Normally, a Veteran may not receive both disability compensation from the VA and military retired pay. This may force a Veteran to decide if he would rather receive VA compensation or their retired pay. Whichever one they chose, it would be subtracted dollar for dollar from the other, usually resulting in one or the other being completely nullified. However, in order to ensure that Veterans are not being shortchanged for service-connected conditions incurred during their military careers the Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (also known as CDRP) program was implemented on January 1, 2004, which allows eligible military retirees to receive both military retired pay and VA compensation.
In order to qualify for CDRP a Veteran who served in the military must be a regular retiree with at least a 50 percent total disability rating with 20 years of qualifying service. Veterans who served in the Reserves can also qualify, but requires 20 years of qualifying service and that the Veteran has reached retirement age and least a 50 percent total disability. Veterans who were able take advantage of the Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA) program from 2011 to 2018 may also be eligible for CDRP, so long as they also have least a 50 percent total disability. If a Veteran meets the above requirements, they should be enrolled in CDRP automatically with no need to submit a written claim. However, for Veterans who served in the Reserve or National Guard who retired due to disability prior to meeting the age requirement for retirement they must contact their branch of service to begin the application process.
If you have any questions about VA benefits, the qualified Veterans’ Disability attorneys at Gardberg and Kemmerly want to help in any way possible. Gardberg and Kemmerly is committed to helping injured and disabled Veterans obtain the benefits they deserve. If you need help with a disability claim, call our office at 251-343-1111 or 1-800-332-1529 for a free consultation. Gardberg and Kemmerly is proud to serve Veterans across the country from our home office in Mobile, Alabama. We would love an opportunity to discuss your claim.