When do you start collecting military retirement

Get the latest on pay updates, benefit changes and award-winning military content. Right in your inbox. View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page.

Check out the US military pay scale charts for all ranks for active duty, as well as Reserve and Guard components. What will that do to your paycheck? Read more. The military retirement system is arguably the best one around, but proper planning is needed to ensure you can retire Disability compensation is paid to veterans disabled by an injury or illness that was incurred or aggravated during active Benefits Military Pay.

The Military Retirement System. All rights reserved. Soldiers who completed the years of qualifying service on or after 25 April , there is no minimum reserve component service requirement.

A Soldier in the Army Reserve must have completed 20 years of qualifying service to be eligible for non-regular retired pay at age A qualifying year is a complete year in which a Soldier has earned a minimum of 50 retirement points.

A Soldier earns points for inactive duty for training IDT , active duty for training ADT , active duty, Reserve membership, and equivalent instruction, as follows:. In a given year a Soldier may earn up to total points for a leap year , however, only of those points can come from inactive duty for retirement years ending prior to September 23, to total is reduced to 60 inactive points; for retirement years ending between September 23, and October 29, the total points is reduced to 75; for retirement years ending between October 30, and October 29, the total points is reduced to Non-regular Retired pay under the Reserve system is computed by totaling all points earned during a Soldier's career, dividing by one year and then multiplying by 2.

The multiplier is then applied to the Soldier's basic pay rate or "high" 36months average at the time the retirement request is made.

Learn more under the benefits section in number 3 below. Note: Service members enrolled in the new Blended Retirement System will have slightly different retirement payments than the three outlined above, including a different monthly retired pay formula, a possible lump sum payment taken at time of departure, and a Thrift Savings Plan.

Learn more in these frequently asked questions regarding the Blended Retirement System. Payouts: Federal and state taxes will be withheld from your retirement check. Also remember medical and dental premiums, and Survivor Benefit Plan premiums. Annual adjustments: Just like your active-duty pay, your retirement pay adjusts annually based on the cost of living to protect your income against inflation. As an active-duty service member, you receive a number of benefits. What happens to them when you retire?

This includes family members with Medicare Part A and B. Dental and vision plans have a monthly premium based on the plan you choose. Coast Guard Pay and Personnel Center, ; ; www. Marine Corps Reserve. Marine Individual Reserve Support Group, www. Navy Reserve. Navy Personnel Command, ; www. Reservists can qualify for military disability retirement pay or disability compensation.

Reservists who retire or leave the service with disabilities caused while on duty also can receive disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Permanent disability. Members officially rated by the military as at least 30 percent permanently disabled are entitled to disability retirement pay.

To qualify, they must have spent at least eight years in the military or the disability must have been incurred in the line of duty.

Temporary disability. Some veterans have medical problems that prevent them from carrying out their military duties, but their disabilities may not be permanent. These individuals may be placed on the Temporary Disability Retired List, and their disabilities will be re-evaluated every 18 months. Within five years, doctors must determine whether the disabilities are permanent. VA disability compensation. VA offers disability payments to former military members with disabilities incurred or aggravated during active service.

This compensation is separate from the military permanent and temporary disability payments and is tax-free. Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated at 30 percent or more are entitled to additional allowances for their dependents.

Veterans who do not qualify for military disability may qualify for VA disability, and vice versa. Some qualify for both. Military retirees who have disabilities should apply to the Defense Department and for VA disability compensation as well.

Military retirees with 20 or more years of service and a 50 percent or higher VA-rated disability no longer have their military retirement pay reduced by the amount of their VA disability compensation. This change is being phased in from through for those with disabilities rated at 50 percent to 90 percent.

Congress has eliminated the offset entirely for those rated percent disabled. Veterans classified as percent disabled, as well as their spouses and any dependent children, may use military exchanges, commissaries and other base facilities. However, they are not eligible for military medical care. VA provides medical care for eligible veterans, spouses and dependents.

VA pension.