Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) and Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) are two different programs that both aim to restore military retired pay that would otherwise be offset by VA disability compensation, but they work differently and are not automatically the same value for every retiree.
If you are a 20-plus-year retiree rated 100 percent by the VA, you likely already qualify for CRDP, which restores your full retired pay without any special application in most cases, since it is based on having a compensable VA rating of 50 percent or higher (or 100 percent, or being a Chapter 61 medical retiree, depending on your situation). Under CRDP, your retired pay is taxable, just as it always was.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →CRSC is different: it compensates you specifically for the portion of your disability that a service department determines is combat-related, using the criteria in 10 U.S.C. 1413a, which include injuries incurred as a direct result of armed conflict, hazardous duty, an instrumentality of war, or simulated war. CRSC payments are non-taxable, unlike CRDP. Because of this, some veterans find CRSC financially advantageous even when the dollar amount looks similar to CRDP, since it is paid tax-free rather than as taxable retired pay.
You cannot receive both CRDP and CRSC for the same disability at the same time; each month you must elect whichever program is more beneficial for you, and you can typically change your election periodically through your branch of service's CRSC board. The key reason people apply for CRSC even when already receiving full concurrent pay through CRDP is the tax treatment: converting some or all of your restored pay from taxable CRDP to non-taxable CRSC can increase your net take-home income, since CRSC is calculated based on your combat-related VA disability rating and is exempt from federal income tax.
There is no requirement to give up your retirement pay or VA disability check to receive CRSC; it is not a reduction, it is a potential improvement to how your existing offset is restored. Your total gross entitlement will not exceed what you already receive through CRDP, but the tax-free status of CRSC often results in more money in hand.
The concrete next step is to submit DD Form 2860 to your respective branch's CRSC board with documentation showing which disabilities are combat-related, so the board can determine your CRSC amount and let you compare it against your current CRDP payment before making an election.
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