiaries to apply for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay has been extended to March 18, allowing personnel more time to apply for benefit they might have earned under the program guidelines.

The deadline extension was included in the continuing resolution signed by President Obama, providing funding for federal government operations.

The Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay was established to compensate for the hardships military members encountered when their service was involuntarily extended under Stop Loss Authority between Sept. 11, 2001, and Sept. 30, 2009.

Eligible members or their beneficiaries may submit a claim to their respective military service in order to receive the benefit of $500 for each full or partial month served in a Stop Loss status.

When the Stop Loss Special Pay began on Oct. 21, 2009, an estimated 145,000 service members, veterans and beneficiaries qualified for the benefit. Because most of those potential recipients had separated from the military, the service branches have engaged in extensive and persistent outreach efforts, including the news media, direct mail, engaging military and veteran service organizations, and social networks.

To apply for more information, or to gather more information on Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay, including submission requirements and service-specific links, go to https://www.defense.gov/stoploss.