Free · no sign-up · VA's own rate tables
VA Back Pay Calculator
Enter your effective date and rating. You get an estimate of retroactive pay month by month — starting the month after your effective date, at the rate table VA had in force each month, switching every December 1.
- 38 CFR § 3.31 start month
- Dec 1 COLA switch
- Dependents at 30%+
- Estimate, not an award
Enter your effective date
Your estimate appears here, month by month.
How it works
How VA back pay adds up
Back pay — also called retroactive pay or past-due benefits — covers the months between your effective date and the month VA starts paying you the new rate. Three rules decide it.
- Payment starts the month after the effective date. Under 38 CFR § 3.31, VA cannot pay for any period before the first day of the month after the month the award became effective. The day of the month doesn't matter.
- Each month is paid at that month's table. VA's rate tables take effect December 1 each year. A window that crosses December 1 is paid at two (or more) tables.
- An increase pays the difference. If you were already rated, only the gap between the new rate and the old one is owed for those months.
Worked example
70%, no dependents, effective September 10, 2025, counted through February 2026. Payment starts October 2025. October 2025 and November 2025 are paid at the 2025 rate of $1,759.19; December 2025 through February 2026 at the 2026 rate of $1,808.45. Total: $8,943.73.
Rates come from VA's published tables for each year — current and past rates. Months after the newest table use it as a stand-in and are flagged; see the 2027 pay rates page for when the next table arrives.
Questions
Common questions about VA back pay
- How is VA back pay calculated?
- VA back pay is the monthly compensation you were owed from the month after your effective date until VA began paying the new rate. Each month is paid at the rate table in force that month, for your rating and household. For an increase, it is the difference between the new rate and the rate you were already being paid. For example, a 70% rating with no dependents, effective September 10, 2025 and counted through February 2026, is 2 months at $1,759.19 (2025 rates) plus 3 months at $1,808.45 (2026 rates): $8,943.73.
- When does VA back pay start?
- On the first day of the month after the month your award became effective. 38 CFR § 3.31 says payment for an original, supplemental or increased award may not be made for any period before the first day of the calendar month following the month in which the award became effective. An effective date of March 1 and one of March 31 both start payment on April 1.
- What decides my effective date?
- For most claims, 38 CFR § 3.400 sets the effective date as the date VA received the claim or the date entitlement arose, whichever is later. For a direct service-connection claim received within one year after separation, it can be the day after separation. An intent to file can protect an earlier date while you gather evidence. Your decision letter states the effective date VA assigned.
- Does the cost-of-living adjustment change my back pay?
- Yes. VA's rate tables change every December 1. Back pay that spans a December 1 is paid at the old table for the months before it and the new table from December on. This calculator switches tables automatically.
- Do dependents increase back pay?
- From a 30% rating up, yes — a spouse, children, children 18 to 23 in school, dependent parents, and a spouse receiving Aid and Attendance each add to the monthly rate, so they add to every month of back pay. At 10% and 20% VA pays a flat rate. A dependent who joined or left your household partway through the period changes the real figure; this estimate applies one household to every month.
- How is back pay figured for a rating increase?
- Only the difference is owed. Going from 30% to 70% with no dependents, effective January 20, 2026, each month from February is $1,808.45 minus the $552.47 already paid: $1,255.98 a month.
- Why might my actual back pay be different?
- VA decides the rating, the effective date and the amount. The real figure can differ because of staged ratings (different ratings for different periods), special monthly compensation, individual unemployability, dependents added or removed partway, offsets for military retired pay, separation or severance pay, or drill pay, and a fee an accredited representative is owed from past-due benefits. Treat this as an estimate to check your award letter against, not a promise of any amount.
- How far back does this calculator go?
- It holds VA's published tables from the 2023 rates (effective December 1, 2022) onward, so it covers payment months from December 2022. For earlier months, VA's past rate tables on va.gov list each year.
Back pay follows the rating.
The calculator does the math on a rating. The app reads your records and shows which conditions they support, and at what level — quoted with the page. Free to start.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Claim Commander is not a VSO, law firm, or accredited representative.