Free for veterans · Combined rating, whole-person method
VA Disability Rating Calculator & 2026 Pay Rates
The VA doesn't add your ratings — it combines them with its combined ratings table (38 CFR § 4.25). 70% + 50% is not 120%: the table gives 85%, which rounds to 90%. Enter your ratings below to see the exact math, your 2026 monthly pay, and what it takes to reach the next threshold.
- VA whole-person method (38 CFR § 4.25)
- Step-by-step math shown
- Next-threshold guidance
- Rounding to the nearest 10%
Combined rating
0%$0.00/mo
Tap a body area, then a rating. Or start with an example:
More household details
2026 VA pay table (in effect since December 1, 2025). VA decides every rating.
Tap where it is
Tap an area on the body, or pick one below, then tap a rating.
- What-if rating
On the body
Inside
Not on one spot
No ratings yet. Add one from the body map — the combined number and the math update as you go. Two ratings are enough to see why 70% + 50% isn't 120%.
How VA combines these
VA doesn't add ratings. It starts with you as a whole person, and each rating takes its share of what's left — so 70% and 50% make 85%, which VA rounds to 90%, not 120%. Add a rating to see your own steps.
Extra pay you might be missing: SMC-K, about $139.87/mo
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC-K) pays about $139.87/mo on top of the combined rating — even when the condition itself is rated 0%. It applies when a service-connected condition causes:
- Erectile dysfunction or loss of use of a creative organ (the most often missed)
- Loss or loss of use of a hand or foot
- Blindness in one eye, or deafness in both ears
Each qualifying loss can add another award. VA decides eligibility.
VA SMC ratesAn estimate using VA's combined ratings table (38 CFR § 4.25) and the bilateral factor (§ 4.26), with the 2026 VA pay table (in effect since December 1, 2025). VA decides every rating; your award letter is the number that counts. Not legal or medical advice. Runs in your browser — nothing you enter here is saved or sent.
What each rating pays
2026 VA disability pay rates
These are the monthly, tax-free compensation rates effective December 1, 2025. Find your combined rating in the left column, then read across to the household that matches yours. At 10% and 20% the VA pays a flat rate — dependents do not change it.
- 10% · veteran alone
- $180.42/mo
- 50% · veteran alone
- $1,132.90/mo
- 100% · veteran alone
- $3,938.58/mo
| Combined rating | Veteran alone | With spouse | With spouse & 1 child |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | $180.42(flat) | $180.42(flat) |
| 20% | $356.66 | $356.66(flat) | $356.66(flat) |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $666.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $947.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $1,322.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $1,663.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | $2,074.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | $2,406.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 | $2,704.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | $4,318.99 |
What each additional dependent adds
The rates above already include the first child. Every dependent beyond that adds a fixed monthly amount on top, and the amount grows with your rating. Add these to the figure from the table above.
| Dependent | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% | 100% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Each additional child under 18 | $32.00 | $43.00 | $54.00 | $65.00 | $76.00 | $87.00 | $98.00 | $109.11 |
| Each child 18–23 in school | $105.00 | $140.00 | $176.00 | $211.00 | $246.00 | $281.00 | $317.00 | $352.45 |
| Each dependent parent | $52.00 | $70.00 | $88.00 | $105.00 | $123.00 | $140.00 | $158.00 | $176.24 |
| Spouse receiving Aid & Attendance | $61.00 | $81.00 | $101.00 | $121.00 | $141.00 | $161.00 | $181.00 | $201.41 |
At 10% and 20% none of these apply — those ratings pay a flat amount regardless of your household.
A worked example
A veteran rated 70%, married, with two children under 18, starts at the “with spouse & 1 child” rate of $2,074.45. The second child adds $76.00, for a monthly total of $2,150.45 — tax-free.
Special Monthly Compensation is paid on top
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) is an additional payment for specific losses, and it is not included in the tables above. The most commonly awarded level, SMC-K, adds $139.87 per month at any rating from 0% to 100% — it is paid for things like loss of use of a reproductive organ, a hand, or a foot. Higher SMC levels exist for veterans who need regular aid and attendance or are housebound. If you think an SMC level applies to you, it is worth raising: it is one of the most frequently missed benefits in the system.
Rates shown are effective December 1, 2025 and change each December 1 with the annual cost-of-living adjustment. Compensation is not taxed by the federal government and is not counted as income on a federal return. Your actual payment is determined by the VA. Verify current rates on VA.gov →
Rating lower than it should be?
Check each rating against your records.
The calculator shows the math. The app shows the evidence: for each rating you already have, the highest level your own records document — quoted with the page — so you know which ones may deserve a second look.
