Final Pay, Retirement Pay & VA Pay

C

CookWifes

PEB Forum Regular Member
Registered Member
Hi, I read this thread but I am starting a new one so that my question doesn't get buried.

My husband went through the Army MEB starting October 2013. He received PDRL (30%) and 80% VA rating.

He is on terminal leave now, with an upcoming ETS date of October 16, 2014 (so about 12 months start to finish).

My questions are as follows:
  • How long can we expect DFAS to hold my husband's final active duty paycheck? He says it won't be held but everywhere else seems to say they hold final pay, and can/will hold it up to 60 days while they determine if he was ever overpaid or underpaid at any point.
  • On which day will his retirement pay start while we wait on the VA to pay? November 1?
  • How long will we have to wait on the VA to issue the final rating and start paying? His status was kicked back to "gathering evidence" because they now need his DD-214. We uploaded that to eBenefits because they gave it to him before he left on terminal leave. Is that sufficient or should we fax it in or personally hand it to someone??? Will they wait to process the DD-214 until *after* October 16?
  • Finally...I know this sounds awful but we messed up the address where we are now living on his DD-214. We're "staying" at my dad's while we do some traveling. My dad's address is 1234 but we wrote down 1324. Is there any way at all to get this corrected? We are afraid if DFAS or the VA mails us anything and it doesn't make it, it could take months to rectify the situation. So far, our other mail that was wrong has made it there but this extra thing really doesn't help my stress level at all.
I am hoping everything goes as smoothly as possible. I do have a job, but we can't afford our own home or apartment until the VA kicks in as well, so I'm really hoping it doesn't take forever. My dad lives in a retirement community with all kinds of restrictions so the sooner we can leave, the better.
 
Hi, I will share my experience with my husbands situation. They do hold your last check, I believe it may have took 3-4 weeks. It also depends what day of the month the ETS, that can depend when they submit the payment paperwork. The VA will start the month following active duty, so Nov should be the first month. But you probably wont receive the check immediatly. They will back pay from Nov to whenever they give you the first check though. My husband did have to call and ask for a timeline, and to find out that had not retrieved the DD214. I am not sure if it matters if its from you or from a government agency. Call the VA and update your contact info, I have a different address on mines too, but it has not hindered any communication.
 
Final Pay: They will hold the final check to make sure nothing is owed to the military, the final pay can take up to a week, maybe longer maybe shorter

Retirement Pay: Retirement Pay usually takes 30 days post retirement to be issued so don't expect you first retirement check till mid November-December (first retirement check can arrive any day of the month and then will be 1st of the month for continuing checks)

VA: After your husband retires they will review his VA rating once again and have them finalized, this can take 1-5 months, you will then receive back pay from from November 1st

To insure the VA has the correct address log on to ebenefits and make sure the address is correctly put in

Also make sure that the VA has dependency correct so when you receive your VA pay it will be at the married rate
 
Does anyone know if this is exactly the same for a reservist retiring with an AD medical retirement? I've been given conflicting advice on this.
 
Thanks everyone.

So basically, the VA will just wait until October 16 to do anything else (look at the DD-214, finalize rating, etc) and we should plan on his upcoming October 1 check as being his last predictable pay for possibly a couple months?

I hope the VA doesn't take 5 months to review and finalize. That will make for a few really tight months while we wait, even though we'd be staying with family. I am glad at least the retirement checks will be coming. To clarify, my husband plans on getting a job, but we wanted to wait until the VA started paying so that we can house/apartment hunt, move, and *then* we know exactly which area to look in, and between the VA and what I will make at my job we'd be reasonably comfortable. We are unsure where we want to live right now and also want to do some traveling so everything is in storage. Also, we planned ahead and saved some money and also paid off debt, but I'd hate to go through all of our savings while waiting as well.

I am so thankful that he was able to start the process while in the Army. My dad is 100% perm and total with the VA (from the Vietnam war) and it took 18 months from the day he filed to the day his first check came.
 
Did your husband do 20 years or is he going to be receiving combat related pay? I asking because you mentioned a retirement check, why is he getting a retirement check if MEB?? that may differ though. He may be able to claim unemployment too! Yes you can expect things to officialy begin the day after the ETS. My husband va check took about 3 months.
 
mrsacmann said:
Did your husband do 20 years or is he going to be receiving combat related pay? I asking because you mentioned a retirement check, why is he getting a retirement check if MEB?? that may differ though. He may be able to claim unemployment too! Yes you can expect things to officialy begin the day after the ETS. My husband va check took about 3 months.
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Retiree's receive retirement check until VA kicks in
 
Hawkeye99 said:
Does anyone know if this is exactly the same for a reservist retiring with an AD medical retirement? I've been given conflicting advice on this.
Click to expand...

