Can You Receive Va Disability And Military Retirement Pay

Drawing Va Benefits And Ssa Benefits

Veterans may be permitted to draw both VA and SSA benefits, but depending on the SSA program you enroll in, you may or may not have your Social Security benefit amount reduced dollar-for-dollar by the amount of your VA disability pay . Those drawing SSI may risk benefit reduction if they dont meet income caps those drawing SSDI are not at risk.

With or without the benefit reduction, it can be helpful to have a VA disability rating established when you apply for SSA benefits such as SSDI or Social Security Income payments. Not in every case, but in some very important circumstances this can be a big help.

If you apply for both VA disability benefits AND Social Security disability benefits, will the amount of either be reduced because you draw both?

The key to understanding this issue to is recognize that Social Security comes in two different options: Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance . One program allows you to draw VA disability pay with no penalty, while the other features a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the amount of Social Security payments based on the amount of the VA disability payments.

Are Your Veterans Benefits Taxable

Find out if you need to report the veterans benefits you receive as income on your tax return.

• Taxes

After you leave the military, veteran benefits may play a key role in helping you enjoy life as a civilian. You may receive a variety of benefits, from a pension to disability compensation to the GI Bill. If youre like many veterans, an important question occurs to you at this time of year: are VA benefits taxable?

The answer isnt as simple as the question. Whether or not your VA benefits are taxable depends on which benefits you receive and what your circumstances are. Its always a good idea to consult a tax professional about your individual circumstances. However, the following general information can help you understand when you mayor may notowe taxes.

When To Opt For Va Disability Compensation

If your years of service are few, and your military disability rating low, you could potentially receive higher compensation through the VA than the DOD.

If you have not served at least twenty years, then you don’t have the option of using the CRDP program to restore your offset compensation, and unless you have a combat-related condition rated at 10% or more, you are also ineligible for CRSC. In this scenario, it is possible you would be better compensated by the VA than the DOD.

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How To Calculate A Reserve Retirement

Nov 06, 2020 ·Estimating your retired military pay Air Force Reserve retirement website Army Reserve retirement website Comparing an E-7 active-duty pension to an E-7 Reserve pension Options for a Guard or Reserve Retirement Using Reserve & Guard Retirement Calculators To Estimate Your Military Pension. Did this post help? If so please leave us a comment below.

Gi Bill Education Benefits

All versions of the GI Bill, including the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill, provide tax-free benefits for higher education, including undergraduate and postgraduate study as well as vocational training. You dont have to report these benefits as income on your tax return.

If you qualify, you can claim tax credits such as the Lifetime Learning Credit or the American Opportunity Credit Lifetime Learning Credit or the American Opportunity Credit in addition to using the applicable GI Bill for education expenses. Note that if you do, your credit will be reduced for any money the GI Bill contributes toward your tuition and fees. For example, if your tuition bill is $5,000 one year, and the GI Bill pays for $4,000 of it, your credit would be based on the $1,000 you paid yourself.

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The Difference Between Military Retirement And Medical Retirement

Before exploring the differences between DoD Disability Pay and the VA equivalent, its important to know the difference between ordinary military retirement pay and being medically retired/being given Military Disability Retirement Pay.

When a service member reaches military retirement time-in-service , they can file retirement paperwork, leave the military, and begin drawing retirement pay. Service members do not normally have to retire the second they hit the 20-year mark some choose to continue serving as long as military regulations will permit.

But the main thing to remember here is that retiring is the servicemembers initiative and filing the papers means starting the process with an eventual retirement paycheck coming.

Military Disability Retirement is something else it is not selected by the service member but comes as the result of a medical review process a military doctor or team of doctors may determine that a veterans medical condition warrants disability retirement and this can happen at any stage in the servicemembers career.

Disability retirement is not automatic even when it is determined that the patient can no longer perform military duties as expected and must be medically separated or retired. Why?

Remember, this is happening at the DoD level, NOT the Department of Veterans Affairs level. The VA claim process is completely separate from this type of retirement or separation determination.

