Who We Are, What We Do

Retired and Annuitant (R&A) Pay is part of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), an agency under the Department of Defense (DoD). We are a payment agency. R&A Pay establishes, maintains and pays military retirees and their eligible surviving spouses and other family members.

We serve a community of 2.9 million military retirees and their eligible surviving beneficiaries. Our commitment is to pay our customers on time and accurately, every time. We strive to do this with the highest levels of integrity, customer service and friendliness.

How We Work With Our Customers

While you are on active duty:

• Your primary contact is your Branch of Service. Your Branch of Service maintains all records and transmits all retirement-related communication to active duty military members.

During the course of your service:

• You may earn the right to a Regular Retirement.
• You may also sustain an injury or a combat-related injury. If you do, you may become entitled to a disability related retirement.

When it is time to retire:

• Your Branch of Service will send papers for Regular and Reserve and certain forms of Disability Retirement to DFAS R&A Pay. We create an account and initiate your retirement payments.
• Your Branch of Service will send papers relating to some Disability Retirements to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which may pay entitlements of this sort.
• R&A Pay and the VA work with the papers we receive from the Branch of Service. We may contact you to ensure you receive all the money you are entitled to and no overpayments occur.

While you are retired:

• R&A Pay is your primary point of contact for matters affecting your regular and reserve retirement accounts
• The VA is your primary point of contact for matters relating to disability ratings and many disability related entitlements
• R&A Pay and the VA coordinate concerning offsetting and overlapping entitlements
• You play a key role in informing DFAS and the VA about changes in your disability ratings, payment, contact and beneficiary information

Related Link:

Who Should I Contact? DFAS, the VA or the Military?

Page updated January 9, 2019.