October's military retired pay and VA disability pay land Friday, October 30, a weekend early, because November 1 is a Sunday. That's the only retired pay or VA deposit until December 1. Nothing lands in November.
Then the first deposit with the 3.6% COLA hits Thursday, December 31, because January 1 is a holiday. So December gets two deposits and January gets none, and it happens again later in 2027. May and August get no deposit, and April, July and December get two.
SBP annuities are the exception. DFAS moves those the other way, to the next business day, so October's annuity comes Monday, November 2. Here's every date from now through December 2027 for retired pay, SBP, VA compensation and active duty, and the rule that sets them.
The date tells you when. Not how much.
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Military Retirement, SBP and VA Disability Pay Dates
Retired pay is due on the 1st of the month for the month before, so the November 1 payday is October's pay. CRDP is part of your retired pay and CRSC is paid along with it, so both come the same day. The VA pays disability compensation the same way, a month behind on the 1st.
When the 1st is a weekend or a federal holiday, retired pay and VA pay come the business day before. SBP annuities come the business day after. That's why the columns split in the shaded rows.
| Pay for | Retired pay | VA | SBP annuity | Why it moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | Fri, Oct 30, 2026 | Fri, Oct 30, 2026 | Mon, Nov 2, 2026 | November 1 is a Sunday |
| November 2026 | Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | On time |
| December 2026 | Thu, Dec 31, 2026 | Thu, Dec 31, 2026 | Mon, Jan 4, 2027 | January 1 is New Year's Day |
| January 2027 | Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | On time |
| February 2027 | Mon, Mar 1, 2027 | Mon, Mar 1, 2027 | Mon, Mar 1, 2027 | On time |
| March 2027 | Thu, Apr 1, 2027 | Thu, Apr 1, 2027 | Thu, Apr 1, 2027 | On time |
| April 2027 | Fri, Apr 30, 2027 | Fri, Apr 30, 2027 | Mon, May 3, 2027 | May 1 is a Saturday |
| May 2027 | Tue, Jun 1, 2027 | Tue, Jun 1, 2027 | Tue, Jun 1, 2027 | On time |
| June 2027 | Thu, Jul 1, 2027 | Thu, Jul 1, 2027 | Thu, Jul 1, 2027 | On time |
| July 2027 | Fri, Jul 30, 2027 | Fri, Jul 30, 2027 | Mon, Aug 2, 2027 | August 1 is a Sunday |
| August 2027 | Wed, Sep 1, 2027 | Wed, Sep 1, 2027 | Wed, Sep 1, 2027 | On time |
| September 2027 | Fri, Oct 1, 2027 | Fri, Oct 1, 2027 | Fri, Oct 1, 2027 | On time |
| October 2027 | Mon, Nov 1, 2027 | Mon, Nov 1, 2027 | Mon, Nov 1, 2027 | On time |
| November 2027 | Wed, Dec 1, 2027 | Wed, Dec 1, 2027 | Wed, Dec 1, 2027 | On time |
| December 2027 | Fri, Dec 31, 2027 | Thu, Dec 30, 2027* | Mon, Jan 3, 2028 | January 1 is a Saturday, and Friday, December 31 is the federal holiday |
* January 1, 2028 is a Saturday, and Friday, December 31 is the New Year's holiday for federal workers. DFAS pays retirees that Friday anyway, and its 2027 calendar lists Friday, December 31. VA pay skips the holiday. In December 2021, the last time this happened, Treasury paid VA on Thursday, December 30, so expect Thursday, December 30 again, but Treasury hasn't posted its 2027 schedule yet. Social Security runs on its own schedule by birthday, so it isn't in this table.
You know the day. Now see the number.
The calculator puts your pension, VA pay, federal tax and state tax in one monthly figure, so you know what each of these deposits should be.
Calculate my take-home →Months With Two Deposits and Months With None
This is the part that throws people. A month with no deposit doesn't mean your retired pay or VA pay is late or missing. It came early, at the end of the month before.
Retired pay and VA deposits, by the month they land in
Dec 31, December pay
Apr 30, April pay
Jul 30, July pay
Dec 31 (VA Dec 30), December pay
So budget by what the money is for, not when it shows up. The December 31 deposit is December's pay, and it has to carry you until Monday, February 1. You still get 12 deposits in 2027. They just don't land one per calendar month.
SBP annuitants never see this. Their pay moves later instead of earlier, so an annuitant gets exactly one deposit every month, sometimes up to three days into it.
