VA - EBENEFITS - WHEN YOU GET PAID!

A

anchorage70

PEB Forum Regular Member
PEB Forum Veteran
Registered Member
I wanted to post in one spot the things I have learned through my entire process as far as time frames and tracking through Ebenefite for those who go through IDES. There are a lot of misconceptions on the process and very little on what is really going on. Since I just went through this I thought I would put the things down I wish I knew.

First some background and my timeline. I went through IDES after 22 years in the Air Force and was awarded 100% Military and 100% VA permanent disibility. Timeline and results below.

22 years 4 months active duty Air Force.

Sept. 15th 2011 - Was told I would be going through the Medical Board process by my PCM.
Nov. 4th - Met with PEBLO and was told I would be going through IDES.
Nov-Dec - Met with VA for all my conditions. Had 6 appointments in all.
Dec 22nd - Signed paperwork with PEBLO sent package in.
April 23rd - Received results. 100% Permanent Retirement, 100% from VA.
May 4th - Received orders.
July 28th - Last day in Military
July 29th - 1st day of retirement
Aug 1st - Last of normal Air Force pay
Sep 1st - 1st Retirement check (No VA concurrent pay told wait time is 54 days on average after last duty day)

My VA Ratings are below:
MENIERES'S DISEASE 100%
MS - 60%
OSA - 50%
ANXIETY DISORDER 50%
MIGRAINES - 30%
PLANTAR FASCIITIS - 10%
TINNITUS - 10%
PARESTHESIA OF LEFT UPPER EXTREMITY - 10%
PARESTHESIA OF LEFT LOWER EXTREMITY - 10%

Here is the stuff I wished I had known throughout the process. Once you are given your proposed VA ratings through IDES before you get out, you still have to go through a complete VA rating period. They go through the same process again and your ratings can be changed. When I signed my proposed ratings I figured I would be getting paid soon after I was out. This is not the case. At the time the average wait was 54 days to get your 1st paycheck from the VA after your last duty day. Currently the timeframe is 88 days.

Tracking the progress of your VA claim through Ebenefits

When tracking your claim through Ebenefits it is important to understand how it works. Basically as your claim goes through different stages, the stages are updated manually on the site by VA personnel. Meaning depending on how many cases they have to update yours could be updated up to weeks later than they reached the current step. Because of this it is almost impossible to determine how long each step takes. Also from the first step (Claim received) and the second to the last step(Preparation for Notification) the process can go forward or backward as many times as needed. This can be very frustrating to wait months for it to go back a step.

Once you do get to the step Preparation for Notification you will notice that your AB8 form under Access my Documents- Download my VA letters in Ebenfets will disappear. This is a good sign as your are almost done. Currently the process takes about 2 weeks for the POST team to input ratings, initiate payment and provide the notification letter. The timeframe depends on the current workload.

Once it moves to complete you should soon see your AB8 letter return to your documents and you will be getting paid soon afterwards.

When do I get paid?

This is obviously the most important part. You get your retirement check from the Military 1 month after your last Duty day. My last duty day was the 28th of July and I got my 1st payment on the 1st of September.

VA payments. Once you get to the complete stage you should get paid right away right? Yes and no. Depending on the day of the month you could get paid right away or won't get paid until the 1st of the next month. The day of the month they use to determine when you get paid changes month to month so there is no way of knowing when they will pay you. The best bet is that if it's closer to the 1st of the month the better chance you have to get paid right away compared to the end of the month.

That was the down and dirty for my whole process. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
 
thank you for all the valuable information. I believe that my care providers are trying to pull a fast one on me because I have shown drastic improvements in my A1C blood glucose levels but because of the current cutbacks trying to get rid of me the wrong way.
 
This is some great info compiled in one location!

anchorage70 said:
When I signed my proposed ratings I figured I would be getting paid soon after I was out. This is not the case. At the time the average wait was 54 days to get your 1st paycheck from the VA after your last duty day. Currently the timeframe is 88 days.
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Say what you will about the IDES but I wish I was under that program when I went through. This is much better than filing for the VA after getting out and waiting the average of 18 months or so like the legacy folks had to do.