Concurrent Retirement & Disability Pay

Veterans with at least 20 years of service and a disability rating of at least 50 percent are eligible. Rather than providing payments to those who qualify, the CRDP reduces the percentage of offset normally required from qualifying for VA Disability Compensation. This reduction takes place over a period of 10 years until the full DoD compensation pay is being given along with full VA compensation pay. CRDP payments ARE taxable.

Veterans who qualify for both programs can opt to change between the programs annually by filling out an Open Season Election Form that is mailed to all participants of the programs annually.

For more information on CRSC and CRDP visit Military.coms website.

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Eligibility For Va Disability Compensation

Veterans with a service-connected physical or mental disability that makes everyday tasks difficult or impossible may be eligible for VA disability benefits.

Eligibility to file a VA disability claim is dependent on meeting one of the following conditions as set by the VA:

• A Veteran who became sick or injured while serving in the military, or
• A Veteran with an illness or injury before enlisting that was worsened by service, or
• A Veteran with a service-connected disability that didn’t appear until after separating from the military

The VA will need evidence to support your disability claim when applying, which we discuss in the next section.

How To Qualify For Crsc And 100% Va Disability

It is important to note that CRSC is not military retirement pay. Although retired members of the military are entitled to receive it, the focus is on combat-related disability. This means eligible veterans get a monthly tax-free check that replaces the income they would have made if they could work. Thus, payments are not based on earnings, but rather on the severity of your disability.

In order to qualify, applicants must:

• Apply with the proper military department from which they retired
• Elect CRSC payments, especially if receiving Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payments
• Meet preliminary CRSC criteria
• Suffer from a qualifying combat-related condition or illness

To find out more about each step, read on.

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Military Retirement Pay & Pension Benefits

Jan 27, 2021 ·At that time, they become eligible for full military pension benefits again. Retirees have two options: a 25% and 50% option discounted to the present value based on rates published by the DOD each year. If they opt for the 25% lump sum, they receive 75% of their typical monthly retirement pay until full retirement age.

Va Benefits For Service Members

If you’re serving on active duty in the United States uniformed services, including active National Guard and Reserve with federal pay, you may be eligible for VA benefits both during service and after separation or retirement. If you’re a traditional or technical member of the National Guard and Reserve, you may also be eligible for some VA benefits. Find out which benefits you may qualify forand when to apply. You’ll also learn about these benefits in your required Transition Assistance Program briefing.

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How To Apply For Va Disability Benefits

The Department of Veterans Affairs recommends eligible Veterans apply for disability compensation benefits through the VA’s eBenefits online portal. However, Veterans may also apply by mail with VA Form 21-526EZ, in person at your regional benefits office, or with help from a trained professional.

In any case, you will need access to your DD214 , the medical evidence of the disability, and dependency records .

If you have yet to separate from service, you may still apply using the Benefits Delivery at Discharge program. To be eligible for the BDD, you must:

• Be on full-time active duty , and
• Have a known separation date, and
• Your separation date is in the next 90 to 180 days

If you have less than 90 days until separation, you may still file a fully developed or standard claim.

Planning For Medical Expenses In Retirement

Eligible veterans and their dependents have access to health benefits through the Tricare program offered by the government. They are provided with hospital and outpatient care based on whether treatment is considered a need. VA health care will be based on factors including income level and length of service. Retired service members and their families have a variety of options to select from in choosing which Tricare plan is best for their needs. Plans are also available for retired National Guard or reserve members.

Veterans should dedicate a portion of their savings from pensions, civil income, annuities and other retirement accounts to medical expenses that are not covered by the VA or health insurance.

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With Dependents Including Children

Find the dependent status in the left column that best describes you. Then look for your disability rating in the top row. Your monthly basic rate is where your dependent status and disability rating meet.

If you have more than one child or your spouse receives Aid and Attendance benefits, be sure to also look at the Added amounts table, and add these to your amount from the Basic rates table.

