Confused on what exactly I should be receiving post retirement?

[MYBAMF]

Hello All,
Ive been going through this process for a while now, so I like to think that I know a lot when it comes to all of this. But every time I think Ive got it all figured out, I find out I'm wrong. But I do have a question that maybe you all can help clear up for me.

After 10 years of active service in the Army, I was medically retired at 50% DOD and 70% VA. I chose to take the VA disability. My official retirement date was Aug 21st of this year and Ive already started receiving DOD retirement at 50% while I wait for the VA to finalize my ratings. I spoke to a local VSO on Friday about adding a condition to my already open claim with the VA. While talking to them, they told me that since I had 10 years of active service, that I'm going to collect the VA disability (70%) AND keep receiving the DOD medical retirement pay (50%) for life. This contradicts everything that I thought I knew about the process. So I don't know if I'm wrong, or maybe this VSO rep doesn't know exactly what their talking about? I thought that you could only collect one OR the other?

Any insightful information on this would be appreciated.

 

[ranger2992]

Hello All,
Ive been going through this process for a while now, so I like to think that I know a lot when it comes to all of this. But every time I think Ive got it all figured out, I find out I'm wrong. But I do have a question that maybe you all can help clear up for me.

After 10 years of active service in the Army, I was medically retired at 50% DOD and 70% VA. I chose to take the VA disability. My official retirement date was Aug 21st of this year and Ive already started receiving DOD retirement at 50% while I wait for the VA to finalize my ratings. I spoke to a local VSO on Friday about adding a condition to my already open claim with the VA. While talking to them, they told me that since I had 10 years of active service, that I'm going to collect the VA disability (70%) AND keep receiving the DOD medical retirement pay (50%) for life. This contradicts everything that I thought I knew about the process. So I don't know if I'm wrong, or maybe this VSO rep doesn't know exactly what their talking about? I thought that you could only collect one OR the other?

Any insightful information on this would be appreciated.

Your VSO is wrong. You would need to be approved for CRSC to collect both, and you can't apply for that until you have final ratings. As soon as your ratings are final, you should first see a payment for the difference between what the VA was going to pay, and what you were receiving for DOD. Then the next first of the month you will be paid VA compensation and no DOD pay. After you file and are approved for CRSC, you will then get a monthly CRSC statement, but still no Army retired pay.

 

[grizz13]

Ranger is correct on this, you will receive 50% retirement pay until the VA finalizes your ratings. You will receive one payment from the VA as back pay from the day after your ETS to the day they finalize your ratings for the difference of DoD Retirement pay and VA benefits. You will receive one more 50% retirement pay then will receive a few days later the difference from the day after final ratings to the end of the prior month, PLUS the current month.
Example of what I went through:
Retired Oct 11, 2012.
DoD retirement pay begins from Oct 12-31st. Received payment around 15th of November.
Received Retirement pay for 1-30 November on Dec 1st.
Received Retirement pay for 1-30 December on Dec 30th.
VA finalizes ratings on Jan. 15th, received VA back-pay for difference from Oct 12-Jan 15th as direct deposit.
Received Retirement pay for Jan 1-31st on Feb 2nd.
Received difference of DoD Retirement Pay and VA benefits for Jan 16th-31st, PLUS received VA benefits for 1-25 Feb. DoD Retirement pay officially stopped on Jan 31st.

Hope this helps!