Side note for Anchorage70: I'm also rated 100% for Meniere's and if you were at Elmendorf, we probably saw some of the same doctors. Small world.
 
I was never stationed in Elmendorf, though I was born in Anchorage. Did you happen to work the flightline? My current civilian doctor said that most of his Meniere's patients were from the flightline in the Military and Dentists.
 
Josh, did they explain how CRDP works? I just got my proposed ratings last week and received my permanent retirement orders yesterday. I spent almost a year in IDES here at JBLM. I will have 21 yrs, 9 mo's, and 10 days at retirement. I received 70% military and 100% VA. I just cannot for the life of me get a straight answer on how to calculate my final pay. Some folks say I will get 70% military and 100% VA, others say I will get YOS+100% VA with offset, and still other say I can only take one or the other. Did anybody explain it to where you could understand it? Thanks for your service and congrats on being almost completely finished with the process!
 
DanZman said:
Josh, did they explain how CRDP works? I just got my proposed ratings last week and received my permanent retirement orders yesterday. I spent almost a year in IDES here at JBLM. I will have 21 yrs, 9 mo's, and 10 days at retirement. I received 70% military and 100% VA. I just cannot for the life of me get a straight answer on how to calculate my final pay. Some folks say I will get 70% military and 100% VA, others say I will get YOS+100% VA with offset, and still other say I can only take one or the other. Did anybody explain it to where you could understand it? Thanks for your service and congrats on being almost completely finished with the process!
Click to expand...

Dear DanZman:

If you have 20 or more ACTIVE DUTY years, or, if a NG/Reservist with 7200 or more points, then you will CRDP immediately post retirement.

I understand that with your 70% PDRL from DoD, and your LOS, the DoD will give you the greater figure of these two amounts. Whichever amount is calculated to be the greater amount will be your DoD post retirement pay as you are disability retired from DoD.

You will also recieve your full 100% VA compensation, too - no off-sets as you have 20 or more AD years (or 7200 or more NG/Reserve points) under your belt.

Your military final pay is based on your "high 36" months average. Assuming you came up the ranks without switching around between Officer/Enlisted rank & pay, and had the usual career progression in rank, and, without a "bust" in the last three years, then I am assuming the rank you currently hold is the highest rank you have successfully held.

If this is the case, then simply add up the last 36 months of your base pay and then divide that figure by 36. This will be your "high 36" average base pay amount used for your PDRL and LOS retirement figure.

Since you are 70% PDRL, you would receive 70% of your "high 36" average figure. I am assuming the 70% PDRL will be higher than your LOS amount. Because you are disability DoD retired, you will get the greater of either calculation - whichever is higher.

So you will get both your DoD PDRL and your VA compensation without off-set.

Your DoD PDRL will be Federally taxed if your retirement is service-connected and PDRL NOT found to be from combat/combat related injuries. Look at your DA 199 as it will tell you if your issues were or were not combat/combat related. Be sure to check with the State you live in as well for your tax liability on your PDRL.

Your VA compensation is tax free - Fed and State. If you have a spouse and kid/kids/step-kids at home or in college, be sure to add in their small amounts of VA compensation to your 100% VA. Go to va.gov for those figures.

Also, some people get "Special Monthly Compensation" (SMC) from the VA due to the types of injuries they have. It should say on your VA "proposed" ratings letter you got from the IDES process if you were awarded this SMC. If so, go to va.gov as they list the SMC amounts so you can add that to your 100% VA dollar amount, too.

Also, there are about seven States that do NOT State tax your military retirement - period. For some retirees, this can make a huge difference in their take-home pay and monthly cost-of-living requirements/outlays.

