Can a military retiree get Department of Veterans Affairs disability pay while also drawing military retirement pay? With concurrent retirement and disability pay (CRDP), the answer for many veterans is yes.
Eligibility
A veteran must be eligible for retired pay to qualify for CRDP. A veteran placed on a disability retirement, who would be eligible for military retired pay in the absence of the disability, may be entitled to receive CRDP.
Under these rules, a veteran may be entitled to CRDP who is:
- A regular retiree with a VA rating of 50% or more.
- A reserve retiree with 20 qualifying years of service, who has a VA disability of 50% or more and who has reached retirement age.
- A Temporary Early Retirement Act (TERA) retiree with a VA disability rating of 50% or more.
- A disability retiree who earned entitlement to retired pay under any provision of law other than solely by disability, who has a VA disability rating of 50% or more. A retiree might become eligible for CRDP at the time they would have become eligible for retired pay.
In addition to monthly CRDP payments, retirees may be eligible for a retroactive payment. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service will audit a retiree's account to determine whether you're due retroactive payment. An audit of your account requires researching pay information from both DFAS and VA.
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