2027 Active Duty Pay Dates
Active duty gets paid twice a month, on the 1st and the 15th. The 1st is the end-of-month pay for the month before. When a payday lands on a weekend or a federal holiday, it moves to the workday before, so Presidents Day moves the February 15 payday to Friday, February 12.
| Payday | Deposit date | Why it moved |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2026 | Fri, Oct 30, 2026 | November 1 is a Sunday |
| Nov 15, 2026 | Fri, Nov 13, 2026 | November 15 is a Sunday |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | On time |
| Dec 15, 2026 | Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | On time |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Thu, Dec 31, 2026 | January 1 is New Year's Day |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | On time |
| Feb 1, 2027 | Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | On time |
| Feb 15, 2027 | Fri, Feb 12, 2027 | February 15 is Presidents Day |
| Mar 1, 2027 | Mon, Mar 1, 2027 | On time |
| Mar 15, 2027 | Mon, Mar 15, 2027 | On time |
| Apr 1, 2027 | Thu, Apr 1, 2027 | On time |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Thu, Apr 15, 2027 | On time |
| May 1, 2027 | Fri, Apr 30, 2027 | May 1 is a Saturday |
| May 15, 2027 | Fri, May 14, 2027 | May 15 is a Saturday |
| Jun 1, 2027 | Tue, Jun 1, 2027 | On time |
| Jun 15, 2027 | Tue, Jun 15, 2027 | On time |
| Jul 1, 2027 | Thu, Jul 1, 2027 | On time |
| Jul 15, 2027 | Thu, Jul 15, 2027 | On time |
| Aug 1, 2027 | Fri, Jul 30, 2027 | August 1 is a Sunday |
| Aug 15, 2027 | Fri, Aug 13, 2027 | August 15 is a Sunday |
| Sep 1, 2027 | Wed, Sep 1, 2027 | On time |
| Sep 15, 2027 | Wed, Sep 15, 2027 | On time |
| Oct 1, 2027 | Fri, Oct 1, 2027 | On time |
| Oct 15, 2027 | Fri, Oct 15, 2027 | On time |
| Nov 1, 2027 | Mon, Nov 1, 2027 | On time |
| Nov 15, 2027 | Mon, Nov 15, 2027 | On time |
| Dec 1, 2027 | Wed, Dec 1, 2027 | On time |
| Dec 15, 2027 | Wed, Dec 15, 2027 | On time |
| Jan 1, 2028 | Thu, Dec 30 or Fri, Dec 31, 2027* | January 1 is a Saturday, and Friday, December 31 is the federal holiday |
* DFAS hasn't posted its 2027 active duty calendar yet. The January 1, 2028 payday should land Thursday, December 30 or Friday, December 31, since retirees get the Friday but the federal holiday points to the Thursday.
Guard and Reserve members on active duty orders are paid on these same paydays. Drill pay depends on when your unit puts the drill in, so it doesn't follow a fixed date. Check myPay for yours.
When the 3.6% COLA Shows Up
The 2027 COLA takes effect December 1, 2026, for retired pay, SBP and VA compensation. That means December's pay is the first at the new rate, and December's pay is the one due January 1. Since January 1 is New Year's Day, retirees and VA get it Thursday, December 31. SBP annuitants get it Monday, January 4.
The December 1 deposit is November's pay, so it's still at the old rate. If it doesn't look bigger, nothing's wrong. The 2027 COLA post has the pay increase chart by rank, and the 2027 VA disability rates page has the new VA tables.
The Rule Behind Every Date
- Retired pay. The law says it's paid on the first day of each month (10 U.S.C. 1412(b)). DFAS pays retirees on the last business day before when the 1st is a weekend or holiday, and it still pays on a Friday that's off for a Saturday holiday. It's been that way since 2011, when DFAS moved retired pay from the first business day to the 1st.
- SBP annuities. Due the same day, but DFAS pays annuitants on the first business day on or after the 1st. That's the only payment on this page that moves later.
- VA compensation. The law tells the VA to pay early when the 1st is a Saturday, Sunday or federal holiday (38 U.S.C. 5120(e)), and Treasury's payment schedule puts it on the business day before.
- Active duty. Pay is due on the 1st for the month before, with one mid-month payment allowed (37 U.S.C. 1014). DoD's Financial Management Regulation moves a payday on a weekend or holiday to the workday before, never more than three days early.
- Holidays. These are the 11 federal holidays in 5 U.S.C. 6103. When one falls on a Saturday, federal workers get the Friday before off. VA payments skip that Friday. In December 2021, when New Year's Day was a Saturday, Treasury paid VA on Thursday, December 30.
