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For military retirees

CRSC vs CRDP Calculator

If you have both military retired pay and a VA disability rating, the law reduces your retired pay by the amount of VA compensation you receive. Two programs can restore some or all of it: Concurrent Retirement & Disability Pay. For retirees with 20+ years and a VA rating of 50% or more, it restores the military retired pay that would otherwise be reduced by your VA compensation. It is taxable. (taxable) and Combat-Related Special Compensation. A separate, tax-free monthly payment for the combat-related portion of your disabilities; you apply to your branch, which decides what counts as combat-related. (tax-free), but you can only get one. Estimate both and see which is likely higher after tax.

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Tap any underlined term for a plain-English definition.

Your situation

Years of service × 2.5% × your high-3 average pay (the average of your highest 36 months of basic pay), before the VA waiver. Both estimates are capped at this amount.

The share of your disability your branch determines is combat-related (armed conflict, hazardous duty, an instrumentality of war (a weapon or military equipment), or war-simulating training). Often lower than your overall rating.

Your marginal tax rate is the tax bracket on your last dollar of income (most retirees are 12% or 22%). We use it to compare the taxable CRDP against the tax-free CRSC after tax, and default to a conservative 22% if you're unsure.

Likely better for you

Concurrent Retirement & Disability Pay. For retirees with 20+ years and a VA rating of 50% or more, it restores the military retired pay that would otherwise be reduced by your VA compensation. It is taxable. is likely higher

CRDP estimate

$1,808.45

Taxable (restored retired pay)

After tax: $1,410.59/mo

CRSC estimate

$1,132.90

Tax-free

After tax: $1,132.90/mo

CRDP appears to give you the higher after-tax amount in this estimate, even though it's taxable. DFAS generally pays the higher benefit; verify with DFAS.

  • • CRDP restores the VA-waived portion of your military retired pay (10 USC 1414). It is paid as retired pay, so it is TAXABLE.
  • • CRSC is a separate, TAX-FREE payment for the combat-related portion of your disabilities (10 USC 1413a). You apply to your branch of service, which decides which conditions are combat-related.
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What is CRDP?

Concurrent Retirement & Disability Pay (10 U.S.C. § 1414) restores the VA-waived portion of your military retired pay if your VA Your overall disability percentage. Ratings don't simply add. The VA combines them so each new one applies only to your remaining ability (§4.25), then rounds to the nearest 10%. is 50% or higher and you have 20+ years of service (or an eligible reserve/Guard retirement). A Chapter 61 (medical) retirement with fewer than 20 years does not qualify for Concurrent Retirement & Disability Pay. For retirees with 20+ years and a VA rating of 50% or more, it restores the military retired pay that would otherwise be reduced by your VA compensation. It is taxable.. It is Combat-Related Special Compensation. A separate, tax-free monthly payment for the combat-related portion of your disabilities; you apply to your branch, which decides what counts as combat-related.-only. It is paid as retired pay, so it is taxable. The amount is roughly the lesser of the VA compensation waived from your retired pay and your longevity-earned retired pay.

What is CRSC?

Combat-Related Special Compensation (10 U.S.C. § 1413a) is a separate, tax-free monthly payment for the combat-related portion of your disabilities. You apply to your branch of service, which decides which conditions qualify. The amount is roughly the VA compensation rate for your combat-related percentage, capped at your longevity-earned retired pay.

Which one will I get?

You can receive only one of CRDP or CRSC in a given month. DFAS (the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, which pays your military retired pay) generally pays whichever gives you the higher benefit and holds an annual Open Season to switch. Because CRSC is tax-free and CRDP is taxable, the honest comparison is after tax, which is what this tool estimates.

Sources

Formulas last verified against the statutes and DFAS guidance on June 17, 2026.

This is an estimate for education only, not financial, tax, legal, or benefits advice. Exact amounts depend on your high-3, your branch's combat-related determination, and your longevity computation. Verify your eligibility and amounts with DFAS (and your branch for CRSC).