Published July 15, 2026. The benefits-news items below were current as of that date; projections were projections when written. This is an archived issue of our weekly email — subscribe here to get new issues first.
The 2027 COLA projection just dropped
New inflation data released Tuesday showed prices cooling in June — and the leading 2027 COLA projections dropped with it, now sitting around 3.7% to 3.8%, down from estimates as high as 4.7% just a month ago. That one number matters three times over: the same COLA raises military retired pay, VA disability compensation, and CRSC every January. (Source: CNBC / The Senior Citizens League / MOAA COLA Watch. Projection — not final.)
Nothing is official until mid-October. Only the July, August, and September inflation figures count toward the final calculation, so treat any "confirmed 2027 rate" floating around online as noise. The good news: even at 3.7%, next year's adjustment would still beat 2026's 2.8%.
The VA backlog fell below 70,000 — decisions are moving fast
The VA's claims backlog dropped below 70,000 last week — the first time in six years — with average processing time down to roughly 78 days. And on Monday, July 13, a House Veterans' Affairs subcommittee held an oversight hearing on how the VA is using automation and AI to speed up PACT Act and disability decisions, pressing officials on what safeguards sit behind that speed. Why retirees should care: your VA rating decision is the foundation every CRSC packet is built on. Faster decisions mean your rating picture can change quickly — and a fast decision is not automatically a complete one. (Source: Marine Corps Times, July 9 / House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, July 13.)
Reading the percentage, skipping the pages
When a decision comes back, most veterans check the combined percentage and file the letter away. The money gets left in the pages behind it: conditions that were deferred, secondaries denied for thin evidence, and — for retirees — combat-related conditions that got rated but were never claimed for CRSC. CRSC is a separate application to your service branch. The VA won't file it for you, and DFAS won't start it for you. A rated condition tied to combat that never made it into a CRSC application may be tax-free money sitting still.
Pull your most recent VA rating decision this week — the whole letter, not just the summary page. Make three columns: granted, deferred, denied. Then circle every granted condition tied to combat, hazardous duty, realistic combat training, or an instrumentality of war. Those circles are what a CRSC application is built from — and eligible retirees may qualify for monthly tax-free pay plus potential back pay. Two minutes on our free CRSC calculator shows what those circles could mean, then book a free 15-minute review below.
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