Disability Compensation
Tax-free monthly pay — up to $3,938 a month at the 100% rating, and more for your spouse, children, and parents. See what your rating is worth.
Estimate your Disability benefit
Use the interactive calculator below — no sign-up required. All estimates use published VA rates.
Start here
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.
How Does the VA Calculate Combined Ratings?
Instead of adding your disability 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% disability is applied to the remaining 90% — so 10% of 90 is 9%. Add that to your first 10% and your combined rating is 19%, which the VA rounds to the nearest 10% — so you’d be rated at 20%.
This makes it harder to reach higher ratings. For example, 50% for PTSD, 50% for sleep apnea, 20% for diabetes, and 20% for a back problem combine to 80% — even though the numbers add up to 140%. Each new rating is only applied to what is left of your “healthy” percentage.
Why Does This Matter?
The difference in compensation can be significant. A veteran at 80% with no dependents receives far less than one at 100% — the jump to 100% can nearly double the monthly payment for what looks like a small increase in rating. That is why every point matters as you approach the top of the scale.
Other Factors That Affect Your Rating
The VA also considers other factors. If you have disabilities in both arms or both legs, these paired (“bilateral”) extremities are combined in a special way that can boost your overall percentage. In some cases, 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).
Enter your disabilities using the buttons below
This is where you build your rating. Add each service-connected condition and its percentage, and the calculator shows your real combined rating using VA math — not a simple sum.
Instructions for extremity ratings
- If your disability affects an extremity (arm or leg), first click the matching extremity button, then choose its percentage. It is saved and released automatically, so you can go straight on to the next condition.
- For non-extremity disabilities (spine, mental health, etc.), don’t select an extremity — just pick the percentage directly.
- To change an extremity’s rating, click that extremity again to re-open it, then pick the new percentage.
- To remove any rating, click its chip in the “Disabilities list” below (the ×).
Select a rating (non-extremity condition)
Disabilities list (click to remove)
No ratings selected.
Number of dependents
Your family can raise your monthly payment. Tell us who you support and we add the dependent amounts to your compensation — this unlocks at a 30% rating or higher.
How many dependent parents do you have?
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)
SMC is extra compensation above the regular rating tables for serious losses — like loss or loss of use of a limb, being housebound, or needing the daily aid and attendance of another person. SMC-K is an add-on paid on top of your pay for a qualifying loss (available at any rating). The base levels — housebound, aid & attendance — replace your pay and are typically granted at a 100% combined rating (or on a permanently-housebound or anatomical-loss basis). Select whichever levels the VA has actually granted you — you can select more than one. Open any card to learn how you qualify.
Current disability rating
Your combined rating is 0%.
Your monthly payment amount is
$0.00
Free & no obligation — talk with one of our accredited claims agents.
Additional rating needed
95%
to reach 100%
Education benefits (VR&E) calculator
VR&E (Chapter 31) benefits are available at a 10% disability rating or higher. Current rating: 0%
VR&E benefits overview
VR&E becomes available once your combined rating reaches 10%. Here is what you could expect.
Your selections
- Program
- College or University
- Attendance
- Full-time
- Dependents
- None
Estimated monthly breakdown
- Subsistence stipend
- $0.00
- Books & supplies
- Paid to school
- Total monthly
- $0.00
Estimated monthly VR&E benefit
$0.00
Tuition, fees, and books are paid directly to the school.
Important VR&E information
- VR&E provides up to 48 months of benefits (or the equivalent part-time) for eligible veterans.
- You generally need an employment handicap due to a service-connected disability.
- VR&E covers tuition, fees, books, supplies, and a monthly subsistence allowance.
- Subsistence rates are FY2026 full-time institutional figures effective October 1, 2025; three-quarter and half-time are scaled.
- Veterans with Post-9/11 GI Bill entitlement may elect the BAH-based housing rate instead, if higher.
Monthly benefits breakdown
This is the real money in your pocket each month. It adds up your tax-free disability compensation, the extra you receive for dependents, and any VR&E education allowance while you’re in a program. Because this income is not taxed, it goes further than the same amount of taxable wages.
