ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Army News Service, Jan. 23, 2004) -- A new Web site designed to assist disabled military retirees in applying for Combat-Related Special Compensation went online the week of Jan. 12.

The U.S. Army CSRC Web site, located at www.crsc.army.mil , provides information a disabled military retiree needs to apply for this special compensation, said officials from the Human Resources Command. The site provides program guidelines used to determine eligibility for combat-related disability benefits and application procedures for the program.

“The site includes an application form, which can be downloaded, and it gives detailed instructions of the application process, said Brig. Gen. Gina S. Farrisee, the Army Adjutant General. “It also contains supporting documentation required to substantiate a claim and helpful tips on how to enable the timeliest application processing.”

The Web site also provides:

· Guidance on how and where to file an appeal for retirees who previously submitted applications that have been determined ineligible or have been declined.

· A detailed listing of specific information and documentation that is frequently overlooked by applicants in their initial applications, as well as procedural and timing considerations.

· Phone and e-mail points of contact in the event customers have difficulty navigating the site or need specific information about the CRSC program.

As a provision of the 2003 National Defense Authorization Act, CRSC allows eligible disabled military retirees to collect payments for both their military service and their service-related disability.

According to the legislation, a veteran with "combat-related" disabilities is any 20-year military retiree with at least a 60 percent combined disability rating, with injuries as a "direct result of armed conflict" or as a result of "hazardous" military service, while serving in "conditions simulating war" or were incurred "through an instrumentality of war."

Automatic qualifiers include any military retiree with at least 20 years of service who is rated as at least 10 percent disabled by injuries related to the award of a Purple Heart, officials said. Payments are retroactive to June 1 for those whose disability occurred before that date. Those who apply and are approved will begin receiving payments about 60 days after approval. Payments are deposited concurrently with standard military pay.

As of Jan.1, CRSC eligibility will be expanded to include disabled military retirees with 10 to 100 percent VA disability rating and Reservists and National Guard retirees eligible at age 60 who are receiving retired pay.

(Editor’s note: This article was submitted by U.S. Army Human Resources Command Public Affairs Office)