VA + MILITARY RETIRED PAY CALCULATOR — FOUNDING PUBLIC BETA

See the VA number. Then run the military-pay interaction.

Start with individual VA ratings. MDN estimates the combined VA evaluation and 2026 compensation. If military retired pay is part of the picture, continue into the second engine for longevity retired pay, Chapter 61 disability retired pay, VA waiver/offset, CRDP, and CRSC caps.

✓ No account✓ Nothing leaves this tab✓ 2026 VA rates✓ Bilateral-factor handling✓ Chapter 61 / CRDP / CRSC engine✓ Estimate—not a DFAS or VA decision

1 — VA RATINGS

Add each compensable disability separately.

Short labels are only for your screen. Use the location field only when a compensable disability affects an arm/hand/shoulder or leg/foot/hip and may be part of a paired-extremity bilateral calculation.

Bilateral-factor scope. This beta models paired upper and lower extremities under 38 CFR § 4.26, including the current favorable-result exception. Paired skeletal-muscle edge cases outside those location choices still require manual verification.

2 — DEPENDENTS & KNOWN ADDITIONS

Estimate the monthly VA compensation.

Dependent additions begin at 30%. Enter only dependents VA recognizes for compensation purposes.

Dependent spouseIncluded in the current VA award picture. Dependent parents Dependent children under 18 Children over 18 in a qualifying school program Spouse receives Aid & AttendanceVA publishes an added amount when applicable. Known SMC-K awards

SMC note. Only confirmed SMC-K additions are included in the VA dollar estimate here. SMC-S and higher levels use separate rate tables and entitlement rules; use the actual VA monthly-compensation override below when your real award includes amounts this VA engine does not calculate.

VA SOURCES

What controls the VA estimate.

38 CFR § 4.25Combined Ratings Table 38 CFR § 4.26Bilateral factor VA 2026 ratesEffective Dec. 1, 2025 VA SMC ratesSMC-K and higher levels

3 — MILITARY RETIRED PAY + VA INTERACTION

Run the Chapter 61, VA offset, CRDP, and CRSC numbers.

This engine uses the VA estimate above unless you override it with the actual monthly VA amount from your award. It separates gross retired pay, the VA waiver, residual retired pay, CRDP restoration, and CRSC instead of collapsing them into one number.

Retirement type Retirement system Service-credit input

Creditable yearsAdditional months

Monthly retired-pay base / High-3Use the retired-pay base, not take-home pay. Current gross retired pay override — optionalRecommended for an existing retiree because COLAs can make the current amount differ from a retirement-date calculation. Military retired pay is payable for the month being modeledUncheck for a future/gray-area month. Actual VA combined rating override — optional Actual monthly VA compensation override — optionalUse this when the actual award includes higher SMC or other amounts not calculated above. Combat-related monthly amount for CRSC — if knownCRSC cannot be calculated from the total VA rating alone. Use the combat-related VA compensation amount reflected by the Service/DFAS calculation when known. My Service has approved CRSCIf unchecked, MDN treats the CRSC result only as an illustrative cap scenario.

Existing retiree? For the tightest current-month estimate, use the gross retired pay and longevity-cap figures from DFAS when available. The simple High-3 × multiplier calculation does not reconstruct years of historical COLAs.

Select a military retirement type.MDN will then build the retired-pay, VA offset, CRDP, and CRSC scenarios separately.

MILITARY PAY SOURCES

What controls the retired-pay engine.

DoD retirement formulasRetired-pay base and 2.5% / 2.0% multipliers DoD disability retirementChapter 61, 75% cap, TDRL minimum DFAS CRDP50% VA threshold and Chapter 61 special rules DFAS CRSCEligibility and Service application requirement DFAS VA waiver / concurrent receiptHow the offset, CRDP, and CRSC interact DFAS CRDP vs CRSCCannot receive both for the same month

THE NUMBER IS NOT THE WHOLE PICTURE

Use the math to find the next question—not to replace the agencies.

Start MDN can screen the broader picture for SMC, P&T/TDIU differences, family benefits, survivor issues, health care, service-history problems, timelines, and other entitlements that a pay calculator alone cannot resolve.

Start MDN with my whole picture →