- Your records read against VA's own rating criteria, word for word
- The line that proves each level, with the page it's on
- Statements and the medical opinion built for the ones worth raising
Your ratings, checked against your records
For each rating VA already gave you, we read your records against that condition's rating levels and show the highest level they document — with the page that says it.
Obstructive sleep apnea — rated 30%. Your records document the 50% level.
If raised from 30% to 50%, the 2026 VA pay table adds about $302 a month (combined 50% → 60%). That's table math, not a promise.
Lower back strain — rated 20%. Your records document the 40% level.
If raised from 20% to 40%, the 2026 VA pay table adds about $302 a month (combined 50% → 60%). That's table math, not a promise.
Tinnitus — rated 10%. Nothing above your current rating found on the pages we read.
A higher level in your records is worth a look, not a sure thing. Asking VA for more on a granted rating reopens it — VA can look at the whole condition again.
This shows what your records document, not a decision. A rating also needs a current diagnosis and a link to your service, and VA decides every rating.
A demo veteran, not a customer. VA decides every claim.
VA math, 38 CFR § 4.25
Why doesn't 50% + 30% equal 80%?
Because the VA doesn't add ratings; it combines them under 38 CFR § 4.25 using the whole-person method. A 50% rating leaves you 50% efficient, and the 30% rating then applies only to that remaining 50%, which is 15 more points, not 30. So 50% and 30% combine to 65%, and the VA rounds to the nearest 10% (values ending in 5 round up), giving 70%. When both arms or both legs are rated, the bilateral factor in 38 CFR § 4.26 adds 10% of those paired ratings' combined value first.
Worked example: two ratings
With a 50% rating, you are 50% disabled and 50% efficient. A second 30% rating applies to the remaining 50% — taking 15% of the whole person (30% of 50%), not 30%. Combined: 65%, which rounds to 70%.
The same rule explains why no set of ratings can ever combine past 100%: each new rating only takes a share of what is left. The calculator above runs this math for any set of ratings, including the bilateral factor.
VA math, 38 CFR § 4.26
What is the bilateral factor, and why did it change my rating?
The bilateral factor is a rule in 38 CFR § 4.26. When you have ratings of at least 10% on both arms or both legs (or paired skeletal muscles), VA combines the paired ratings first, adds 10% of that combined value, and then combines the result with your other ratings. That small boost can push your combined rating over a rounding line. For example, 30% plus 10% for each knee combines to 43%, paid as 40%, without it, but to 45%, paid as 50%, with it.
Worked example: 30%, left knee 10%, right knee 10%
- Combine the paired ratings first: 10% and 10% combine to 19%.
- Add 10% of that value: 19 plus 1.9 is 20.9, used as 21.
- Combine with the 30%: 30 and 21 combine to 45%.
- Round to the nearest 10%: 45% becomes 50%. Without the bilateral factor, the same three ratings combine to 43%, which rounds down to 40%.
The factor doesn't apply when only one side of a pair is rated, or when one side is rated 0%. Check your decision letter: if both knees, both shoulders, or both feet are rated and the combined rating looks low, put the same ratings into the calculator above, which applies 38 CFR § 4.26 automatically.
38 CFR § 4.25
How the VA combines ratings
This calculator uses the VA's own combined ratings table — Table I in 38 CFR § 4.25. The VA uses the “whole-person” method: you start as 100% efficient (a whole person), and each rating is applied to your remaining efficiency, not added to the previous rating.
Worked example: three ratings
- Put the ratings in order: 60%, 40%, 20%.
- Combine the first two: 60 and 40 meet at 76 in the table (40% of the remaining 40 is 16; 60 + 16 = 76).
- Combine that with the third: 76 and 20 meet at 81 (20% of the remaining 24, added and rounded).
- Round to the nearest 10%: 81 becomes 80%. As of December 1, 2025, 80% pays $2,102.15 a month with no dependents.
Rounding cuts both ways. Values ending in 5 round up, so 65 becomes 70 — but 40% and 20% combine to 52, which rounds down to 50%. This is why veterans with many small ratings often feel their combined rating is "stuck": each new rating applies to a shrinking remainder, and it only moves your pay if it crosses the next rounding line.
Part of the combined ratings table
Combined values before rounding, for ratings in steps of 10. Find your higher rating on the left and the next rating across the top.
| Higher | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 28 | 36 | |||||||
| 30 | 37 | 44 | 51 | ||||||
| 40 | 46 | 52 | 58 | 64 | |||||
| 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 | 70 | 75 | ||||
| 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | |||
| 70 | 73 | 76 | 79 | 82 | 85 | 88 | 91 | ||
| 80 | 82 | 84 | 86 | 88 | 90 | 92 | 94 | 96 | |
| 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 |
This calculator applies the bilateral factor (38 CFR § 4.26) when you have compensable disabilities of both arms or both legs, so the estimate matches the VA's own math. It does not include special monthly compensation (SMC). Your official combined rating is determined by the VA during adjudication.
