VA Disability Calculator
Calculate your exact combined VA disability rating and monthly payment for 2026. Check your bilateral factor bonus on paired arms or legs, added pay for a spouse, kids, or dependent parents, and whether you meet the schedular threshold for TDIU.
✓ 2026 rates, verified against VA.gov✓ Bilateral factor built in
This calculator is an independent estimate for planning purposes only. VA Disability Calculator is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Only VA can assign ratings and determine payment. Amounts use VA rates effective December 1, 2025 and may differ from your award because of effective dates, offsets (such as military retired pay or drill pay), or ratings not entered here. Your entries stay on this device and are never sent or stored.
How VA Math works
How to use this calculator
- Enter each rating from your decision letter. On VA’s Rating Decision, look under “Evaluation” for each condition’s percentage.
- Mark the side for paired limbs. If a condition affects your left or right arm or leg, select it — this is what lets the calculator apply the bilateral factor correctly.
- Add your dependents. Marital status, children under 18 or 18–22 in school, and dependent parents all change your monthly payment starting at 30%.
What is VA Math?
VA Math is the method the Department of Veterans Affairs uses to combine multiple disability ratings. Ratings are not added; each one applies only to the remaining non-disabled percentage of the whole person, starting with the highest. The final value rounds to the nearest 10%.
“…the disabilities will first be arranged in the exact order of their severity, beginning with the greatest disability and then combined with use of table I…”38 CFR § 4.25(a)
Worked example: 50% and 30% give 50 + 30 × 50/100 = 65, which rounds to 70%. Two 50s give 75, so 80% — never 100%. Two 90s give 99, which rounds up to 100%.
The VA combined ratings table
Find your higher rating down the left side, your lower rating across the top, and read the combined value where they meet. Generated from the calculator’s own engine, so it can never drift from the numbers above.
| Higher ↓ / Lower → | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% | 5560% | 6060% | 6570% | 7070% | 7580% | 8080% | 8590% | 9090% | 95100% |
| 60% | 6460% | 6870% | 7270% | 7680% | 8080% | 8480% | 8890% | 9290% | 96100% |
| 70% | 7370% | 7680% | 7980% | 8280% | 8590% | 8890% | 9190% | 9490% | 97100% |
| 80% | 8280% | 8480% | 8690% | 8890% | 9090% | 9290% | 9490% | 96100% | 98100% |
| 90% | 9190% | 9290% | 9390% | 9490% | 95100% | 96100% | 97100% | 98100% | 99100% |
What you’re paid
How dependents change your payment
Nothing changes for dependents at 10% or 20%. From 30% up, VA adds money for a spouse, each child under 18, each child 18 to 23 in a qualifying school program, and each dependent parent. VA’s own worked example: a veteran rated 70% with a spouse, three children under 18, and a spouse receiving Aid & Attendance is paid $2,367.45 a month. See every dependent combination in the 2026 pay chart →
The bilateral factor
When both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles carry a compensable rating, VA combines those ratings first, adds 10% of the result, and only then combines that value with everything else. Ratings of 30%, 20%, and 20% for each knee combine to 64 (60%) without the factor and 66 (70%) with it — a full tier higher, worth $373.43 more a month. See the full rules and worked cases →
Current VA disability pay rates
| Rating | Veteran alone | With spouse | Spouse + 1 child | Each added child <18 | Each child in school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | — | — | — | — |
| 20% | $356.66 | — | — | — | — |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $666.47 | $32.00 | $105.00 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $947.84 | $43.00 | $140.00 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $1,322.90 | $54.00 | $176.00 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $1,663.02 | $65.00 | $211.00 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | $2,074.45 | $76.00 | $246.00 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | $2,406.15 | $87.00 | $281.00 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 | $2,704.30 | $98.00 | $317.00 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | $4,318.99 | $109.11 | $352.45 |
TDIU and Special Monthly Compensation
If a single disability is rated at least 60%, or your combined rating is at least 70% with one disability rated at least 40%, you may meet the schedular threshold for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) — paid at the 100% rate. The calculator above flags this automatically. Severe disabilities such as loss of use of a limb or need for aid and attendance may also qualify for Special Monthly Compensation on top of your schedular rating.
Why your VA letter might show a different number
This calculator estimates the rating and payment VA’s own rules produce from the ratings and dependents you enter. Your actual award can differ for reasons this tool doesn’t model: your effective date (VA pays from when your claim was filed or your condition arose, not from today); offsets such as military retired pay or drill pay; a rating VA assigned that you didn’t enter here; and the same 5-rounds-up convention applied at a different point in a multi-step decision. If the gap is more than a rounding difference, it’s worth a second look at your decision letter.
A VA-accredited attorney, claims agent, or Veterans Service Organization (VSO) can help you appeal at no upfront cost through a VSO. Find an accredited representative.
VA Disability Calculator FAQs
Can two 50% VA ratings equal 100%?
No. VA combines ratings against remaining efficiency, not by adding them. The first 50% leaves 50% of the whole person; the second 50% applies to that remainder (25), for a combined value of 75, which rounds to an 80% rating.
How does the bilateral factor help my rating?
When both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles carry compensable ratings, VA combines those ratings first and adds 10% of the result before combining anything else (38 CFR § 4.26). Ratings of 30%, 20%, and 20% for each knee combine to 64 (60%) without it and 66 (70%) with it, worth $373.43 more per month at 2026 rates.
How much is 30% VA disability pay in 2026?
A 30% rating pays $552.47 per month for a veteran with no dependents, or $617.47 with a spouse, under rates effective December 1, 2025. At 30% and above, VA adds amounts for a spouse, children, and dependent parents.
What is the VA disability pay chart for 2026?
2026 rates took effect December 1, 2025, after a 2.8% cost-of-living increase. Monthly pay for a veteran alone runs from $180.42 at 10% to $3,938.58 at 100%, with dependent add-ons from 30% up. See the full chart →
How do I calculate my VA disability rating in 2026?
Sort your ratings from highest to lowest, apply the bilateral factor to any paired limbs, and combine each rating against the efficiency that remains. Round the final value to the nearest 10%, then find your pay in the 2026 rate table for your dependents — or just enter your ratings above.
What are the 5 easiest VA disability claims to get approved?
VA doesn’t rank claims by ease, but tinnitus is the most common service-connected disability in VA’s annual benefits reports, and conditions on presumptive lists don’t require you to separately prove a service connection.