Recouping Separation Pay from U.S. Service Members and Veterans Who Later Receive Veterans Affairs Disability Compensation

After service members separate from the military and receive separation pay, they may later qualify for compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). To avoid duplication of benefits, VA cannot pay veterans until the full amount of separation pay has been recouped, or withheld. The authors present findings on how many service members and veterans are affected by recoupment and how much more money they would receive in its absence.