You are entitled to a final Army move called Retirement Home Station of Choice and it should be on your retirement orders. But you need to get signed up for this BEFORE your discharge date. Doesn't mean you have to move, or move right away, but if relocation is something on your radar, you need to at least sign up for it so you don't lose this option for a cost-subsidized relocation move.

I'm retired NG and nobody at CB-WTU told me jack crap about anything about these things or the IDES process for that matter. I found out about all this stuff from this website and had to research and read all this on my own.

Hope this helps.
V/r,
nwlivewire
 
anchorage70 said:
I was never stationed in Elmendorf, though I was born in Anchorage. Did you happen to work the flightline? My current civilian doctor said that most of his Meniere's patients were from the flightline in the Military and Dentists.
Click to expand...

Oh ok. I was there from 2007-2010 and yes I did work the flightline. They assumed that the noise from working around aircraft is what triggered it in me.
 
joshgo said:
Oh ok. I was there from 2007-2010 and yes I did work the flightline. They assumed that the noise from working around aircraft is what triggered it in me.
Click to expand...

Yeah prolonged noise exposure and stress is what they told me also. I was a flightline worker for 18 of my 22 years in the service.
 
How many days leave did you have? Just curious how the retirement date is determined. I just got back my ratings today and will most likely sign and return promptly.
 
It took a minute, but I made up for it with Back Pay. Now I am 100% P/T by VA, hopefully soon by the Army, and they I can get paid once CRSC starts. I will get a nice back Pay. I should get atleast 4 yrs worth if everything goes right.
 
echoing said:
How many days leave did you have? Just curious how the retirement date is determined. I just got back my ratings today and will most likely sign and return promptly.
Click to expand...

I only had 20 days leave. How it works in the Air Force is your commander usually gives you two weeks of permissive and two weeks to outprocess on top of an terminal leave. I was in a unique situation where I hadn't been working for months prior to me getting out due to constant vertigo attacks.
 
nwlivewire said:
Dear DanZman:

If you have 20 or more ACTIVE DUTY years, or, if a NG/Reservist with 7200 or more points, then you will CRDP immediately post retirement.

I understand that with your 70% PDRL from DoD, and your LOS, the DoD will give you the greater figure of these two amounts. Whichever amount is calculated to be the greater amount will be your DoD post retirement pay as you are disability retired from DoD.

You will also recieve your full 100% VA compensation, too - no off-sets as you have 20 or more AD years (or 7200 or more NG/Reserve points) under your belt.

Your military final pay is based on your "high 36" months average. Assuming you came up the ranks without switching around between Officer/Enlisted rank & pay, and had the usual career progression in rank, and, without a "bust" in the last three years, then I am assuming the rank you currently hold is the highest rank you have successfully held.

If this is the case, then simply add up the last 36 months of your base pay and then divide that figure by 36. This will be your "high 36" average base pay amount used for your PDRL and LOS retirement figure.

Since you are 70% PDRL, you would receive 70% of your "high 36" average figure. I am assuming the 70% PDRL will be higher than your LOS amount. Because you are disability DoD retired, you will get the greater of either calculation - whichever is higher.

So you will get both your DoD PDRL and your VA compensation without off-set.

Your DoD PDRL will be Federally taxed if your retirement is service-connected and PDRL NOT found to be from combat/combat related injuries. Look at your DA 199 as it will tell you if your issues were or were not combat/combat related. Be sure to check with the State you live in as well for your tax liability on your PDRL.

Your VA compensation is tax free - Fed and State. If you have a spouse and kid/kids/step-kids at home or in college, be sure to add in their small amounts of VA compensation to your 100% VA. Go to va.gov for those figures.

Also, some people get "Special Monthly Compensation" (SMC) from the VA due to the types of injuries they have. It should say on your VA "proposed" ratings letter you got from the IDES process if you were awarded this SMC. If so, go to va.gov as they list the SMC amounts so you can add that to your 100% VA dollar amount, too.

