Veteran Benefits
Concurrent Receipt (CRDP & CRSC)
Concurrent receipt lets eligible military retirees collect their full retired pay and their VA disability compensation at the same time - instead of trading one for the other. There are two programs: CRDP (Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay) and CRSC (Combat-Related Special Compensation). Many retirees do not realize they qualify - especially for the tax-free CRSC.
Who this is for
If you earned a military retirement and also carry a VA disability rating, you may be leaving real money on the table every month - the law now lets many retirees keep both checks instead of trading one for the other, and one of the two programs is completely tax-free.
In plain language
What Concurrent Receipt (CRDP & CRSC) covers
- Recovering retired pay that was offset dollar-for-dollar by VA disability
- CRDP for retirees with a 50% or higher VA disability rating
- CRSC (tax-free) for combat-related disabilities, applied for through your branch
- The annual "open season" choice between CRDP and CRSC
- Retroactive pay when a program should have started earlier
50%+
VA rating needed for CRDP to restore your retired pay
Tax-free
CRSC payments for combat-related disabilities
1x a year
You may switch between CRDP and CRSC each open season
The full picture
Everything you need to know
Nothing hidden behind a click. Here is the whole story in plain language, so you can decide what fits your situation.
Key facts & current figures
- For decades, military retirees had to give up a dollar of retired pay for every dollar of VA disability - concurrent receipt (CRDP and CRSC) is what gives that money back.
- CRDP restores retired pay for retirees with a VA rating of 50% or higher. It is taxable, phased in automatically by DFAS, and requires no application.
- CRSC is a separate, tax-free payment for disabilities that are combat-related - and unlike CRDP, you must apply through your branch of service.
- You cannot collect both at once - you receive whichever pays you more, and you can switch once a year during open season.
General figures, current as of December 2025 and reviewed each year. Your exact amount depends on your situation - always confirm on va.gov.
The problem concurrent receipt fixes
- If you served long enough to earn a military retirement and you also receive VA disability compensation, the law used to make you "waive" (give up) part of your retired pay - one dollar of retirement for every dollar of VA compensation.
- That waiver made the VA compensation tax-free, but it meant many retirees saw no real increase in their total monthly income from their disability.
- Concurrent receipt programs undo that offset - letting you keep more of both checks. Over a year that can be thousands of dollars a retiree was entitled to but never received.
CRDP - Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay
- CRDP restores your retired pay if you are a retiree with a VA rating of 50% or higher (or receiving benefits at the 100% rate through TDIU).
- It is paid automatically by the military pay center - there is no application. It is taxable, like your regular retired pay.
- Generally you need to be a 20-year retiree (length-of-service or a medical/Chapter 61 retiree with at least 20 years) to receive CRDP.
CRSC - Combat-Related Special Compensation
- CRSC is a tax-free payment for disabilities that are combat-related - caused by armed conflict, hazardous duty, an instrumentality of war (like a vehicle or weapon), or simulated war such as training exercises.
- Unlike CRDP, you must apply for CRSC through your branch of service and show how each condition is tied to combat or those duties. A Purple Heart makes the combat link easy to prove for that condition.
- Because it is tax-free, CRSC is often the better choice - but not always. Which one pays more depends on your ratings and which of your disabilities are combat-related.
You choose the one that pays more
- You cannot receive CRDP and CRSC at the same time. The pay center pays you whichever program gives you the larger amount, and you can change your election once a year during the annual open season.
- When a program should have started earlier than it did, you may be owed retroactive pay. It is worth checking the start dates on your account.
- Because two different agencies are involved - the VA for the rating and the Defense Department for the pay - mistakes and missed money are common. This is a good area to have reviewed.
Your complete benefit picture
Both checks
concurrent receipt lets eligible retirees keep their full military retired pay and their VA disability compensation - instead of trading one dollar for the other, as the law once required.
Money left behind
A different office decides this - so it slips through
The VA rates your disability, but the Defense Department pay center controls your retired pay. Because two agencies are involved, retirees routinely miss money they are owed - especially the tax-free CRSC, which you have to apply for.
If you are a retiree with VA disability, it is worth checking whether CRDP started when it should have, and whether CRSC would pay you more.
CRDP is automatic
With a 50%+ rating you should see it without applying - but verify the start date, because retroactive pay may be owed.
CRSC needs an application
Apply through your branch and tie each condition to combat, training, or an instrumentality of war. A Purple Heart makes it easy.
A clear path forward
Your step-by-step action plan
No rush and no pressure - but a little order helps. Applying is always free.
First
Confirm you are a retiree
Generally you need a 20-year (or qualifying medical) retirement plus VA disability to be in the concurrent-receipt world.
Check CRDP
Verify it is being paid
If your VA rating is 50% or higher, CRDP should be restoring retired pay automatically - check your account statement.
Apply for CRSC
File with your branch
Submit your branch’s CRSC application with evidence linking your disabilities to combat or hazardous duty.
Compare
Take the one that pays more
You cannot receive both at once; the pay center pays the higher amount and you can switch each year.
Who to call & where to go
These are free, official VA lines. Have your Social Security number handy when you call.
VA Benefits Hotline
Compensation, pension, and general claim questions.
MyVA411 - Main VA Line
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702-992-4883Not sure where to start?
CRDP is automatic - if you qualify, the pay center starts it for you, no form needed. CRSC must be applied for through your branch of service using that branch’s CRSC application, with evidence linking each disability to combat, hazardous duty, an instrumentality of war, or simulated war (training). If you qualify for both, the pay center pays the higher amount and lets you switch during the yearly open season.
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