Concurrent Receipt Lets You Collect Both Military Retirement and SSDI at the Same Time

If you served in the military and are now receiving a retirement pension, you can still receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments. The two programs do not offset each other — you do not lose military retirement money because you get SSDI, and you do not lose SSDI because you receive military retirement. This is different from how SSDI interacts with some other federal benefits.

The key is understanding that military retirement is based on your years of service and rank, while SSDI is based on your work history and current disability. Because they measure different things, the Social Security Administration does not reduce your SSDI payment because you have military retirement income. Similarly, the Department of Defense does not reduce your military pension because you receive SSDI.

However, there is one older program called Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) that does create a connection between military service and SSDI. If you are a military retiree with a service-connected disability rated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, CRDP may affect how much you receive from both sources. Understanding which situation applies to you matters because the rules are different.

Key Takeaways

  • Military retirement payments and SSDI do not reduce each other — you receive the full amount of both unless you may have access to for CRDP.
  • CRDP is a separate military program that allows certain retirees with VA-rated disabilities to receive both full military retirement and VA disability compensation without offset.
  • CRDP does not directly change your SSDI amount, but it affects how much total military compensation you receive, which can change your household income.
  • To receive CRDP, you must have at least 20 years of military service and a VA disability rating of at least 50 percent.
  • If you are unsure whether you may have access to for CRDP, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) can review your military record and tell you whether you are may be able to access.

How SSDI and Military Retirement Interact Without CRDP

In most cases, receiving military retirement does not change your SSDI payment at all. Social Security counts your work history — the years you paid Social Security taxes and the wages you earned — to decide whether you have a disability and how much your monthly benefit should be. Military service counts toward your work history if you paid into Social Security during that time, which most service members do.

Your military retirement pension is treated as unearned income by Social Security, meaning it does not come from current work. SSDI itself does not have an income limit — you can receive SSDI no matter how much money you have coming in from other sources. This is different from Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which does reduce payments if your income is too high. If you receive SSDI (not SSI), your military retirement check does not affect your SSDI payment.

The only time military retirement might matter for SSDI is if you are also receiving SSI. SSI counts all income, including military pensions, and reduces your SSI payment by one dollar for every dollar of other income you receive (after a small exclusion). If you receive both SSDI and SSI, your military retirement would reduce only the SSI portion, not the SSDI portion.

What CRDP Is and Whether It Applies to You

Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) is a military program, not an SSDI program. It allows certain military retirees to receive their full military retirement pension and their full VA disability compensation at the same time, without the military reducing one payment because you receive the other. Before CRDP existed, military retirees with service-connected disabilities had to choose: take your full retirement or take your full VA disability payment, but not both.

CRDP does not directly change your SSDI payment. However, if you may have access to for CRDP, you will receive more total military compensation than you would without it. That extra money counts as income if you also receive SSI, which would reduce your SSI payment. It does not affect SSDI itself.

To may have access to for CRDP, you must meet all of these conditions: you must have at least 20 years of active duty military service; you must be a military retiree receiving a retirement pension; and you must have a service-connected disability rated by the VA at 50 percent or higher. If you have a rating below 50 percent, you do not may have access to for CRDP, even if you have 20 years of service.

How to learn about You may have access to for CRDP

Start by checking your VA disability rating. You can view your rating online through VA.gov by logging into your account, or you can call the VA at 1-800-827-1000. Your rating letter will show the percentage assigned to your service-connected disability. If your rating is 50 percent or higher and you have 20 or more years of military service, you may may have access to for CRDP.

Next, contact the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) to confirm your may be able to access and explore. DFAS handles all military retirement pay and CRDP determinations. You can reach DFAS by phone at 1-800-321-1080 (for retirees) or visit their website at dfas.mil. Tell them you want to know whether you are may be able to access for CRDP based on your military service record and VA disability rating.

DFAS will review your file and tell you whether you may have access to. If you do, they will explain how much additional money you will receive each month and how to complete the CRDP process. The process usually takes a few weeks. Once approved, CRDP payments are added to your regular military retirement check.

How CRDP Affects Your Total Income and Benefits

If you may have access to for CRDP and are approved, your military retirement check will increase. The amount depends on your specific situation, but DFAS will calculate it for you. This increase is considered income by Social Security, but it only affects SSI payments, not SSDI payments.

If you receive SSDI only (the most common situation), CRDP approval does not change your SSDI payment. Your military retirement and VA disability compensation both increase, but your SSDI stays the same. Your total monthly income from all sources goes up, but that does not trigger a reduction in SSDI.

If you receive both SSDI and SSI, the situation is more complex. Your SSDI payment remains unchanged, but your SSI payment will be reduced because your total income (including the CRDP increase) is higher. You would need to contact your local Social Security office to recalculate your SSI payment after CRDP is approved. In some cases, the increase in military compensation is large enough that you no longer may have access to for SSI at all.

Other Military Benefits That Do Not Affect SSDI

Beyond CRDP, several other military and veteran benefits do not reduce your SSDI payment. VA disability compensation (if you do not may have access to for CRDP) is not counted as income by Social Security and does not affect SSDI. Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) payments, which go to your family members after your death, also do not reduce SSDI. Veterans' pensions for non-service-connected disabilities do not affect SSDI either.

Military health care (TRICARE) and VA health care do not count as income and do not affect SSDI. The same is true for housing allowances, commissary benefits, and other in-kind military benefits. The rule is straightforward: if it is not cash income paid directly to you, Social Security does not count it when calculating your SSDI payment.

If you receive a lump-sum payment from the military — such as a separation bonus or back pay — Social Security may count it as income in the month you receive it, but only for that month. After that, it does not affect your ongoing SSDI payment. If the lump sum is large enough to affect your SSI payment, contact your local Social Security office to report it.

What to Report to Social Security

When you first explore for SSDI, you should report any military retirement income you receive. Social Security will ask about all income sources on the process form. Be honest and complete — this helps Social Security calculate your benefit correctly from the start.

If you are already receiving SSDI and then start receiving military retirement (or CRDP), you do not need to report it to Social Security unless you also receive SSI. If you receive only SSDI, the military retirement income does not change your payment, so there is no requirement to notify Social Security. However, if you receive SSI as well, you must report the military income within 10 days of receiving it, because it will reduce your SSI payment.

You can report changes to Social Security by calling 1-800-772-1213, visiting your local Social Security office, or using your online account at ssa.gov. Have your military retirement statement or CRDP approval letter available when you call, so you can provide the exact amount you receive each month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does getting CRDP reduce my SSDI payment?

No. CRDP is a military program that does not directly change SSDI. If you receive SSDI only, CRDP approval increases your military compensation but does not reduce your SSDI. If you also receive SSI, the CRDP increase will reduce your SSI payment because SSI counts all income.

Can I receive military retirement and SSDI at the same time?

Yes. Military retirement and SSDI do not offset each other. You receive the full amount of both payments each month. This is true whether or not you may have access to for CRDP.

What if my VA disability rating is less than 50 percent?

You do not may have access to for CRDP if your rating is below 50 percent. However, you can still receive both military retirement and SSDI without any reduction. Your VA disability compensation (if you receive it) also does not affect your SSDI payment.

Do I need to reapply for SSDI if I get approved for CRDP?

No. CRDP approval does not require you to reapply for SSDI. Your SSDI payment continues unchanged. If you receive SSI as well, contact Social Security to report the income change so they can recalculate your SSI payment.

Where do I find my VA disability rating?

Log into your VA account at VA.gov, or call the VA at 1-800-827-1000. Your rating letter shows the percentage assigned to your service-connected disability. You will need this information to determine whether you may have access to for CRDP.