I checked these rules against every date on DFAS's 2026 and 2027 pay calendars, Treasury's 2026 schedule and earlier years back to 2010, and they give every one of them.
If a Deposit Doesn't Show Up
- Check the table first. If the payday moved, the money came a day or more before you were watching for it. For SBP, it may still be up to three days away. Some banks and credit unions, USAA and Navy Federal among them, also post military pay a day or two early. Most "missing" deposits around a weekend or holiday are already in the account.
- Look at the payment itself. For retired pay and SBP, your account statement in myPay shows what DFAS sent and when. For VA pay, sign in at VA.gov and open your payment history.
- Then call. For retired pay, SBP, CRSC or CRDP, call DFAS retiree and annuitant customer service at 800-321-1080. For VA compensation, call the VA at 800-827-1000, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern. Coast Guard retirees are paid by the Coast Guard Pay and Personnel Center, not DFAS.
FAQ
When will I get my November 2026 military retirement and VA payment?
October's pay, which is due November 1, lands Friday, October 30, 2026, because November 1 is a Sunday. That's the only deposit until Tuesday, December 1, so nothing lands in November itself. SBP annuities move the other way, to Monday, November 2.
Why is there no VA or retirement payment in January 2027?
Because it comes early. The payday that would be January 1 moves to Thursday, December 31, 2026, since January 1 is New Year's Day. The next deposit after that is Monday, February 1, 2027.
When does the 2027 COLA show up in my retirement and VA pay?
In the deposit on Thursday, December 31, 2026. The 3.6% COLA starts with December's pay, and December's pay is due January 1, which moves to December 31 because of the holiday. The December 1 deposit is November's pay at the old rate. SBP annuitants get the new rate Monday, January 4, 2027.
What are the 2027 active duty pay dates?
The 1st and the 15th of every month, moved to the workday before when one lands on a weekend or a federal holiday. The ones that move are January 1 (paid December 31, 2026), February 15 (paid February 12), May 1 (paid April 30), May 15 (paid May 14), August 1 (paid July 30), August 15 (paid August 13) and January 1, 2028 (paid December 30 or 31, 2027).
Do SBP, CRSC and CRDP payments come on the same day as retired pay?
CRDP and CRSC do. CRDP is part of your retired pay, and CRSC is paid along with it. SBP annuities don't when the 1st is a weekend or holiday, because DFAS pays annuitants the next business day instead of the one before. October's annuity comes Monday, November 2 and December's comes Monday, January 4.
Which months in 2027 have two VA and retirement deposits?
April, July and December. Each of those months gets the month before's pay on the 1st and its own pay at the end of the month, because the next 1st is a weekend or a holiday. January, May and August get none.
When is the last military retirement and VA payment of 2027?
DFAS pays December 2027's retired pay Friday, December 31, 2027. January 1, 2028 is a Saturday, and DFAS pays retirees the Friday before even though it's the New Year's holiday for federal workers. VA pay should come a day earlier, Thursday, December 30, which is what Treasury did in December 2021, but Treasury hasn't posted 2027 yet. SBP annuitants get December's pay Monday, January 3, 2028.
Does an early deposit count on that year's taxes?
Yes. The IRS goes by the day DFAS pays it, not the day your bank posts it, so the December 31, 2026 deposit goes on your 2026 Form 1099-R, even though it's December's pay due in January. You still get 12 deposits in 2027. VA compensation is tax-free, so its dates don't matter at tax time.
Sources
- Defense Finance and Accounting Service, retiree and annuitant pay schedule
- 10 U.S.C. 1412, payment of retired pay on the first of the month
- 38 U.S.C. 5120, payment of VA benefits
- 37 U.S.C. 1014, payment date for pay and allowances
- 5 U.S.C. 6103, federal holidays, and OPM's federal holiday calendar
- Bureau of the Fiscal Service, schedule for Treasury-disbursed recurring benefit payments, 2022
- DFAS on the tax year of an early payment, as quoted by Military.com (2012)
- 26 CFR 1.451-2, constructive receipt of income
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Related Articles
- 2027 Military Retirement Pay Increase Chart (3.6% COLA)
- 2027 VA Disability Rates
- 2027 Military Retirement Pay Chart
- 2027 Military Pay Chart
- Why Your COLA Won't Match the Inflation Headline
Dates on this page are computed from the federal holiday calendar and the payday rules above. DFAS and the VA set the official pay dates, and some banks post the money a day or two early. This is information, not financial advice.