Still in Med board process. 80% DOD, 100% VA, 25 years active duty (LOS), combat related injuries. So if I understand this correctly, the max you can receive under CRDP is 62.5% (LOS 25 years) retirement pay plus 100% VA disability pay. Is that correct. Is there any benefit to applying for CRSC? Thank you so much.
CRDP vs CRSC 80 DOD/ 100 VA/ 25 LOS
- Thread starter ReinaCat
- Start date
There may be some advantage to applying for CRSC. It is really going to come down to the end calculations and the percentages of your ratings that are combat related.
You are correct about being able to collect your LOS retirement at 25 years concurrently with your VA C&P. There may be a tax advantage to be had by appyling for CRSC.
You are correct about being able to collect your LOS retirement at 25 years concurrently with your VA C&P. There may be a tax advantage to be had by appyling for CRSC.
Hmm, that seems to be invalid information since the DFAS website states the following:
"Retirees cannot receive both Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) and Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP). If you qualify for both, DFAS will automatically apply the entitlement that is most advantageous to you. Every year, during Open Season, you'll have the opportunity to change your election. Open season usually takes place in January...
If you need help, contact DFAS at 800-321-1080. Customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (ET)."
Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer!"
Best Wishes!
Thank you all. Yes, the injuries are all combat related. You have to actually apply for CRSC though correct? From my understanding CRDP is taxed like regular retirement pay and CRSC is not taxed? Thank you all. This has been a long road but the end is in sight.
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No worries, you are welcome!
Enjoy! 
Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer!"
Best Wishes!
Indeed, you are welcome!
To that extent, CRSC and CRDP are programs created by the U.S. Congress to allow eligible military retirees to receive monthly entitlements in addition to military retired pay:
- CRSC is a special compensation for combat-related disabilities. It is non-taxable, and military retirees must apply to their military Branch of Service for actual receipt.
- CRDP is a restoration of military retired pay for military retirees with service-connected disabilities. It is taxed in the same manner as your military retired pay while it is normally considered taxable income unless a "combat-related" determination was adjudicated by the DoD IDES IPEB; no application is required and eligible military retirees receive it automatically.
Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer!"
Best Wishes!
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How do you apply for CRSC? Can you do it in the PEB stage? Thanks
You still don't get the full pay from both retirement and VA? Sorry this is all still so confusing. My husband cannot mentally handle any of this so I have to help. Thanks.
You still don't get the full pay from both retirement and VA? Sorry this is all still so confusing. My husband cannot mentally handle any of this so I have to help. Thanks.
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Well, technically, you could apply for CRSC at anytime, but it is highly recommended not to apply for CRSC until the completion of the DoD IDES process and receipt of the DoVA official rating decision documentation (to include the additional documentation as annotated below, if applicable).
As such, you should submit a CRSC application if:
- you think you are eligible for CRSC and have never applied
- you have been approved for CRSC, but you have more disabilities that you think might qualify
- the DoVA has recently added more disabilities to your rating that you think might qualify
- be entitled to and/or receiving military retired pay
- be rated at least 10 percent by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (DoVA)
- waive your DoVA pay from your military retired pay
- file a CRSC application with your military Branch of Service
1. If you are applying for the first time, complete DD Form 2860. If you are reapplying for new disabilities, request a reconsideration application from your service branch.
- Army: you can find a reconsideration application and instructions at https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/crsc/reconsiderations.html
- Navy/Marines: you can find a reconsideration application and instructions at www.public.navy.mil/asnmra/corb/crscb
- Air Force: Call 800-525-0102 concerning reconsideration
- Military retirement orders
- 20-year letter or statement of service (for reservists)
- Relevant pages in your DoVA or service medical record
- DoVA ratings
- Purple Heart award citations
- Military retirement Form DD214
4. Your military branch of service will notify you of their decision in writing. If approved, they will forward us a copy of your approval letter.
5. DFAS will start your monthly payments 30 to 60 days after your military branch of service sends your approval letter. DFAS will make any retroactive payment due 30 days after making your first monthly payment.
In conclusion, your military branch of service will make decisions based on what you send. The quality of the information is more important than quantity of information. Also, it's recommended to only send copies and not original documents since your military branch will not return them. Take care and enjoy!
Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer!"
Best Wishes!
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Warrior644 stated in #9 of this thread:
"Hence, I am currently in receipt of DFAS CRDP and the entire military retired pay is non-taxable income due to a "combat-related" determination by the DoD IDES IPEB. As such, my monthly eRAS has "YOU HAVE BEEN EXEMPTED FROM TAXES DUE TO YOUR DISABILITY STATUS" annotated in the taxes section. Take care and enjoy!
"V/R,
nwlivewire
I thought so! Thank you all so much! My husband is still having a very hard time mentally coping with being medically retired at 25 years as he loved his career and planned to stay and do the full 30. He could care less about the pay and compensation and does not want to deal with any of it.
Indeed, you are quite welcome! Yes, both DFAS CRDP and DoVA pay are tax-free income and we need all of it too
since I can't work anymore unfortunately! 
Thanks @nwlivewire; it's very nice to hear from you again!
