VA Combined Disability Rating Calculator
Tax-free monthly pay, $3,938.58 a month for a single veteran at 100%, and higher with a spouse, children, or Special Monthly Compensation. This is not charity, it is what you earned. See what your rating is worth.
Use the interactive calculator below — no sign-up required. All estimates use the current 2026 VA rate tables (effective December 1, 2025).
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Understanding VA Disability Calculations
Have you ever been confused by how the VA calculates your combined disability rating? You're not alone. Many veterans are surprised to find that their ratings don't simply add up — 1 + 1 doesn't always equal 2 when it comes to VA math.
Figure out your real rating — not a simple sum.
See the benefits that reach your whole family.
Get help understanding the numbers.
How does the VA calculate combined ratings?
Instead of adding your percentages together, the VA uses a “percentage of the healthy part” method. If you have a 10% disability, the VA considers you 90% healthy. A second 10% is applied to the remaining 90% — so 10% of 90 is 9%. Added to your first 10%, your combined rating is 19%, which rounds to 20%.
Why does this matter?
The difference in compensation can be significant. The jump to 100% can nearly double the monthly payment for what looks like a small increase in rating. And from 30% up, adding a spouse, children, or dependent parents raises your payment — a small change can mean hundreds a month, and tens of thousands over a lifetime.
Other factors that affect your rating
If you have disabilities in both arms or both legs, these paired (“bilateral”) extremities combine in a special way that can boost your percentage. And if you cannot work because of your service-connected disabilities, you may qualify for a 100% rating through Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).
Estimate your disability benefit
Build your rating and add your dependents. Every figure runs on the current VA rate tables — effective December 1, 2025 — to show your monthly, annual, and lifetime value with no account, no email, and no catch. The math is not simple addition, and that is where most veterans get confused: the VA combines ratings under 38 CFR §4.25, applying each new rating only to the portion of you that is still considered whole, which is why a 50 and a 30 come out to 65 and round to 70 instead of 80. Dependents matter too — once you are rated 30 percent or higher, a spouse, children, and dependent parents each add money on top of the base rate, but only after you file VA Form 21-686c. Run the numbers honestly, including the conditions you have been ignoring, because an unclaimed 10 percent stacked on top of an existing 70 is often worth more per month than veterans expect.
Step 1
Enter your disabilities
Add each service-connected condition and its percentage. The calculator shows your real combined rating using VA math — not a simple sum.
How to enter extremity ratings
- If your disability affects an extremity (arm or leg), first click the matching extremity button below, then choose its percentage. Paired left/right extremities trigger the VA bilateral factor.
- For non-extremity disabilities (spine, mental health, etc.), don't select an extremity — just pick the percentage directly.
- To remove any rating, click its chip in the list below (the ×).
Extremity (optional — click to tag the next rating)
Select a rating (non-extremity condition)
Disabilities list (click to remove)
No ratings selected.
Step 2
Number of dependents
Your family can raise your monthly payment. Dependent amounts are added to your compensation — this unlocks at a 30% rating or higher. Current rating: 0%.
Marital status
Children under 18
Children 18-23 in school
How many dependent parents do you have?
Step 3 (optional)
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)
Extra compensation for serious losses — like loss or loss of use of a limb, being housebound, or needing daily aid and attendance. Select only the levels the VA has actually granted you.
Base SMC level (replaces your regular pay — pick one if granted):
Base SMC totals shown are for a veteran alone and replace (not add to) your regular compensation. A representative can confirm your exact SMC entitlement.
Current combined rating
0%
You'd need about 100% more (VA math) to reach 100%.
Your estimated monthly payment
$0.00
tax-free · $0/year
Free & no obligation — talk with one of Albert's accredited claims agents. Estimates use 2026 VA rates effective December 1, 2025.
Education benefits (VR&E) calculator
Chapter 31 — available at a 10% disability rating or higher.
VR&E becomes available once your combined rating reaches 10%. Add ratings above to see your estimate.
Monthly benefits breakdown
The real money in your pocket each month. Because VA compensation is tax-free, it goes further than the same amount of taxable wages.
Base disability compensation
Combined rating: 0%
Annual economic impact (2026)
The bigger picture over a full year — not just cash compensation, but the estimated value of VA health care and the taxes you save because VA compensation is tax-free.
Annual disability compensation
$0
Base rating: 0%
Healthcare & wellness value
$500
Copays may apply — limited healthcare access
Tax-free savings (est.)
$0
Federal + state tax saved (est. 22% bracket)
VR&E (while enrolled)
$0
Not currently enrolled
- 0–40%: Veterans may pay copays for non-service-connected care, reducing healthcare value.
- 50%+: No copays required — full healthcare value realized.
- 100% P&T: Maximum healthcare benefits plus dependent (CHAMPVA) coverage.
