Do H-1B and L-1 workers who pay into Social Security ever get benefits from it?

Yes, if they earn enough credits. Working on H-1B or L-1 means you pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, and those payments earn you the same work credits as any U.S. worker, generally needing 40 credits (about ten years) to qualify for retirement benefits. If you later get a green card or citizenship and keep working, you build toward benefits normally. If you leave permanently with fewer than 40 credits, a totalization agreement between the U.S. and your country can let you combine credits, though India has no such agreement, so Indian workers may not recover contributions unless they reach 40 credits. The Social Security Administration explains credits and totalization at ssa.gov.