Also, there are about seven States that do NOT State tax your military retirement - period. For some retirees, this can make a huge difference in their take-home pay and monthly cost-of-living requirements/outlays.

You are entitled to a final Army move called Retirement Home Station of Choice and it should be on your retirement orders. But you need to get signed up for this BEFORE your discharge date. Doesn't mean you have to move, or move right away, but if relocation is something on your radar, you need to at least sign up for it so you don't lose this option for a cost-subsidized relocation move.

I'm retired NG and nobody at CB-WTU told me jack crap about anything about these things or the IDES process for that matter. I found out about all this stuff from this website and had to research and read all this on my own.

Hope this helps.
V/r,
nwlivewire
Click to expand...

How do they calculate the 36 month high pay if you were enlisted active and now are an officer NG? Injuries happened while deployed in combat situations and have been promoted since then??
 
K6000 said:
How do they calculate the 36 month high pay if you were enlisted active and now are an officer NG? Injuries happened while deployed in combat situations and have been promoted since then??
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but i don't have a correct answer for that question. I hope someone else has answers on the "high 36" pay calculations for people who are in the categories of Enlisted-then-Officer.

Anyone?

V/r,
nwlivewire
 
nwlivewire said:
Dear DanZman:

If you have 20 or more ACTIVE DUTY years, or, if a NG/Reservist with 7200 or more points, then you will CRDP immediately post retirement.

I'm retired NG and nobody at CB-WTU told me jack crap about anything about these things or the IDES process for that matter. I found out about all this stuff from this website and had to research and read all this on my own.

Hope this helps.
V/r,
nwlivewire
Click to expand...

Great info.
 
K6000 said:
How do they calculate the 36 month high pay if you were enlisted active and now are an officer NG? Injuries happened while deployed in combat situations and have been promoted since then??
Click to expand...

If you are Army and over 20 years, AKO has a couple great calculators:

Go to AKO/MyArmyBenefits (Under "self-service" tab),
Select "Benefit Calculator" tab / "retirement" (If you have the disabilty calculator password from the AW2 use it. I don't) The "Disability Calculator" is the best tool.
Select "Launch Calculator" / "Agree"
Input the info to show when you retire. It will give you an exact "high-36." / There is also a reserve option.
Select "Previous 36 Months of Pay"
WORK AROUND: If you have been "topped out" in your current pay-grade for the last couple years, just change your PEBD / and BASD to 20 years ago, and just look at the High-36. The other numbers will be off.
 
nwlivewire said:
Dear DanZman:

If you have 20 or more ACTIVE DUTY years, or, if a NG/Reservist with 7200 or more points, then you will CRDP immediately post retirement.

I understand that with your 70% PDRL from DoD, and your LOS, the DoD will give you the greater figure of these two amounts. Whichever amount is calculated to be the greater amount will be your DoD post retirement pay as you are disability retired from DoD.

You will also recieve your full 100% VA compensation, too - no off-sets as you have 20 or more AD years (or 7200 or more NG/Reserve points) under your belt.

Your military final pay is based on your "high 36" months average. Assuming you came up the ranks without switching around between Officer/Enlisted rank & pay, and had the usual career progression in rank, and, without a "bust" in the last three years, then I am assuming the rank you currently hold is the highest rank you have successfully held.

If this is the case, then simply add up the last 36 months of your base pay and then divide that figure by 36. This will be your "high 36" average base pay amount used for your PDRL and LOS retirement figure.

Since you are 70% PDRL, you would receive 70% of your "high 36" average figure. I am assuming the 70% PDRL will be higher than your LOS amount. Because you are disability DoD retired, you will get the greater of either calculation - whichever is higher.

So you will get both your DoD PDRL and your VA compensation without off-set.

Your DoD PDRL will be Federally taxed if your retirement is service-connected and PDRL NOT found to be from combat/combat related injuries. Look at your DA 199 as it will tell you if your issues were or were not combat/combat related. Be sure to check with the State you live in as well for your tax liability on your PDRL.

