VA Disability Calculator: Combined Rating and Monthly Pay

How VA combines disability ratings

If you have more than one service-connected condition, VA gives each one its own percentage. Then it works out one combined rating, and that single number sets your monthly payment. The combined rating is almost always lower than the sum of the parts. Two 10% ratings, for example, combine to 19%, not 20%.

VA calls this the “whole person” approach. Its disability ratings page explains that a person can’t be more than 100% disabled, so each rating is applied only to the share of you that is still “able.” The rule is written in federal regulations at 38 CFR 4.25, which includes the combined ratings table VA uses.

Here is how the table works in plain terms:

1. Sort your ratings from highest to lowest.
2. Start with the highest. A 60% rating leaves you 40% “efficient.”
3. Apply the next rating to what is left. A 30% rating takes 30% of the remaining 40%, which is 12 more points. The combined value is 72.
4. Keep going with each lower rating, using the combined value as found (a whole number), not rounded to 10.
5. Round once, at the end, to the nearest 10%. A value ending in 5 goes up. So 72 becomes 70%, and 65 becomes 70%.

A 0% rating counts as service-connected but adds nothing to the math, so this calculator leaves it out. One 100% rating means a combined rating of 100%, whatever else you have.

A worked example, step by step

Say VA rates your PTSD at 50%, a back condition at 30%, and a knee condition at 20%. Here is the math the VA disability calculator follows:

Notice what would happen with just the first two ratings: 50% and 30% make 65, which rounds up to 70%. The third rating, 20%, moves the combined value to 72, but the final rating stays at 70%. That is why a new rating sometimes doesn’t change your payment at all.

The bilateral factor for arms and legs

When conditions affect both arms, or both legs, VA adds a small bonus called the bilateral factor. The rule is in 38 CFR 4.26. VA first combines the ratings for the left and right side, then adds 10% of that combined value. The result is treated as one disability and combined with your other ratings in order of severity.

“Arm” and “leg” mean the whole limb. A left knee and a right foot count as both legs. Each side needs a rating of at least 10%. If both arms and both legs are affected, all four are combined together before the 10% is added. And if leaving a rating out of the bilateral group would give you a higher result, VA must use the better result. This calculator checks for that.

In this example the bilateral factor lifts the rating a full step, from 40% to 50%. For a veteran alone, that is the difference between $795.84 and $1,132.90 a month. VA’s rating decision letter lists which conditions it treated as bilateral, so you can check it.

VA disability pay rates by rating

These are VA’s monthly rates effective December 1, 2025, from its Veterans disability compensation rates page. Compensation is tax-free. The “with spouse” column assumes no children or parents.

Some veterans get more than these rates. Special monthly compensation (SMC) pays extra for things like the loss of a limb or the need for daily help, and Individual Unemployability can pay at the 100% rate when your conditions keep you from working. Those depend on VA’s own findings, so this calculator doesn’t estimate them. See VA’s special monthly compensation rates and its page on Individual Unemployability. Our guide to Purple Heart monthly compensation explains how combat wounds fit into the same rating system.

How dependents raise your payment

Once your combined rating reaches 30%, VA pays extra for each eligible dependent. At 10% or 20%, the rate is the same with or without a family. VA’s dependents page lists who counts: a spouse (including same-sex and common-law marriages), unmarried children under 18, unmarried children 18 to 23 in school full time, children who became permanently disabled before 18, and parents you care for whose income and net worth are below VA’s limits.

These are the added amounts at a few common ratings, based on VA’s tables:

The first child under 18 is already included in VA’s basic “with 1 child” rates. Each child 18 to 23 in school is paid at the school-child rate. Federal law, at 38 U.S.C. 1115, sets that rate for each such child, so the calculator adds it for every school-age child you enter. If VA has your dependents on file, your award letter shows the exact rate it used.

Tell VA when a dependent leaves your household, for example after a divorce or when a child turns 18 and leaves school. If VA keeps paying for someone who no longer counts, it will later ask for the money back. Our guide to veteran debt assistance explains how to handle a VA overpayment if that happens.

Using the VA disability calculator

1. Enter each rating. Use the percentages from your rating decision letter, or your best guess for a pending claim. Use the “Add another rating” link for each extra condition, and “Remove” for a line you don’t need.
2. Mark arms and legs. For a condition that affects one arm or leg, choose which one. Leave everything else as “Not an arm or leg.”
3. Add your dependents. Enter the number of children in each age group, your dependent parents, and whether you have a spouse. If your spouse gets Aid and Attendance, tick that box as well.
4. Read the result. You will see your combined value before and after rounding, the order VA would combine your ratings in, whether the bilateral factor applied, and your monthly payment with each dependent amount listed.