Receiving Dod Disability Retirement And Va Disability Benefits Concurrently

Under previous legislation and/or government program guidelines, veterans were not permitted to double dip by receiving full VA disability benefits and full military retirement pay. However, changes in the law and program guidelines have made the following applicable at the time of this writing:

• Military retirees who have 20 years of active military service and a 100% service-connected rating are entitled to full VA disability benefits and full military retirement.
• Retirees with at least 20 years of service and totally disabled with individual unemployability are allowed full VA disability benefits and full military retirement pay.
• Retirees with 20 years of service and a service-connected disability rating between 50-90% are eligible for full VA disability benefits and full military retirement pay.
• Veterans with 20 years of service OR a disability incurred in the line of duty AND a VA disability rating of at least 10% may be eligible to collect both.

Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter for Air Force Television News.

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Final Crsc Criteria: Qualifying Combat

Veterans are only entitled to CRSC if they have sustained service-related disabilities. This requires a causal connection between the activity and the injury. Qualifying conditions with varying degrees of severity are outlined in the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities . The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations provides the VASRD, an exhaustive list of medical diagnoses, along with explanations of how to use the tables.

How Va Disability Compensation Affects Military Retirement Pay

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If you have a VA service-connected disability rating of 10% or higher, you are eligible to receive a monthly compensation check from the VA. The monthly compensation payments vary by your disability ratingand if your rating is 30% or higherthe rates are increased, depending number of dependents you have filed on your claim.

You can be eligible to receive VA disability compensation even if you didnt retire from the military. But if you are retired from the military and are also eligible for VA disability compensation, determining how much you get paid, and from where, can seem complicated. You see, until 2004, it was against the law to receive military retirement pay and VA disability compensation at the same time. Retirees had to choose which pay they wanted to receive, and if they chose to receive their VA disability compensation, those funds were offset, or deducted, from their military retirement pay.

There have been two major changes to this law in the past decade, and some veterans may be eligible to receive their full military retirement pay along with their VA disability compensation. These laws are:

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Enrollment In The Brs Depends On When You Joined The Service

• If you joined before January 1, 2006, you remained in the legacy retirement system.

• If you joined the service on or after January 1, 2018, you were automatically enrolled in the BRS.

• If you joined between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2017, you could stay in the legacy system or enroll in the new one. The last day to enroll in the BRS plan was December 31, 2018.

Pairing Pensions With Annuities

Veterans preparing for retirement may purchase annuities to supplement their military benefits and future benefits like Social Security and pension payments. Annuity income provides tax advantages, a consistent and guaranteed stream of money and hedges the risk of running out of money late in life.

Annuities buyers have choices to make:

• They pick between immediate annuities and deferred annuities .
• They can choose among fixed, variable and indexed income, impacting how interest accumulates.
• They have options for bequests. For example, with 100-percent joint-life annuities, the monthly payments go to the owner until their death. At that point, the payments are transferred and go to the spouse.
• Veterans with TSP income or extra pension funds can use savings to purchase an annuity. Veterans may also turn to annuities to allow them to put off drawing Social Security income to a time when they will receive the maximum monthly payout.

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Expedited Processing For Those With Va Disability Ratings At 100%

Some veterans who possess a VA rating of 100% permanent and total disability may qualify for expedited Social Security claims. Be sure to ask about this when applying for SSA options and make sure you self-identify on all application paperwork as a 100%-VA rated disabled veteran.

Other vets may qualify for help, too. Any veteran with disabling mental or physical health injuries on active duty on or after October 1, 2001 are eligible for expedited SSI/SSDI application processing. This does not need to have occurred during combat but the issue must be noted on the SSI/SSDI application.

How Much Pay Do Military Retirees Receive

Jun 06, 2019 ·For example, the retirement of an E-8 with 20 years is roughly $22,000 a year for just waking up in the morning. However, if you spread that out for another 40 years of living, retirement pay has reached a $1 million retirement package. For the same E-8 who has 30 years of total active duty service, the retirement pay almost doubles.

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