VA Disability Calculator: Combined Rating and 2026 Monthly Pay
Add each of your service-connected disability ratings, mark any bilateral conditions, and enter your dependents. This VA disability calculator applies the VA’s “whole person” math to find your combined rating, then estimates your monthly tax-free compensation using the 2026 rates.
1. Add your disability ratings
Tap a percentage to add it, then tick “Bilateral” for conditions affecting both arms or both legs.
2. Your dependents
How to Use the VA Disability Calculator
- Add every service-connected rating from your VA decision letter by tapping the percentage buttons.
- Mark bilateral conditions. These are disabilities affecting both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles, such as knee conditions on both sides.
- Enter your dependents: spouse, dependent parents and children. Dependents add to your payment at a combined rating of 30% or higher.
- Read your results: the VA disability calculator shows your exact combined value, the rounded rating the VA uses, and your estimated monthly and yearly compensation.
How VA Math Works (Why 50% + 30% Isn’t 80%)
The VA doesn’t add ratings together. It uses a “whole person” method: each new rating applies only to the portion of you that is still considered “efficient.” Ratings are applied from highest to lowest:
- Start at 100% efficient. A 50% rating leaves you 50% efficient.
- A 30% rating takes 30% of the remaining 50, which is 15, leaving 35.
- A 20% rating takes 20% of 35, which is 7, leaving 28.
- 100 − 28 = 72, which the VA rounds to the nearest 10: 70%.
That’s why a VA disability rating calculator is so useful: the math gets complicated quickly with five or more conditions. Values ending in 5 or higher round up (a 65 becomes 70), and values ending in 4 or lower round down (a 64 becomes 60).
The Bilateral Factor Explained
When disabilities affect both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles, the VA first combines those ratings, then adds 10% of that combined value before combining it with your other ratings. Our VA disability calculator applies this automatically when you tick “Bilateral.” For example, two knees rated 10% each combine to 19, plus a 1.9 bilateral factor for 20.9. That figure is then combined with your remaining ratings, without rounding until the very end.
2026 VA Disability Pay Rates
Our VA disability calculator uses the official 2026 tables. Rates rose 2.8% under the cost-of-living adjustment effective December 1, 2025. Monthly compensation for a veteran with no dependents:
| Rating | Monthly | Rating | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 20% | $356.66 | 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 30% | $552.47 | 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 40% | $795.84 | 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | 100% | $3,938.58 |
With a spouse and dependents
| Rating | With spouse | Spouse + 1 child | Each extra child under 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30% | $617.47 | $666.47 | +$32.00 |
| 50% | $1,241.90 | $1,322.90 | +$54.00 |
| 70% | $1,961.45 | $2,074.45 | +$76.00 |
| 100% | $4,158.17 | $4,318.99 | +$109.11 |
The calculator also includes dependent parents, children aged 18–23 in school and Aid & Attendance for a spouse, using the official VA tables. Compensation is generally tax-free at the federal and state level.
Ways Veterans Often Increase a Rating
If the VA disability calculator shows you’re just below the next rating tier, these are common next steps:
- File for secondary conditions caused by an existing service-connected disability, such as depression linked to chronic pain.
- Request an increase if a condition has worsened, backed by current medical evidence.
- Check PACT Act presumptives if you served in areas with burn pit or toxic exposure.
- Look into TDIU: Individual Unemployability can pay at the 100% rate if service-connected conditions keep you from working.
- Work with an accredited VSO such as the DAV, VFW or American Legion. Their help is free.
Disclaimer: this VA disability calculator provides an unofficial estimate for educational purposes. Only the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs can determine your rating and payment. Special Monthly Compensation (SMC), TDIU and certain dependent situations aren’t included. Confirm details at VA.gov or with an accredited representative. We are not affiliated with the VA.
VA Disability Calculator FAQs
How does the VA calculate combined disability ratings?
The VA applies each rating, highest first, to the remaining “efficient” portion of your body, then rounds the final number to the nearest 10%. Ratings are never simply added together.
What is the 2026 VA disability pay for 100%?
$3,938.58 a month for a veteran with no dependents, effective December 1, 2025. It’s $4,158.17 with a spouse.
Is the VA disability calculator accurate?
It follows the VA’s combined ratings table method and the official 2026 rate tables, so it’s a close estimate. Your official decision letter is always the final word.
Do dependents increase VA disability pay?
Yes, but only when your combined rating is 30% or higher. Spouses, children, students aged 18–23 and dependent parents can each add to your monthly payment.
Is this VA disability calculator free?
Yes. It’s free and private, and none of your information is stored or sent anywhere.
When do VA rates change?
Usually every December 1, when the annual cost-of-living adjustment matching Social Security takes effect.