Concurrent Receipt: CRDP and CRSC Guide for Military Retirees in 2026

If you are a military retiree with a VA disability rating, you may be leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table every year. Before concurrent receipt programs existed, VA disability compensation reduced your military retirement pay dollar-for-dollar. Today, programs called CRDP and CRSC let you collect both in full.

What Is Concurrent Receipt?

Concurrent receipt allows military retirees to receive both their full military retirement pay and their full VA disability compensation at the same time. Two programs make this possible:

• CRDP (Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay): For retirees with 20+ years of service and a 50%+ VA rating
• CRSC (Combat-Related Special Compensation): For retirees with combat-related disabilities at any rating level

The Old Offset System

Before these programs, receiving VA disability compensation meant your military retirement pay was reduced by the same amount. If you received $2,500/month in retirement and $2,000/month in VA disability, your total was still just $2,500 because the VA amount offset the retirement pay.

How Concurrent Receipt Changes Things

With concurrent receipt, you keep both payments:

• Military retirement: $2,500/month
• VA disability: $2,000/month
• Total: $4,500/month (instead of $2,500)

That is an extra $24,000 per year in this example.

CRDP: Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay

CRDP is the more common of the two programs and applies to the broadest group of retirees.

CRDP Eligibility

You qualify for CRDP if you:

• Have 20 or more years of creditable military service (or were medically retired)
• Are receiving military retired pay from DFAS
• Have a VA disability rating of 50% or higher

CRDP Is Automatic

You do not need to apply for CRDP. DFAS coordinates with the VA and automatically applies CRDP once you meet all requirements. If you believe you are eligible but are not receiving it, contact DFAS at 1-800-321-1080.

TDIU Counts as 100%

Veterans receiving TDIU are considered 100% disabled for CRDP purposes. If you have 20+ years of service and receive TDIU, you qualify for immediate full concurrent receipt.

CRDP Tax Treatment

CRDP-restored retirement pay is taxable income, just like regular military retirement pay. Your VA disability compensation remains tax-free. This is an important distinction when comparing CRDP to CRSC.

CRSC: Combat-Related Special Compensation

CRSC provides concurrent receipt specifically for disabilities incurred as a result of combat or combat-related activities. Unlike CRDP, CRSC has no minimum disability rating requirement.

CRSC Eligibility

You qualify for CRSC if you:

• Have 20+ years of service or were medically retired
• Are receiving military retired pay
• Have VA-rated disabilities that are combat-related

What Qualifies as "Combat-Related"?

Disabilities caused by:

• Direct result of armed conflict
• Hazardous duty (parachute jumps, demolition training)
• Simulated war exercises
• Instrumentalities of war (weapons, military vehicles, equipment)
• Duty in a combat zone

Disabilities from non-combat situations (like a slip-and-fall in garrison or a stateside car accident unrelated to military duties) generally do not qualify.

CRSC Calculation

CRSC pays only for the combat-related portion of your VA rating. If all your disabilities are combat-related, CRSC equals your full VA disability amount. If only some are combat-related, CRSC is calculated on that portion.

Example: A veteran with a 70% combined VA rating has:

• 50% PTSD (combat-related)
• 20% back injury (non-combat training accident)
• 10% tinnitus (combat noise exposure)

CRSC calculation uses only the combat-related conditions (50% PTSD + 10% tinnitus = approximately 55% combined), not the full 70%.

CRSC Tax Advantage

Unlike CRDP, CRSC payments are tax-free. This can make CRSC more valuable than CRDP in certain situations, even when the dollar amount is lower.

Applying for CRSC

CRSC is not automatic. You must apply through your military branch's CRSC office with evidence that your disabilities are combat-related. Processing takes 3-6 months or longer.

Contact your branch:

• Army: U.S. Army Human Resources Command, 1-866-281-3254
• Air Force: AFPC/DPFFF, 1-800-616-3775
• Navy: Navy Personnel Command (PERS-912), 1-877-366-2772
• Marines: Headquarters Marine Corps (MMSR-6), 1-877-216-0825
• Coast Guard: Coast Guard Pay and Personnel Center, 1-866-772-8724

CRDP vs. CRSC: Which Should You Choose?

You cannot receive both CRDP and CRSC simultaneously. If eligible for both, you must pick one.

Generally Choose CRDP If:

• Your combined VA rating is 50%+ and most disabilities count
• You want the simpler, automatic benefit
• You want the higher gross dollar amount
• You are rated 100% or TDIU (full immediate concurrent receipt)

Generally Choose CRSC If:

• Your combined VA rating is below 50% (CRDP not available)
• You have substantial combat-related disabilities
• The tax-free nature of CRSC makes it more valuable after taxes
• Your CRSC calculation exceeds CRDP after accounting for taxes

Run the Numbers

Example comparison for a 60% rated retiree with $2,000/month retirement and $1,362/month VA disability:

In this scenario, CRDP provides significantly higher after-tax income. But if a larger portion of disabilities were combat-related, CRSC could close the gap or surpass CRDP thanks to its tax-free status.

You can switch between programs, but the change is not retroactive. Calculate carefully before switching.

Guard and Reserve Members

National Guard and Reserve retirees with 20+ qualifying years are eligible for concurrent receipt under the same rules as active-duty retirees. Key considerations:

• You must be receiving retired pay (typically starts at age 60)
• Same rating requirements apply (50%+ for CRDP, combat-related for CRSC)
• If you have 20 qualifying years but have not yet reached retirement pay age, concurrent receipt begins when your retired pay starts

Many Guard and Reserve members who deployed to combat zones qualify for significant combat-related disabilities, making CRSC a valuable option.

How to Verify You Are Receiving Concurrent Receipt

Check DFAS

• Log in to myPay at mypay.dfas.mil
• View your Retiree Account Statement (RAS)
• Look for CRDP or CRSC line items
• Verify your gross retired pay is not being reduced by your VA amount

Check VA

• Log in to VA.gov and view payment history
• Confirm you are receiving your full VA disability amount

If Something Is Missing

Contact DFAS at 1-800-321-1080 to verify eligibility and request corrections. DFAS can provide retroactive payments if you were eligible but not receiving concurrent receipt.

Common Questions

Does concurrent receipt affect my Survivor Benefit Plan? No. SBP premiums and benefits are unaffected.

What if my VA rating increases? If your rating rises to 50%+, you become CRDP-eligible. DFAS applies it automatically once notified by the VA.

Can medically retired veterans receive concurrent receipt? Yes. Medical retirees qualify even without 20 years of service.

Does concurrent receipt affect VA healthcare? No. It is purely a pay benefit with no impact on healthcare eligibility.

Next Steps

If you are a military retiree with a service-connected disability rating, verify that you are receiving concurrent receipt. The difference can be thousands or tens of thousands of dollars per year.

Use the Veterans Benefits Finder to see all the federal and state benefits available at your disability rating. Concurrent receipt is just one piece of the puzzle.