CRDP & CRSC CalculatorConcurrent Retirement and Disability Pay vs Combat-Related Special Compensation
Retired pay is normally reduced by your VA compensation; CRDP restores it for 20-year retirees rated 50% or more, while tax-free CRSC pays for combat-related disabilities rated 10% or more, and you get whichever is better. Enter your retired pay, retirement type and ratings to see your monthly total and after-tax value with neither, CRDP or CRSC.
Rules from DFAS CRDP and DFAS CRSC guidance; VA amounts from the 2026 rate table.
Why
CRDP vs CRSC: getting back retired pay lost to the VA offset
Normally a military retiree’s retired pay is reduced dollar for dollar by any VA disability compensation (the “VA waiver”). Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) restores it automatically for retirees with 20 or more years and a VA rating of 50% or more. Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) pays a tax-free amount for combat-related disabilities rated 10% or more, including Chapter 61 retirees with fewer than 20 years. You cannot receive both; you take whichever pays more.
Because CRDP is taxable and CRSC is not, the larger gross figure is not always the better one. This calculator compares the after-tax result.
CRDP and CRSC compared
| CRDP | CRSC | |
|---|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Longevity or reserve retirees (and Ch. 61 with 20+ years) with a VA rating of 50% or more | Retirees with 20+ years, Chapter 61 retirees with any years, or reserve retirees, with a combat-related VA rating of 10% or more |
| What it pays | Restores the retired pay withheld because of VA compensation | A separate payment equal to the VA compensation for combat-related disabilities, up to the amount withheld |
| Taxes | Taxable, like retired pay | Tax-free |
| How you get it | Automatic | You must apply to your branch’s CRSC board |
| Can you get both? | No. If eligible for both, you choose during the annual open season (January) |
The formulas
For Chapter 61 retirees with fewer than 20 years, CRSC is also limited to the retired pay you would get from years of service alone (2.5% × years × High-3).
Before you decide
Even if CRDP pays more today, an approved CRSC lets you switch at open season if your ratings change.
Armed conflict, hazardous service, conditions simulating war, or an instrumentality of war. Your branch’s board decides.
CRSC is tax-free; at a 22% bracket, $1,000 of CRSC is worth as much as about $1,280 of CRDP.
SBP premiums come out of retired pay; with a large VA waiver they may be billed separately.
How to use this CRDP and CRSC calculator
- Enter your gross retired payBefore the VA waiver, from your retiree account statement.
- Enter retirement type and yearsLongevity, reserve or Chapter 61, and years of service.
- Enter VA ratingsYour combined rating and the part of it the CRSC board finds combat-related.
- CompareSee the monthly total and after-tax value with neither, CRDP or CRSC.
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CRDP and CRSC FAQ
CRDP restores retired pay withheld because of VA compensation, for 20-year retirees rated 50% or more, and is taxable. CRSC is a tax-free payment for combat-related disabilities rated 10% or more and covers Chapter 61 retirees with fewer than 20 years.
No. If you qualify for both, DFAS pays the one that is better for you and you can change your choice each January open season.
No. CRDP is automatic once DFAS and the VA match your records.
Apply to your branch’s CRSC board with DD Form 2860 and evidence that the disabilities are combat-related.
No, CRSC is tax-free. CRDP is taxable because it is retired pay.
Retired pay is reduced by the amount of VA compensation you receive, so you do not get both in full, unless CRDP or CRSC applies.
Yes, if the disability is combat-related. CRSC is limited to the retired pay you would have from years of service alone.
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Manzoor Ahmad
Calculator developer & web designer · 13+ years in web development and SEO
Last reviewed: October 30, 2026I am a pharmacist turned tech geek, and I design, code and test every calculator on DexoCalc myself. I have not served in the military, so this tool does not run on opinion: the eligibility rules and formulas come from DFAS’s CRDP and CRSC pages, and the VA amounts from the VA’s 2026 compensation table.
Spot a result that does not match an official source? Tell me and I will re-check it.
Sources
- DFAS: Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay
- DFAS: Combat-Related Special Compensation
- VA: Current veterans disability compensation rates
Disclaimer: DexoCalc is independent and not affiliated with the Department of Defense (Department of War), the Department of Veterans Affairs or any military branch. Results are educational estimates; official records and your chain of command decide.
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