Combat-Related Special Compensation

Claim Workshop

Agenda

• What is CRSC?

• CRSC vs. CRDP

• CRSC Claim Workshop

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What is CRSC?

What is CRSC?

• CRSC is Congressionally mandated program providing compensation for eligible retired veterans with “combat-related” injuries who have a 10-100% VA disability rating.

How does CRSC help retired veterans?

• Replaces the VA disability compensation that’s subtracted from retired pay • Restores military retired pay with tax free monthly payments and is paid retroactively• Recognizes veterans for their sacrifice to our country

Reference: DOD 7000.14-R Volume 7B Chapter 63 (CRDP is Chapter 64)

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CRSC vs. CRDP Decision Matrix

A Decision MatrixCRSCBenefit

CRDPPay

Full Concurrent Receipt Yes Yes (after 2014)

VA Rating Starts At 10% 50%

Federal Tax Tax Free Taxed

File Claims Must Apply Automatic

Retroactive Pay Yes No

Qualified Injury Combat Linked Service Connected

Subject to Uniform Services

Former Spouse Protection Act (USFSPA)No Yes

SBP (Survivor Benefit Plan) Yes Yes

Available to Chapter 61 Medical and TDRL

retirees with less than 20 years of serviceYes No

Available to TERA retirees Yes Yes

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Payments From DFAS and VA Based on CRDP or CRSC

• DFAS audits VA and DFAS accounts to determine if a retro payment is required.

• DFAS will forward the audit to VA if it finds that the VA needs to provide a retroactive payment.

• DFAS on initial application for CRSC and veteran is also eligible for CRDP. DFAS will automatically award the greater $ amount. Veterans will have a one opportunity to reverse the current decision. After that there is an annual enrolment period (usually January) to change your selection of CRSC or CRDP.

• Retroactive payments are limited to 6 years.

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Service-Related vs. Combat-Related

Service-Related• Injury directly related to military service

Example:• Hurt knee during Battalion run at Airborne School

Combat-Related Injury• Injury contributed to any of the following situations:

Examples:• Simulating War - hurt knee while reacting to enemy fire during FTX• Hazardous Services - hurt knee on a night jump during SF school • Instrumentality of War - hit knee on rotating tank turret during FTX• Armed Conflict - shot in knee by enemy during Gulf War

Agent Orange and Gulf war presumptive count as Combat Related.

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CRSC Claim Workshop

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Who is Eligible?

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Must Have ALL

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Must Have at least one

“combat-related” VA Disability

1. Receiving military retired pay

2. Military retired pay is reduced

by VA disability payments (VA

Waiver)

3. Have a 10% or greater VA

rated disability

1. Simulating War (SW)

2. Hazardous Service (HS)

3. Instrumentality of War (IN)

4. Armed Conflict (AC)

Armed Conflict

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Hazardous Services

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Instrumentality of War

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Simulating War

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Why Claims are Denied

Top Reasons CRSC Claims are Not Approved:

1) Official documentation provided does not tell “HOW” the injury occurred to link it to a combat related event

2) The VA rating decision “narrative summary” was not provided

3) Claim was not signed by the retiree

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Did I supply evidence that verifies

“HOW” I got the injury?

Before submitting your claim determine...

CRSC Claim Pages

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• CRSC Claim Pages: Retired veterans complete pages 1 – 3 only when submitting a claim (the cover page and the appendix should not be mailed into the CRSC office). There may be multiple page 2s.

• Each page provides a step-by-step guide to what information is needed

Section II – Preliminary Requirements

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Section III - Service History

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Page 2 Note

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Section IV – Request for Combat-Related Determination (part 1)

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Section IV – Request for Combat-Related Determination (part 2)

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Section V – Required Documentation

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How to File a Claim

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Step 1- Review CRSC eligibility questionnaire (section II of form)

Step 2- Gather your documentary evidence:

Copies of DD 214/215s. Be sure to retain a copy for your records

All VA-rating decisions including the VA letter, the actual VA rating decisions

and the VA code sheets.(Determine if your decisions state “HOW” the injury occurred)

(If not, go though your personnel and medical records to see if you can find

any evidence to verify the claim)

Medical records that show the causation of the disability( Do not send

numerous pages showing the treatment or severity)

Step 3- Make sure you have a retired pay account, and a VA waiver in place on your retired pay account from DFAS. Go to 'My Pay" pull up your electronic retired

pay account, look near the bottom and you will see the word "Waiver" and a

dollar amount next to it. The two most common reasons for an ineligible

letter to be mailed out is No retired pay account and/or VA waiver not in

place on account.

Step 4- Complete the DD 2860 and submit packet IAW page one or the Branch Website (updated electronic filing).

NOTE: The VA and MTF can accept documents that CRSC cannot.

Submitting a Successful CRSC Claim

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• DO Submit:

– A signed claim form

– Copies of ALL VA rating decisions which include the letter and

the narrative summaries

– Copies of ALL DD214’s and DD215’s

– Official documentary evidence that supports “HOW” the specific

disability being claimed can be linked to a combat-related event

• DO NOT Submit:

– Medical records that do not pertain to the disability being

claimed

– Electronic media, EKGs, lab slips, or dental records

– Personal or “Buddy” statements

Documentation –What you need to know

• CRSC needs to see a specific event that caused the disability being claimed in the medical documentation you provide

• Unnecessary paperwork can impede the claim process

• All documentation must be from a military treatment facility or VA medical center or clinic

• CRSC does not have access to your military records

• We know that there are many deserving Retirees that may never find evidence to verify their CRSC claim. However, regardless of why you do not have evidence, we will be unable to award any compensation from CRSC without something official that tells us how you got your injury or what caused your illness

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Highly Recommended Documents:

• Medical Records (showing the disability causation)

• Award Certificates and/or narratives

• Military Medical Treatment Facility Records (showing the disability causation)

• Military Orders

• Suggested Documents:

• Military Quadrennial Physical Examinations

• Military Retirement Physicals

• Physical Evaluation Board Proceedings

• Clinical Records or Notes (showing the disability causation)

• Sick Slips

• Western Union Casualty Notification Telegrams

• Officers Record Brief

• Enlisted Records Brief

Search VBMS, Request military personnel files, and if they had WI Army National Guard Service request both SMR and Personnel records.

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Reconsiderations – Each branch has a slightly different procedure.

• Army, Navy Marines have a reconsideration form. • Can be used for additional disabilities

• Increases

• Reductions

• USAF have their web sites lock and I don’t have an account. So you might need to get the complete packet from the USAF Retiree.

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DEBT – due to reductions or other Gov Debt

• CRSC and CRDP can be garnished for Debt to the US Government

• There was a brief reference to a DEBT waiver. Most likely that process would be through DFAS. DEBT letters will be sent and if a plan is not set up in 120 days the Debt will be sent to Treasury.

• Debts can also be due to Dependents so when the VA takes 9 moths to drop a dependent DFAS will have an overpayment.

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Main Problem with CRSC

• This is a DOD Program

• All information from Branch and DFAS go to the Veteran only.

• We (accredited VSO representatives are in the dark unless the Veteran brings us copies.

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Questions

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Resources that will be availableonce Andy decides where to put them

• CRSC Form DD form 2860 (also in Vetra Spec)

• DFAS sample debt letter.

• Navy/Marine and Army Reconsideration forms.

• DOD Financial management regulation 7000.14-R Volume 7B, Chapter 63

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