The calculator also shows a rough figure with the 3.6% raise expected for December 2026. Treat that line as a preview only. VA publishes the exact new table once the raise becomes law.

The December raise and the 2027 COLA

VA compensation usually goes up every December 1. On its rates page, VA says the law requires it to match the percentage of the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment. Social Security announced a 3.6% COLA for 2027, so VA rates would rise by the same 3.6% starting with December 2026 payments. Our Social Security COLA calculator shows how that raise works for Social Security checks.

Each year, Congress passes a short law that turns on the veterans’ raise. As of our check on November 11, 2026: H.R. 8552, the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026, passed the House on November 9, 2026, and was still waiting for the Senate and the President as of November 11, 2026. You can follow the bill text on GovInfo (H.R. 8552). Congress has passed this act every year, usually in November or December, but we can’t promise the timing. Until VA posts its new table, use the current rates above, and treat any exact 2027 dollar amounts you see online as estimates.

When payments start

Two dates matter: your effective date and your first payment. VA’s effective dates page explains that for most new claims, the effective date is the later of the date VA got your claim or the date your condition began. If VA gets your claim within 1 year after you leave active service, the effective date can be as early as the day after you separated.

Under 38 CFR 3.31, VA can’t pay for any period before the first day of the month after your effective date. Payments are made for the month just ended, so each month’s payment normally arrives at the start of the following month. When VA approves a claim, it usually pays a lump sum for the months between the effective date and the decision. This is often called back pay.

How to file a claim or ask for an increase

You use the same form, VA Form 21-526EZ, to file a first claim and to ask for a higher rating when a condition gets worse. VA’s how to file a claim page walks through it. You can apply online, by mail, in person at a VA regional office, or with the help of an accredited representative.

• Start with an intent to file. VA’s intent to file page explains how starting the online claim sets a potential start date, which can mean more back pay.
• Gather evidence. VA medical records, private doctor records, and statements from family or people you served with all help. You can send in documents later through VA’s evidence upload page.
• Go to your exam. VA may schedule a claim exam (a C&P exam). Missing it can lead to a denial.
• Add dependents. If you reach 30% or more, add your spouse, children, and parents so you get paid for them.
• Check status online. Track your claim on VA.gov and read your decision letter when it arrives. If you disagree, you can ask for a decision review.

Free help and how to avoid claim sharks

You never need to pay anyone to file a VA disability claim. VA’s accredited representative FAQs say the services of an accredited VSO representative are always free. Groups such as the American Legion, VFW, DAV, and your state or county veterans service office can help you file, gather evidence, and talk to VA for you. Search for one with VA’s accredited representative tool.

Accredited attorneys and claims agents may charge a fee, but VA says they can do so only after VA has decided your initial claim, and only with a signed fee agreement on file with VA. That work usually involves a Supplemental Claim, a Higher-Level Review, or a Board appeal.

Be careful with companies that are not accredited. Veterans groups call them “claim sharks.” Warning signs include:

• Asking for a fee, or a share of your future payments, to help with a first claim.
• Promising a certain rating or a faster decision.
• Asking for your VA.gov login or password.
• Steering you to their own paid doctors for medical opinions.
• Not showing up in VA’s accreditation search.

If someone pressures you, stop and contact a free VSO first. Our scam warnings page lists other red flags to watch for.

Why VA’s number may differ

• VA decides the rating. This calculator uses the ratings you enter. VA assigns each percentage after reviewing your evidence and exam.
• Special payments are not included. SMC, Individual Unemployability, temporary 100% ratings after surgery or a hospital stay, and some special rules are left out.
• Paired muscles and other limbs. The bilateral factor can also apply to paired skeletal muscles. This calculator handles arms and legs only.
• Offsets. Military retired pay, drill pay, separation pay, or a VA debt can reduce what you actually receive.
• New rates. The figures here are the rates effective December 1, 2025. They change when the December raise becomes law.

If you need help with bills while a claim is pending, our guide to government grants for disabled veterans lists VA grants and other help you don’t have to repay.

Related guides

• Government grants for disabled veterans
• Veteran debt assistance: VA overpayments and copay bills
• Purple Heart monthly compensation
• Social Security COLA calculator

Frequently asked questions

This calculator gives an estimate for general information only. It is not a VA decision. National Relief Program is an independent website, not a government agency. Only VA can decide your ratings and your payment.