TREA Washington Update

1.      TREA Urges Congress to Pass Vital Defense and Veterans Bills before Election Recess – Now that the August recess and the national political conventions are over, Congress is scheduled to go back into session next Monday. They have a tremendous amount of work that needs to be done and very little time in which to do it. The House is planning to be in session for three weeks and then recessing. The Senate plans for a four week session before it recesses. While there is some talk of a post-election session to try and finish up their work, there are mixed opinions about whether or not that will actually happen.

Because of that, TREA has joined with its partners in The Military Coalition in contacting the members of Congress and urging them to make passage the FY2009 Defense Authorization Act, the FY2009 Defense Appropriations Act, and the FY2009 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act their top priorities.

The new fiscal year for the federal government starts October 1 and unless new appropriations bills are passed, Congress will pass a “continuing resolution” (“CR”) to keep the government running. But a CR keeps the funding at last year’s levels, meaning that at best there are delays in implementation of needed  new programs, and at worst there are actual program cutbacks and mission curtailment because of hiring and procurement freezes and other constraints.

Our military personnel and veterans deserve better than that, especially during a time of war. We are asking all of our TREA members to contact their own Representative and Senators and urge them to make sure the Defense and VA bills listed above are passed before the October recess.

2.      COLA Will be Significantly Larger – Although the COLA for this year will not be officially announced for a few more weeks, we know that it will be significantly larger than it has been for many years. Because of the increasing inflation rate, it will be at least 6.2%, with the possibility it could be even larger.

3.      Correction for Form Needed to Claim Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) – In the September issue of The Voice, that has just been mailed out, the Washington Legislative Update on page 16 contains information on where to find the DD From 2860 on the internet that is needed to apply for Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC). However, we have been informed that the web address listed does not function properly.

If you want to apply for CRSC and need the DD Form 2860, you can go to following website and download the form.
http://www.dfas.mil/retiredpay/combat-relatedspecialcompensationcrsc/howtoapply.html

<http://capwiz.com/trea/utr/1/JQHQJDVHOV/GKOBJDVHWU/2349249461>

(NOTE: There is a hyphen between combat and related — combat(hyphen)relatedspecialcompensationcrsc)

This is the “How To Apply for CRSC” page on the Defense Accounting and Finance (DFAS) website and you just click on the DD Form 2860 link that is at the top of the page.

Be sure to read the entire page and follow the instructions on where to submit the form and the additional documentation needed to substantiate that you qualify for CRSC.

4.      Update From DFAS on CRSC and CRDP Retroactive Pay – In September 2006, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (DVA) identified more than 133,000 recipients of Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) or Concurrent Retired Disability Payment (CRDP) potentially eligible for additional retroactive compensation. Since then the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) in coordination with the DVA have processed all of the original cases as of June 8, 2008. 

Throughout the project DVA identified additional retirees that were prospectively eligible for retroactive payments. The agency also resubmitted accounts, from the original 133,000, for potential supplementary entitlements. Those accounts, classified as “new and returning,” were processed as of June 29, 2008.

Those people identified with potential eligibility for retroactive payment after January 2008, were placed in a category referred to as “On-Going.” The On-Going category documents the most recently received new and returning VA Retro cases. Those accounts as of July 20, 2008, have been processed.

To date a total of more than 230,000 accounts have been processed. 

Going forward, plans are to process all incoming claims within 30 days. While certain accounts may have received payment from DFAS, you may also be eligible for payment from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (DVA). Once your account has been processed at DFAS, the information is forwarded to the DVA for additional validation and possible payment. There may often be a lapse of time between the payments from the two different agencies. Questions concerning the VA can be addressed by calling 1-800-827-1000.

This information is on the DFAS website at http://www.dfas.mil/retiredpay/retroactivepayment.html

<http://capwiz.com/trea/utr/1/JQHQJDVHOV/NZWCJDVHWV/2349249461>

5.      DFAS Update on Payment of “IU” Concurrent Receipt – The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2008, Section 642 expanded the eligibility requirements for Concurrent Retirement Disability Payment (CRDP). Retirees who were rated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) as unemployable, generally referred to as Individual Unemployability (IU), and are in receipt of DVA disability compensation as a result of IU, will become eligible to receive full concurrent receipt of both their DVA compensation and Retired Pay. This section of the Act is effective October 1, 2008 and is retroactive to January 1, 2005.

Eligibility: To qualify for the CRDP entitlement, the retiree must have 20 years of service or retired under Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA), must be in receipt of retired pay, in receipt of DVA compensation, rated 50 percent or higher by the DVA. Those rated by the DVA as IU, are compensated at the 100 percent rate in accordance with the DVA disability compensation basic rates. Payment is not a separate payment but reduces the dollar for dollar offset that retirees give up for every dollar they receive from the DVA. This will eliminate the offset and give retirees in this category all of their retired pay, and they will continue to receive the DVA compensation as they have been all along. In addition, to receive the additional compensation amount, the retiree must be receiving compensation at a disability rating not less than 60 percent and be rated IU.

Retirees will not need to take any action in order to receive this increased benefit amount. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service receives this information from the DVA on a regular basis.    

The current monthly entitlement will begin in October 2008. It is estimated that 50,000 are eligible to receive these increased payment amounts. DFAS is currently on schedule to issue the larger monthly payment amounts beginning with the November 3, 2008, payments. Payments issued on November 3, 2008, will represent the entitlement effective October 1, 2008. DFAS is also scheduled in October 2008 to begin making the retroactive payments which can be computed back to January 1, 2005. DFAS will communicate when all eligible CRDP recipients can expect their retroactive payments nearer to the October 1, 2008, effective date.

As of November 1, 2008, an eligible retiree will receive full retired pay and VA compensation.

6.    POW/MIA Flag To Be Flown At VA Medical Facilities Later This Month – September 19th is when observances of “National POW/MIA Recognition Day” are held across the country on military installations, ships at sea, state capitols, schools and veterans’ facilities. On that day, Congress has mandated the flying of the National League of Families’ POW/MIA flag at major military installations, national cemeteries, all post offices, VA medical facilities, the World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the official offices of the secretaries of state, defense and veterans affairs, the
director of the selective service system and the White House.

7.    US Army Says Another Suicide Record Could Be Set – The Associated Press reports that, "Soldier suicides this year could surpass the record rate of last year,” Army officials said Thursday, “urging military leaders at all levels to redouble prevention efforts.” As of the end of last month, "there were 62 confirmed suicides among active duty soldiers and Guard and Reserve troops called to active duty,” officials said. “Another 31 deaths also appear to be suicides." Col. Eddie Stephens, the Army’s deputy director of human resources policy, said “if those figures are confirmed, the number of soldier suicides for 2008 could eclipse last year’s 115.”

The Washington Post reports Army officials "voiced concern that an array of Army programs aimed at suicide prevention has not checked a years-long rise in the suicide rate." They added, however, that the number of deaths would probably have gone up even more without those
programs

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National Headquarters email: treahq@trea.org <mailto:treahq@trea.org>
Phone: 800-338-9337 – Fax: 303-752-0835

Washington Legislative Office email: treadmin@treadc.org
<mailto:treadmin@treadc.org>
Phone: 800-554-8732  Fax: 703-548-4876