Combat-Related Special Compensation restores the retired pay you had to waive to receive VA disability compensation — but only for the conditions your branch board approves as combat-related, and only up to strict caps. The calculator below turns those rules into a plain-English estimate. Your VA compensation is never touched; CRSC is paid on top of it.
Verified to primary sources, reviewed September 8, 2026: DoD FMR Vol. 7B, Ch. 63·10 U.S.C. 1413a·10 U.S.C. 1414·Soto v. United States (2025)·DFAS CRSC guidance·VA compensation rates, effective Dec 1, 2025
CRSC Estimator
Estimates your monthly Combat-Related Special Compensation. CRSC pays back the VA-waiver portion of your retired pay, limited to your combat-related rating — and, for Chapter 61 retirees, to your longevity-earned pay.
VA Combined Rating ("VA Math")
Individual ratings don't add up the way you'd think — 50% + 30% ≠ 80%. Enter each disability rating; we apply the VA's formula and round to the nearest 10%.
CRDP vs CRSC — After Tax
You can only receive one. The system pays the higher gross amount, but because CRSC is tax-free, it often nets more. Compare after-tax below.
Back Pay / Retro Estimator
CRSC can be paid retroactively to when you first became eligible. The Supreme Court's Soto decision struck down the old 6-year cap on back pay. See the CRSC back pay timeline for how far back awards reach and when they arrive.
How much CRSC could my record support?
There is no flat CRSC amount. Your monthly Combat-Related Special Compensation is the lesser of two figures: the dollar value of your combat-related rating on the VA compensation table, and the amount of retired pay you waived to receive VA disability compensation. Whichever is smaller is what CRSC pays. That is why two veterans with the same overall VA rating can receive very different CRSC — the board may approve different amounts of their ratings as combat-related, and they may have waived different amounts of retired pay.
To put rough numbers on it, here is what selected combat-related percentages are worth on the 2026 VA table for a veteran with no dependents (effective December 1, 2025). The calculator adjusts these for dependents automatically:
| Combat-related rating | 2026 monthly value (veteran alone) |
|---|---|
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
How the CRSC calculation works
The CRSC Estimator tab asks for two ratings on purpose. Your total VA combined rating sets your VA waiver — the retired pay being offset, which is the most CRSC can restore. Your combat-related combined rating is the portion your branch board approves as combat-related, valued on the same VA table. CRSC pays the lower of those two. Your gross retired pay from your DFAS Retiree Account Statement sets the waiver; leave it blank and the estimator shows a bounded range with the assumption stated rather than a single figure. Every result names which term is binding: the combat-related rating (G), the waived retired pay (W), or for Chapter 61 retirees longevity pay less residual retired pay (L minus R).
Want to know your combined rating first? The VA Math tab applies the VA's own formula (38 CFR 4.25) — because disability ratings combine, they don't add. A 50% and a 30% don't make 80%; they make 65%, which rounds to 70%. See what CRSC is and how CRSC compares to CRDP for the full picture.
Chapter 61 medical retirees
If you were medically retired under Chapter 61, CRSC has a third cap: CRSC plus any retired pay you still receive after the VA waiver cannot exceed your longevity-earned pay (years of service × 2.5% × your high-3 retired pay base; 2.0% under the Blended Retirement System). That is 10 U.S.C. 1413a(b)(3) and FMR 7B ch. 63, 8.5.2. Switch the estimator to a Chapter 61 option and enter your years, your retired pay base (or rank) and, if you have it, your gross retired pay or DoD disability percentage to see it applied. Reserve and Guard Chapter 61 retirees use retirement points divided by 360 in place of years, so have your NGB-23 or ARPC points statement handy. This longevity cap is the single most common reason a Chapter 61 scenario comes in lower than expected. More detail on the Chapter 61 CRSC page.
CRSC back pay after Soto
CRSC can be paid retroactively to when you first became eligible. The Supreme Court's Soto decision struck down the old six-year cap, and on May 14, 2026 the Department of Defense rescinded its interim limits and restored statutory effective dates for all CRSC claims. The Back Pay tab starts from the latest of your retirement month, the VA effective date for the combat-related conditions and the statutory floor, then values each month at the VA rate in effect that month; the retro DFAS actually pays depends on your branch's effective date and its audit of retired pay and any CRDP already paid. What changed →
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free CRSC calculator?
Yes. The Standfast CRSC calculator on this page is free to use — add your contact details once to unlock the scenario estimate. It estimates monthly CRSC, your VA combined rating, CRDP vs CRSC after tax, and retroactive back pay using the 2026 VA rates. It is an educational estimate, not a guarantee.
How is CRSC calculated?
CRSC is paid from the VA compensation tables based on the combat-related percentage your branch board approves — usually lower than your overall VA rating — then capped at the retired pay you waived, and for Chapter 61 retirees at longevity-earned pay. Your CRSC is the lowest of those caps.
Does the calculator work for Chapter 61 medical retirees?
Yes. Choose a Chapter 61 option in the CRSC Estimator and enter your years of service and high-3 base (or your rank), plus your gross retired pay or DoD disability percentage if you have it, to apply the Chapter 61 rule: CRSC plus any retired pay left after the VA waiver cannot exceed longevity-earned pay. You will also be asked when you first entered service, because the multiplier differs: legacy High-3 earns 2.5% of your high-3 per year, while the Blended Retirement System (BRS) earns 2.0%. BRS applies automatically if you entered on or after January 1, 2018, and to anyone who opted in during the 2018 open season. Getting this wrong can overstate a Chapter 61 longevity cap by several hundred dollars a month.
Is CRSC back pay still limited to six years?
No. After Soto and the May 14, 2026 DoD guidance, the six-year cap no longer limits eligible CRSC back pay, though how far back your award reaches still depends on your effective date.
An estimate is a start. A real read is better.
Numbers on a calculator can't tell you which of your conditions a board will actually approve as combat-related. A free 15-minute review gets you a straight, experience-based read on your situation, vet to vet — including an honest answer on whether a packet is worth your money.
CRSC help for your branch
Every branch routes Combat-Related Special Compensation through a different board. Get the filing details and packet help for yours:
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