I retired from an AD IDES process.

I went to my Retirement section at the HQ State Guard Office and turned ina copy of my DD-214.

I also had to go to my unit's supply SGT and they told me they would research my TA-50 file to make sure I didn't owe them any gear.

Of course they sent me a bill for stuff I had already turned in or it was lost overseas when I got sent home on EML and never got my gear back from Iraq.

They sent me a bill for all this supposed missing gear - I mightily contested it. The guy finally "forgave" it off my list and I was not held liable for any money.

But you for sure should make sure any gear you have been issued is returned and that you get a copy of your having a clean/clear slate so they don't try to pull a fast one on you like that guy wanted to do to me.

In my case, that bill that got drummed up on me was for me to either immediately pay for all that stuff I "lost", or they would attach my retirement pay or some such thing.

So be sure to get a clean bill of health with your supply folks, make sure you get a copy of that paperwork, and then hang onto that paper for 2 years thereafter.

nwlivewire
 
mrsacmann said:
Did your husband do 20 years or is he going to be receiving combat related pay? I asking because you mentioned a retirement check, why is he getting a retirement check if MEB?? that may differ though. He may be able to claim unemployment too! Yes you can expect things to officialy begin the day after the ETS. My husband va check took about 3 months.
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My husband was in for 5 years but if the MEB finds PDRL, then you get retirement pay from DOD at your DOD rating level until VA kicks in. Back pay from VA will be the 80% amount minus whatever DOD already paid during however many months it takes for them to get started.

In our case 30% of base pay is about 600 per month pre-tax so probably between $450-$500 post tax. His VA pay with a spouse will be $1653 per month. If it takes them awhile that will amount to a nice back paycheck. Once VA starts the retirement pay will stop.
 
OK, I understand now CoolWifes. I have never heard of that being done before. It makes sense and that is good because you can't predict with the VA.
 
mrsacmann said:
OK, I understand now CoolWifes. I have never heard of that being done before. It makes sense and that is good because you can't predict with the VA.
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That's how it worked with me. The DoD paid until the VA kicked in. Then, when the VA kicked in, the DoD got reduced.

Took three or four months from date of discharge for all this to settle in for me.

nwlivewire
 
His backpay will be VA pay minus whatever DOD pays out between his retirement date and when VA kicks in. Ugh. I'll be glad when all this is over!
 
CookWifes said:
His backpay will be VA pay minus whatever DOD pays out between his retirement date and when VA kicks in. Ugh. I'll be glad when all this is over!
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For sure!

It takes awhile for all this to come together. But hang in there!

Like I mentioned above, the military paid me my full PDRL pay (minus taxes) until the VA kicked in.

When the VA gets to their finalization of the ratings, they will electronically "talk" to DFAS, and then DFAS will notify you by mail with a Notification of Change. My Notification Statement was really clear in terms of it breaking down to the penny just who was going to pay & how much each was going to pay every month.

My statement was correct and to the penny, so I wasn't shorted or overpaid.

The very next pay period, all monies came on time - in the correct amounts and from the correct parties.

I hope yours goes as well as mine went. For me, it was the smoothest part of this whole process.

Just make sure DFAS has your correct address on file - VA, too. The MYPAY website is the quickest way to make these changes for DFAS - to include changes to your claiming exemptions for taxation purposes.

You can always get on MYPAY and check on your account, too - just to see if anything has posted on their system and ahead of your getting that statement in the mail.

I actually found out the VA was done with me when I got my DFAS notification of change. Several days later, I then got my VA notification in the mail. But I found out first the VA was done from the DFAS notification as that came ahead of the VA. DFAS beat the VA to the punch on this one.

V/R,
nwlivewire
 
Hopefully someone will see this -

For the DFAS MyPay web site, my husband doesn't have a CAC card anymore (we traded it in for a retired ID card today). Is there a way for him to get on there without it? I have always hated the MyPay site because of the draconian password requirements...etc...but we definitely need to make sure the address is accurate.
 
CookWifes said:
Hopefully someone will see this -

For the DFAS MyPay web site, my husband doesn't have a CAC card anymore (we traded it in for a retired ID card today). Is there a way for him to get on there without it? I have always hated the MyPay site because of the draconian password requirements...etc...but we definitely need to make sure the address is accurate.
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It appears the myPay website still offers the option to log on with user/pass.
 
Hi all,

Hopefully someone sees this. Just an update.

