VA DISABILITY BENEFITS & COMPENSATION

Yes, if your disability rating is 100%, you can receive VA disability compensation and your full amount of military retirement pay. But you don’t have to have a rating of 100% to qualify for concurrent receipt. 

Concurrent receipt was rolled out via the Combat-Related Special 

Yes, if your disability rating is 100%, you can receive VA disability compensation and your full amount of military retirement pay. But you don’t have to have a rating of 100% to qualify for concurrent receipt. 

Concurrent receipt was rolled out via the Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) and the Concurrent-Receipt Disability Pay (CRDP) programs in the early 2000s. 

Present-day retirees who are eligible for either program can receive their full military retirement pay and VA disability compensation without any offset. 

If you are a military retiree with a service-connected or combat-related VA disability rating of 50% or higher, you are eligible for CRDP. If you are a military retiree with a combat-related VA disability rating of 10% or higher, you are eligible for CRSC.

Let’s review how the government determines eligibility for concurrent receipt: 

Concurrent Receipt Eligibility Individual or Combined Disability Rating Time in Service Disability Terms Program Eligibility* 

10% or higher 20 years or more Combat-related CRSC Less than 20 years (chapter 61 medical military retirement) Combat-related CRSC
50% or higher 20 years or more Service-connected CRDP 20 years or more Combat-related  CRDP & CRSC

CRSC and CRDP: you are only allowed to receive additional compensation from one of them at a time. If you are eligible for both, you have the ability to choose between the two programs. Let’s take a look at how they compare.

Although the concurrent receipt programs have enabled many retirees to receive their rightful benefits, a significant number of servicemembers still do not qualify.

Currently, military retirees with a VA service-connected disability rating of 40% or lower are not eligible for concurrent recei

Although the concurrent receipt programs have enabled many retirees to receive their rightful benefits, a significant number of servicemembers still do not qualify.

Currently, military retirees with a VA service-connected disability rating of 40% or lower are not eligible for concurrent receipt. Remember, if your disability is combat-related, you are eligible for CSRC at any rating above 10%. 

If you have a service-connected disability rating of 40% or lower, you are still subject to the rules of the VA waiver, and your DoD retired pay will be offset by your VA Disability Compensation amount. 

 Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC)

Combat-Related Special Compensation provides tax-free payments to retired Veterans with combat-related disabilities. You must apply for CRSC through your uniformed service. Keep reading to learn about eligibility, evidence you’ll need to provide, and how to apply.

 Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC)

Combat-Related Special Compensation provides tax-free payments to retired Veterans with combat-related disabilities. You must apply for CRSC through your uniformed service. Keep reading to learn about eligibility, evidence you’ll need to provide, and how to apply.

You may be eligible for CRSC if you meet the requirements listed here.

All of these must be true:

You’re retired (and entitled to or receiving military retirement pay), and

You have a VA disability rating of at least 10%, and

You currently have your DoD retirement payments reduced by the amount of your VA disability payments

One of these must be true:

You had 20 or more years of service in the military, National Guard, or Reserve, or

You retired for medical reasons with a disability rating of at least 30% (under Chapter 61), or

You’re covered under the Temporary Early Retirement Act (TERA), or

You’re on the Temporary Disability Retired List (TDRL), or

You’re on the Permanent Disability Retired List (PDRL)

Evidence like this that proves your disability or injuries are the result of a combat-related event:

Service medical records. These must be from when your injury happened. They must show the severity of your medical condition and that it’s combat-related.
Note: Provide only relevant medical records. Please don’t send us all your medical records.

Official service records. These include After Action Reports, Investigative Reports, personnel action requests (like DA 4187), and performance evaluations (like NCOERs and OERs).

Decorations and award recommendations. These include Purple Heart citations, Combat Action Badges, medals, and decorations for valor.

Other documents:

Retirement records. These include retirement orders and the Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer.

Your VA decision notice

Your DD214

The evidence must show that your injury happened while you were:

Engaged in armed conflict (in combat or during an occupation or raid), or 

Engaged in hazardous duty (like demolition, flying, or parachuting), or

Participating in war simulation activities (like live fire weapons practice or hand-to-hand combat training), or

Exposed to instruments of war (like a military vehicle, weapon, or chemical agent), or

Engaged in an activity you received a Purple Heart for

Decision notice: Send us a request in the form of a letter or note. Be sure to ask for “my VA rating decision letter,” and sign your name. Send your request to your nearest VA regional office.

Find your nearest VA regional office

Military service records: Request your military service records (including your DD214) online, by mail, or in person.

Learn about how to request your military service records

Send your completed application, along with any supporting documents, to your uniformed service. Don’t send original supporting documents since your uniformed service won’t return them. Send copies only. And we recommend that you make a copy of your completed application for your own records. 

Fill out a Claim for Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) (DD Form 2860). You’ll need to download this PDF to your device instead of trying to open it in your browser:

Download DD Form 2860 (PDF)

Once you download the PDF, open it using Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader. 
Get Acrobat Reader for free from Adobe

There’s a 6-year statute of limitations for CRSC. To be sure you get the full amount of your back payments, you must file your CRSC claim within 6 years of any VA rating decision or the date you become entitled to retired pay, whichever comes first. If you file your claim after this 6-year limit, you can only get up to 6 years’ worth of any payments due to you.

Find the correct mailing address or email address listed here (these are also on Form 2860):