Questions
Common questions about VA disability pay
Wondering whether you qualify for TDIU? Read the TDIU guide — it explains how veterans rated below 100% can be paid at the 100% rate.
- How does the VA disability calculator work?
- It uses the VA's combined ratings table in 38 CFR § 4.25. Your ratings are put in order from highest to lowest, each one is combined with the running total the way the table does it, and the final number is rounded to the nearest 10%. For example, 60%, 40% and 20% combine to 81%, which the VA pays as 80%. The calculator also applies the bilateral factor (38 CFR § 4.26) when both arms or both legs are rated.
- Why doesn't 50% + 30% equal 80%?
- Because the VA doesn't add ratings; it combines them under 38 CFR § 4.25 using the whole-person method. A 50% rating leaves you 50% efficient, and the 30% rating then applies only to that remaining 50%, which is 15 more points, not 30. So 50% and 30% combine to 65%, and the VA rounds to the nearest 10% (values ending in 5 round up), giving 70%. When both arms or both legs are rated, the bilateral factor in 38 CFR § 4.26 adds 10% of those paired ratings' combined value first.
- What is the VA combined ratings table?
- It is Table I in 38 CFR § 4.25. You find your higher rating in the left column and the next rating across the top; where they meet is the combined value. With more than two ratings, you take that result and combine it with the next rating the same way. The table exists because the VA treats each rating as a share of what is left of a whole person, so ratings never simply add up.
- How much does 100% VA disability pay per month?
- As of December 1, 2025, a veteran rated 100% with no dependents receives $3,938.58 per month, tax-free. A spouse, children, or dependent parents increase that amount.
- How much does 70% VA disability pay per month?
- As of December 1, 2025, a veteran rated 70% with no dependents receives $1,808.45 per month, tax-free. Dependents increase that amount.
- Why isn't 70% plus 50% equal to 120%?
- The VA does not add ratings together — it combines them under 38 CFR § 4.25 using the whole-person method. You start as 100% efficient, and each rating applies to the efficiency you have left rather than to the whole person. A 70% rating leaves 30% efficiency; the 50% rating then takes half of that remaining 30%, not 50% of the whole. The result is 85%, which rounds to 90%. No combination of ratings can ever exceed 100%.
- Does the VA round my combined rating?
- Yes. After combining every rating, the VA rounds the result to the nearest 10%. A combined value of 84% rounds down to 80%, and 85% rounds up to 90%. This is why a single additional low rating sometimes moves your payment a great deal and sometimes not at all — what matters is which side of the rounding line it lands on.
- Do dependents increase VA disability compensation?
- Only at 30% and above. At 10% and 20% the VA pays a flat rate no matter your household. From 30% up, a spouse, dependent children, children aged 18 to 23 in a qualifying school program, dependent parents, and a spouse receiving Aid and Attendance each add to your monthly payment.
- What is the bilateral factor, and why did it change my rating?
- The bilateral factor is a rule in 38 CFR § 4.26. When you have ratings of at least 10% on both arms or both legs (or paired skeletal muscles), VA combines the paired ratings first, adds 10% of that combined value, and then combines the result with your other ratings. That small boost can push your combined rating over a rounding line. For example, 30% plus 10% for each knee combines to 43%, paid as 40%, without it, but to 45%, paid as 50%, with it.
- How much does 90% VA disability pay per month?
- As of December 1, 2025, a veteran rated 90% with no dependents receives $2,362.30 per month. Note the jump between 90% and 100% is the largest step in the entire schedule — 100% pays $3,938.58, well over a thousand dollars more. That gap is why it is worth making sure every ratable condition you have is actually claimed and rated.
- Is VA disability compensation taxable?
- No. VA disability compensation is not taxed by the federal government and is not reported as income on a federal tax return. States do not tax it either. This is why a VA payment goes further than the same amount in wages.
- Can a combined rating be higher than 100%?
- No. The combined rating is capped at 100%, no matter how many conditions you have rated. But there are two ways to be paid above the 100% rate: Special Monthly Compensation (SMC), which is added on top for specific losses, and Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU), which pays at the 100% rate when your service-connected conditions prevent you from maintaining substantially gainful employment even though your combined rating is below 100%.
- When do VA disability rates change?
- Rates change once a year, effective December 1, when the annual cost-of-living adjustment is applied — the same adjustment that applies to Social Security. The figures on this page are effective December 1, 2025. The VA does not require you to do anything to receive the increase; it is applied automatically.
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