VA combined rating & disability pay calculator
Enter your ratings and dependents. See your combined rating using VA's own math, step by step, and your monthly payment from the official 2026 rate table.
Your estimate
Loading…
Why VA ratings don't simply add up
VA uses “whole person” math from the Combined Ratings Table in 38 CFR 4.25. Each rating is applied to the part of you that is still “efficient” after the ratings before it. A 50% rating leaves you 50% efficient; a 30% rating then takes 30% of the remaining 50% (15 points), for a combined value of 65%. VA then rounds to the nearest 10, with 5s rounding up, so 65% becomes 70%.
combined = first rating
for each next rating r: combined = round( combined + r × (100 − combined) ÷ 100 )
final rating = combined rounded to the nearest 10 (5 rounds up)
The rounding to a whole number at each step matches every cell of Table I. The rounding to the nearest 10 happens only once, at the very end.
The bilateral factor
Under 38 CFR 4.26, when you have compensable ratings on both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles, VA first combines those ratings, then adds 10% of that value, and treats the result as one rating. Example from the regulation: ratings of 60%, 20%, and 10% + 10% on both legs. The two 10s combine to 19, plus 1.9 = 21. Then 60 and 21 combine to 68, 68 and 20 combine to 74, which rounds to 70%.
If both arms and both legs are affected, all four are combined together before the factor is added. If leaving a limb out of the bilateral group would give a higher result, VA uses the more favorable result (4.26(d)). The calculator tests every allowed grouping and picks the best one.
Monthly payment
Payments come from VA's official 2026 compensation table, effective December 1, 2025. At 10% and 20% the rate is the same with or without dependents. At 30% and above, a spouse, children, and dependent parents increase the payment. The basic “with 1 child” rate already includes one child; each additional child adds the amount from VA's added-amounts table. VA disability compensation is not taxable income.
VA adjusts these rates each December 1 to match the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment. We update this page when VA publishes the new table.
What this calculator does not cover
- Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) and Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU)
- Offsets such as recoupment of separation pay, or reductions while hospitalized or incarcerated
- How VA decides the rating for each condition. Only VA assigns ratings.
This site does not prepare or file claims. For free help with a claim, use an accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representative. You can search for one on VA.gov.
Sources and data year
Frequently asked questions
How does VA math work for combined disability ratings?
VA applies each rating to the remaining 'efficient' part of a person, from highest rating to lowest, then rounds the final value to the nearest 10. For example 50% and 30% combine to 65%, which rounds up to 70%.
What is the bilateral factor?
If you have compensable ratings on both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles, VA combines those ratings and adds 10% of the result before combining with your other ratings.
What are the 2026 VA disability rates?
The current rates took effect December 1, 2025. For a veteran with no dependents: 10% pays $180.42, 30% pays $552.47, 50% pays $1,132.90, 70% pays $1,808.45, and 100% pays $3,938.58 a month.
Is VA disability pay taxable?
No. VA disability compensation is not taxable income for federal tax purposes.