Re: "And yet, for my first compensation payment I received a payment from DFAS for both my 60% DoD retirement rate and 100% VA rate for JAN (as I await VA payments to start)." and 27 JAN 2018: 100% VA P&T updated on eBenefits;
28 DEC 2017: Officially Retired--MSC uploaded DD214 to eBenefits to finalize claim.
1. For those receiving CRDP, the amount of CRDP is shown as a remark on page two of the DFAS RAS. It is not broken out on page one; CRDP if any, is included in the Gross Retired Pay on page one...since CRDP is retired pay itself.
2. From the info you provided, it does not appear you have received VA compensation yet (and you stated you are waiting for VA payments to start). Evidently, it was approved/processed on 27 Jan 18 which is too late for the 1-31 January 2018 pay period (for both the VA and DFAS).
3. I suspect from the dates provided that your DFAS payment did not include a VA offset for a reduction in retired pay dollar for dollar in the amount of VA compensation received.
4. Since you retired 28 December 2018, that would be the earliest possible effective date for VA compensation. VA compensation begins to accrue the month following the month having the effective date. In your case, VA comp should accrue for 1-31 January 2018 and IF paid in real time, 1 February 2018 would have been the VA comp payment date.
5. Your payment status as of now based on info available:
--VA owes you VA comp for 1-31 January 2018
--DoD retirement pay is owed to the government for the dollar for dollar amount of VA offset that should have occurred for January (if paid in real time).
6. Your VA award letter/decision letter (not eBenefits version) will likely address how the VA comp for 1-31 January will be handled. The letter might include items such as rates, amounts paid, and amounts withheld.
7. The amounts "withheld" are potential retroactive payments of VA compensation after a DFAS audit.
8. I hope you return with a report on the results in your case.
Good luck,