Your VA compensation is tax free - Fed and State. If you have a spouse and kid/kids/step-kids at home or in college, be sure to add in their small amounts of VA compensation to your 100% VA. Go to va.gov for those figures.

Also, some people get "Special Monthly Compensation" (SMC) from the VA due to the types of injuries they have. It should say on your VA "proposed" ratings letter you got from the IDES process if you were awarded this SMC. If so, go to va.gov as they list the SMC amounts so you can add that to your 100% VA dollar amount, too.

Also, there are about seven States that do NOT State tax your military retirement - period. For some retirees, this can make a huge difference in their take-home pay and monthly cost-of-living requirements/outlays.

You are entitled to a final Army move called Retirement Home Station of Choice and it should be on your retirement orders. But you need to get signed up for this BEFORE your discharge date. Doesn't mean you have to move, or move right away, but if relocation is something on your radar, you need to at least sign up for it so you don't lose this option for a cost-subsidized relocation move.

I'm retired NG and nobody at CB-WTU told me jack crap about anything about these things or the IDES process for that matter. I found out about all this stuff from this website and had to research and read all this on my own.

Hope this helps.
V/r,
nwlivewire
Click to expand...

Thank you. Hopefully someone knows that answer. I have another question. How do they compute the 36 month high for NG soldiers. If the injuries took place in a deployment do they use that year and then for the other 24 months piece meal your highest paid active duty time to come up with a high 36 month figure? If this is the case then all of my time would be officer time.

Thank you!!!!
 
If it is a Chapt 61 retirement, the high-36 is the last 36 months (including inactive and active periods) as if you were active the whole time.

"Retired Pay Base
There are two methods for determining the retired pay base. They are the final pay method and the high-36 month average method. The final pay method, as the name implies, establishes the retired pay base equal to final basic pay. The high-36 method is the average of the highest 36 months of basic pay divided by 36. This is generally the last 3 years of service and is sometimes called high-3. The method used depends upon when the member first entered military service."
http://militarypay.defense.gov/retirement/index.html
 
Update to the when you get paid. Apparantly if authorized to get concurrent receipt the VA cannot just pay you that. They have to first go through DFAS. For some reason I can't edit my original post so below is the update.

15 Sep - Ebenefits changed to Preparation for Notification.
19 Sep - Called the VA number as was told to contact my PEBLO or VA representative. Called VA Rep and he found out my decision was decided on 8/21, it went to a POST team on 9/15 to pay me.
1 Oct - Retirement check, Still no change to complete status on Ebenefits and no VA pay.
3 Oct- Talked to my VA representative and he did some reasearch and found out mine moved to complete about an hour before I called him. He told me about it going through DFAS before you can get concurrent receipt below is his response to me.
After talking with you earlier, I went down to the coach of the training team and asked her to look at your case. She stated a "fast letter" came out and that all members receiving retired pay (including 100% ratings) must go to DFAS for calculation prior to payment of back pay. What I'm expecting you to receive is the 472.00 x 2 (Aug/Sep). Then on 1 November, you'll receive your entire amount of VA Disability Pay. As I stated when we talked, the remainder of the back pay would come in about 60 days (approx). That's what I seen when we talked...and she concurs.

So this is the latest and hope this helps those going through the same process with waiting to get paid. It can be frustrating getting paid less than half what you were making while in the military for months while you wait for the VA. I have had to take out a loan, max my credit cards and fall behind on certain bills. I was lucky, my local VA rep was outstanding and was available to answer my questions. I know others are not as lucky and hope reading this will explain why you get paid what and when.
 
So what if you were busted down a grade? Im going through w a co-worker of mine and he has 5 years as an E-6 but was busted down to E-5. He said the high 36 thing too but I wasn't sure if that applied to him
 
If they offer him a retirement then yes. It all really depends on his ratings and too be honest I am not very versed on it.
 
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