- Healthcare and tax figures are rough estimates for planning; confirm your specifics with VA.gov and a tax professional.
Lifetime economic impact
Your economic impact doesn't stop next year — it continues for the rest of your life. Enter your age and we'll project the yearly value out to an average life expectancy of about 80.
Enter your age above to see your projected lifetime economic impact.
We project to about age 80. Your real total depends on future cost-of-living (COLA) raises, any rating changes, and how long you receive benefits.
Overview
VA disability compensation is a monthly, tax-free payment for veterans who became sick or injured during service, or whose service made an existing condition worse. The amount depends on your combined disability rating and your dependents. VA pays additional amounts for qualifying dependents once your rating reaches 30% or higher.
Who may qualify
- • You have a current, diagnosed physical or mental condition — chronic pain, hearing loss or tinnitus, PTSD, migraines, sleep apnea, and musculoskeletal injuries are common examples.
- • You can show a service connection: the condition was caused or made worse by active service, or began within a presumptive window after discharge.
- • Your separation was under conditions other than dishonorable.
- • Presumptive paths need no proof of cause: PACT Act toxic exposures, Gulf War illnesses, and former-POW conditions are presumed service-connected.
- • Ratings run 0% to 100% in 10% steps; monthly pay begins at 10%, and dependent pay is added at 30% and above.
How to apply
Gather your evidence
DD214, service treatment and private medical records, and any buddy/lay statements that tie the condition to your service.
File VA Form 21-526EZ
Online, by mail, by fax, or in person. Submitting an Intent to File first locks in your effective date and can protect back pay.
Attend your C&P exam
Attend any Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam VA schedules for you — it is free and used to confirm your rating. Describe your worst days.
Track your claim on VA.gov
Follow your claim status and respond quickly if VA asks for more evidence.
Key form: VA Form 21-526EZ · File an Intent to File first to lock your effective date and protect back pay.
More free tools & calculators
The calculator above is one of several free tools on the site. Each one is private, needs no account, and answers a question women veterans are usually left to figure out alone. There is more here than a single number — explore the rest.
Official VA links
VA disability compensation rates
The full 2026 rate tables (effective Dec 1, 2025).
File a disability claim (Form 21-526EZ)
Start or continue your claim on VA.gov.
Submit an Intent to File
Lock your effective date and protect back pay.
Find a VA location or provider
Locate VA medical centers, clinics, and Vet Centers near you.
Check your claim status
Track a claim or appeal already in progress.
Women Veterans Call Center
Free, confidential help: 1-855-829-6636.
Talk to a VA-accredited claims agent
These numbers are estimates. Albert's accredited claims agents focus on veterans the VA has already denied or under-rated — they can review your rating, find benefits you may have missed, and file or appeal for you. They don't take every case; they'll review your situation first and tell you honestly whether they can help.
Fees, straight up: 20% of past-due benefits recovered. Recovery only — never hourly. Nothing on first-time claims. An accredited agent personally reviews every request — they'll reach out within 48 hours.
These figures are estimates for educational and financial-planning purposes only. Your actual VA award depends on your specific rating decision, dependents, and effective dates. Always confirm your rating and rates with VA.gov before you file.
Questions About VA Rating Math
Why the numbers work the way they do — VA math, dependents, the bilateral factor, and SMC. If your estimate and your actual pay do not match, a free review can tell you why.
Why doesn’t 50% + 50% equal 100% on my rating?
Because the VA uses “VA math,” not simple addition. Each disability is applied to the part of you that is still “whole,” so ratings combine on a sliding scale and then round to the nearest 10%. Two 50% conditions combine to 75%, which rounds to 80% — not 100%. The calculator above does this math for you.
Do dependents change my monthly payment?
Yes. Once your combined rating is 30% or higher, the VA adds money for a spouse, dependent children, and dependent parents. If you never added your dependents — or your family has grown — you may be owed more, sometimes with back pay to when the dependent should have been counted.
What is the bilateral factor?
When you have disabilities affecting both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles, the VA adds an extra 10% of the combined value of those bilateral conditions before combining everything else. It is easy to miss by hand, and it can nudge your rating up a bracket — which is why the calculator accounts for it.
Is this calculator official?
No — it is an educational estimate to help you plan. Your actual award depends on your specific rating decision, effective dates, and dependents. Always confirm your rating and the current rates on VA.gov, and have an accredited agent review anything that looks off.
What is Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)?
SMC is additional compensation for specific, more serious situations — for example the loss or loss of use of a reproductive organ (SMC-K), or needing the regular aid and attendance of another person. It is paid on top of your regular combined rating and is frequently missed.
My estimate looks higher than what I actually receive — what now?
That gap is often a sign of an under-rating, a missing secondary condition, or dependents that were never added. An accredited claims agent can review your rating decision for free and tell you honestly whether it is worth filing to correct it.
Still have a question about your own situation?