Base disability
Combined rating: 0%
$0.00
Dependent benefits
Spouse, children, and dependent parents
$0.00
Education benefits
VR&E subsistence allowance (while enrolled)
$0.00
Total monthly benefits
Tax-free combined monthly payment
$0.00
What this means for living: at $0.00 a month you have about $0 a year in tax-free income before any earnings from work, retirement, or Social Security. Many veterans combine this with part-time or full-time work; if you cannot work because of your service-connected disabilities, ask about Individual Unemployability (TDIU), which pays at the 100% rate.
Annual economic impact 2026
This is the bigger picture over a full year — not just your cash compensation, but the estimated value of the VA health care you no longer pay out of pocket, education benefits, and the taxes you save because VA compensation is tax-free. It shows what these benefits are truly worth to your household.
Annual disability compensation
Veteran compensation
Base disability rating: 0%
$0
Dependent compensation
None
$0
Healthcare & wellness annual value
Veteran healthcare
Copays required — limited healthcare access
$500
Dependent healthcare
Available at 100% P&T rating (CHAMPVA)
$0
Healthcare value notes
- 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.
- Values reflect a rough net benefit after typical copay costs.
Additional economic benefits (annual)
Education benefits
VR&E for the veteran
$0
Tax-free savings
Federal and state tax savings (est. 22% bracket)
$0
Total annual economic impact
Combined value of all benefits and economic advantages per year
$500
Eligible VA benefits
These are the doors that open at your 0% combined rating. Click any benefit to see what it is, who qualifies, how to apply, and how to get started. Benefits may vary by state and individual circumstances.
Medical benefits
Other benefits
State benefits & local resources
Many benefits — like property-tax exemptions and tuition waivers — are run by your state, not the federal VA. Enter your ZIP code to find your state veterans department and the nearest Vet Center for free, in-person help.
- Benefits listed are general eligibility — individual circumstances may affect what you receive.
- Some benefits require additional eligibility criteria or a separate application.
- Benefit rates and eligibility are based on 2026 rates effective December 1, 2025.
Lifetime economic impact
Your economic impact does not stop next year — it continues for the rest of your life. Enter your age and we’ll project the same yearly value out to an average life expectancy of about 80, so you can see what your benefits are truly worth over the long run.
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.
Enter your age above to see your projected lifetime economic impact.
Work with our accredited claims agents
Don’t leave money on the table — let a specialist handle your claim
These numbers are estimates. Our VA-accredited claims agents can review your rating, find benefits you may have missed, and file or appeal your claim for you. Your first case evaluation is free, with no obligation.
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. Confirm your rating and rates with VA.gov, and consider a free case review with our accredited claims agents before you file.
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 — common examples include chronic pain, hearing loss or tinnitus, PTSD, migraines, sleep apnea, and musculoskeletal injuries.
You can show a service connection: the condition was caused or made worse by active service, or it began within a presumptive window after discharge (some chronic conditions appearing within one year qualify).
Your separation was under conditions other than dishonorable — honorable, general, and some other-than-honorable discharges may still qualify after a character-of-discharge review.
Presumptive paths need no proof of cause: PACT Act toxic exposures (burn pits, Agent Orange, radiation), Gulf War illnesses, and former-POW conditions are presumed service-connected.
Ratings run from 0% to 100% in 10% steps; monthly pay begins at 10%, and extra pay for a spouse, children, or dependent parents is added at 30% and above.
How to apply
File a disability claim on VA.gov- 1
Gather your evidence: DD214, service treatment and private medical records, and any buddy/lay statements that tie the condition to your service.
- 2
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.
VA Form 21-526EZ - 3
Attend any Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam VA schedules for you — it is free and used to confirm your rating.
- 4
Track your claim on VA.gov and respond quickly if VA asks for more evidence.
File your claim on VA.gov
Prefer to have an expert handle it?
Our VA-accredited claims agents can prepare, file, and manage this claim for you — free case evaluation, no obligation.