We did NOT receive PRDL pay on November 1. ETS was October 16. So this has been a "dry month" and I don't think we are going to get any pay for November from them because a statement has not come indicating November at all. I have a part time job and we now are staying with my dad, but it has still sucked. We have money in savings but I'm trying not to touch it so that we have money to move in our own place.

We got a statement from DFAS indicating my husband would get PDRL pay on December 1. He also went out and found a seasonal job which he is starting at on Tuesday.

I'm feeling really antsy. We've been "homeless" since July (long story) and I'm ready to settle into our own place but we can't until the actual VA pay starts. We're now in an area with a much higher cost of living. I can go full time at my current job but that won't be enough to meet our expenses. So I plan to go full time after the VA starts paying so that we can finally move into our own apartment again.

I have a screencap saved that shows we uploaded my husband's DD-214 to eBenefits on September 15, 2014. Is there anything we can do with this to speed up the process?
 
CookWifes said:
Hi all,

Hopefully someone sees this. Just an update.

We did NOT receive PRDL pay on November 1. ETS was October 16. So this has been a "dry month" and I don't think we are going to get any pay for November from them because a statement has not come indicating November at all. I have a part time job and we now are staying with my dad, but it has still sucked. We have money in savings but I'm trying not to touch it so that we have money to move in our own place.

We got a statement from DFAS indicating my husband would get PDRL pay on December 1. He also went out and found a seasonal job which he is starting at on Tuesday.

I'm feeling really antsy. We've been "homeless" since July (long story) and I'm ready to settle into our own place but we can't until the actual VA pay starts. We're now in an area with a much higher cost of living. I can go full time at my current job but that won't be enough to meet our expenses. So I plan to go full time after the VA starts paying so that we can finally move into our own apartment again.

I have a screencap saved that shows we uploaded my husband's DD-214 to eBenefits on September 15, 2014. Is there anything we can do with this to speed up the process?
Click to expand...

Well, in accordance with the "Concurrent with the Claims Initiative of April 19, 2013," the DoVA stated that disability claims of veterans who face homelessness, extreme financial hardship, and advanced age will continue to be prioritized for both VBA and BVA processes.

As such, according to 38 CFR §7107, a veteran’s claim can be expedited for earlier consideration and determination if the veteran is seriously ill, is under severe financial hardship, or if other "sufficient cause" is shown [(e.g., advanced age (38 CFR §20.900) and homelessness (38 CFR §61.1)].

While the above factors constitute "sufficient cause" to expedite a DoVA disability claim, there aren't any hard and fast timeframes that the VBA and the BVA must follow in expediting disability claims under these conditions.

However, the more evidence that a veteran can obtain in support of a request to expedite, the more quickly a disability claim can be decided favorably.

Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer."

Best Wishes!
 
OK, I feel really stupid. I went through our bank account yesterday and saw that on November 3rd, DFAS did, indeed, deposit retirement pay for October 17 through November 1. I don't know how I didn't see that--I seriously check our bank account every day. Anyways, the full amount should go in December 1.

Since we aren't truly "homeless" (staying with family) and since neither of us is unemployed, I don't want to try to cut in front of other people who need their claims more than us. And it hasn't even been a month since October 16 yet so yeah...
 
CookWifes said:
OK, I feel really stupid. I went through our bank account yesterday and saw that on November 3rd, DFAS did, indeed, deposit retirement pay for October 17 through November 1. I don't know how I didn't see that--I seriously check our bank account every day. Anyways, the full amount should go in December 1.

Since we aren't truly "homeless" (staying with family) and since neither of us is unemployed, I don't want to try to cut in front of other people who need their claims more than us. And it hasn't even been a month since October 16 yet so yeah...
Click to expand...

Dear CookWifes:

Another way to check ahead of pay cycles is on DFAS MYPAY website.

MYPAY can sometimes post (before your pay hits you bank account) the paper statement of what DFAS is going to pay on the next pay cycle.

So also check MYPAY - or hubby can check it however it works for you two.

Sometimes the paper pay notice can post on MYPAY several days before pay is dispersed on the allotted date.

V/R,
nwlivewire
 
CookWifes said:
OK, I feel really stupid. I went through our bank account yesterday and saw that on November 3rd, DFAS did, indeed, deposit retirement pay for October 17 through November 1. I don't know how I didn't see that--I seriously check our bank account every day. Anyways, the full amount should go in December 1.

Since we aren't truly "homeless" (staying with family) and since neither of us is unemployed, I don't want to try to cut in front of other people who need their claims more than us. And it hasn't even been a month since October 16 yet so yeah...
Click to expand...

Okay albeit if personal situations suddenly decline then you are now armed with sound insightful information in order to potentially rectify the unfortunate ordeal!

Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer."

Best Wishes!
 
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