Take care and enjoy! Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer!"
Best Wishes!
Indeed, I can definitely comprehend in reference to your husband's state of mind at this point in time. I, too, had a very difficult transition from military active duty with 32+ years of combined military service inclusive of 26+ years of military active duty federal service.
Hopefully, your husband's pain of a discontinued military career shall eventually subside then start to concentrate on other more important endeavors within your family. For me, I was able to eventually cope with an abruptly terminated "stellar" military career while now I have to concentrate on trying to maintain a good health for myself but more importantly for my wife and kids. Take care and enjoy!
Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer!"
Best Wishes!
Thank you. Things are going much better now than they were a year ago. He is at Wounded Warrior Battalion West so he is surrounded with other recovering service members in the same situation. We currently live in SoCal and plan to stay here as we are both natives. It is super expensive to live here so we need all the help we can get.
The other question I have for you is he has been found unfit (which actually is hard on him mentally) but no official ratings yet. The IDES attorney and everyone who has seen his case say it is very strong and he should be looking at 100 VA no problem. The DOD side is the sticky one. He is proposed a 80 DOD rating. Possibly 70%. If it comes back at 70% is it even worth fighting for the extra 5% to get to the 75% max pay? My husband does not care sadly about any of it. He has severe combat PTSD and moderate TBI, both combat related, and all the normal things that fall apart on the body after 25 years of abusing it.
The other question I have for you is he has been found unfit (which actually is hard on him mentally) but no official ratings yet. The IDES attorney and everyone who has seen his case say it is very strong and he should be looking at 100 VA no problem. The DOD side is the sticky one. He is proposed a 80 DOD rating. Possibly 70%. If it comes back at 70% is it even worth fighting for the extra 5% to get to the 75% max pay? My husband does not care sadly about any of it. He has severe combat PTSD and moderate TBI, both combat related, and all the normal things that fall apart on the body after 25 years of abusing it.
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Indeed, you are welcome and I am happy to read that your husband's situation is currently much better!
Wow, it seems that your husband and I have similar resulting medical situations collectively after a 25+ year military career with different military combat/combat-related experiences of course.Well, first, you should consider if the available medical evidence and/or medical documentation actually supports a higher DoD rating via the submission of a VARR for the PEB-referred "unfit for duty" medical conditions.
Secondly, you would need to consider the difference in monetary amounts between 70% and 75% albeit I would estimate anywhere between $200 to $500 per month dependent on your husband's military pay grade in reference to the "high 36-months" of military basic pay.
Also, I would suggest considering if that monetary amount would be considered tax-free income, and it seems that it would since your husband's severe PTSD & moderate TBI should be considered combat-related by the DoD IDES IPEB. As such, you would potentially receive the entire 5% difference in military disability retirement pay as tax-free income which equals to approximately an additional $6,000 a year in tax-free income at a maximum estimation (e.g., $500 x 12 months) in my opinion.
Finally, do you really need (or want) to potentially extend the amount of calendar days in the DoD IDES process by requesting a Formal PEB (FPEB) hearing. Remember, that the FPEB shall make its own determination as based upon the testimony and available medical documentation within the DoD IDES case file; a "fit for duty" determination could result also. Take care and enjoy!
Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer!"
Best Wishes!
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Thank you. The PTSD rating should come back high lots of solid evidence and 3 months inpatient and 3 months outpatient. It is the silly TBI piece that has been the fight. He has been through the full 6 month concussion care center (Camp Pendleton) program. Diagnosis of TBI is clear. Residuals of TBI all noted by C&P"S. They are just saying it is not unfitting, just the PTSD, not the ortho or TBI. They are lumping the PTSD and TBI together. He feels like he is not functioning at the level of someone with a graduate degree. He asked the neurologist how stupid do I have to be? I can't do my job anymore! Paygrade is O3E, sadly he was passed over for O4 twice. He was devastated and still is he loves his job. Sadly, he is not able to perform at he level of a field grade officer anyways due to his injuries. So his lack of promotion does make sense.
Indeed, you are welcome!
Wow, I definitely concur since I too have a graduate degree and my level of mental functioning was severely degraded due to my severe PTSD and mild TBI / Post-Concussion Syndrome while on military active duty albeit I had already been a Senior O-5 in the promotion zone for O-6; didn't happen of course!
Nonetheless, has your husband considered applying for SSA SSDI as a "Wounded Warrior" while still now on military active duty? Hmm, that's maybe another potential source of financial income at this point if your husband is unable to engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA) now and when the DoD IDES process officially terminates. As such, the SSA has a Ticket to Work program and particularly for SSDI recipients only a Trial Work Period (TWP) incentive. It allows an SSDI recipient to test their ability to work for at least nine months (not necessarily consecutive) in a rolling 60-month period without losing benefits. For an experienced-based perspective of the SSA SSDI process, please reference my URL below:
In retrospect, while in the DoD IDES process, I submitted my SSA SSDI application online via the SSA website then annotated "Wounded Warrior" in the remarks section and was ultimately approved in 76 calendar days. Take care and enjoy!
Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer!"
Best Wishes!