How VA disability ratings actually work: the 0%–100% scale, how VA math combines multiple ratings, what each percentage pays monthly in 2026, and the extra benefits unlocked at 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100%.
Your VA disability rating is a percentage that represents how much your service-connected conditions affect your ability to function. It ranges from 0% to 100%, it sets your monthly tax-free compensation, and it unlocks a range of additional benefits that many veterans don't realize are tied to their rating. Understanding how the system works is the first step to seeing your full eligibility clearly.
Each service-connected condition gets its own individual rating based on the VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities, assigned in 10% increments: 0%, 10%, 20%, and so on up to 100%. A 0% rating means the VA agrees your condition is service-connected but finds that it doesn't currently reduce your earning capacity — and even a 0% rating is worth having, because it grants access to VA health care for that condition and locks in service connection for any future increase.
Your rating determines your monthly, tax-free compensation. These are the 2026 rates, effective December 1, 2025, for a veteran with no dependents:
| Combined rating | Monthly payment (no dependents) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
At 10% and 20%, the rate is flat. From 30% up, your payment can be higher if you have a dependent spouse, children, or dependent parents — for example, a 30% rating with a dependent spouse pays $617.47 a month instead of $552.47.
When you have multiple rated conditions, the VA does not simply add them together. It uses what veterans call "VA math," or the combined ratings table. Your highest-rated condition is applied first to your "whole person" (100%); the remaining percentage is then reduced by your next-highest rating, and so on. For example, with a 50% rating and a 30% rating, the VA starts with 50% disability (leaving you 50% "able"), then takes 30% of that remaining 50% — which is 15% — for a combined 65%.
That combined number is then rounded to the nearest 10%, and the direction of the round matters. A combined 65% rounds up to 70%; a combined 64% rounds down to 60%. Because crossing a rounding threshold can mean a meaningfully higher monthly payment, veterans and VSOs pay close attention to which conditions are claimed and how the individual ratings might combine.
Your rating opens different tiers of benefits beyond the monthly check. At 10-20%, you receive basic compensation and access to VA health care. At 30% and above, you can receive additional compensation for dependents — a spouse, children, and dependent parents each add to your payment. At 50% and above, many states offer substantial property tax exemptions. At 70% and above, most states add benefits like free vehicle registration, hunting and fishing licenses, and education benefits for dependents. At 100%, you reach the full range, including potential Special Monthly Compensation, CHAMPVA health coverage for your spouse and dependents, and Chapter 35 education benefits.
There are two ways to be paid at the 100% rate. A schedular 100% means your combined ratings add up — with VA math — to 100%. Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) pays you at the 100% rate when your service-connected conditions prevent you from holding substantially gainful employment, even if your combined schedular rating is lower. TDIU generally requires at least one condition rated 60% or higher, or a combined rating of 70% with at least one condition at 40%.
Your rating is the key that unlocks both your monthly compensation and a long list of federal, state, and local benefits — and small differences, like a rounding threshold, an added dependent, or a TDIU claim, can change it significantly. If your conditions have worsened or you haven't reviewed your rating recently, it's worth a fresh look. Our free briefing tool can show what your current rating qualifies you for across federal, state, and local programs.
The VA doesn't add ratings together. Each disability is applied to the remaining "whole" percentage of your body. For example, a 50% and 30% rating: start at 100%, apply 50% (leaving 50%), then apply 30% of the remaining 50% (15%), giving a combined 65% which rounds to 70%.
A 0% rating means the VA acknowledges your condition is service-connected but it doesn't currently affect your earning capacity. Even a 0% rating is valuable because it grants access to VA healthcare for that condition and establishes service connection for potential future increases.
At 30% or higher, you receive additional monthly compensation for dependents — a spouse, children, and dependent parents each add to your payment. This dependent pay is not available at the 10% or 20% rating levels.
Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) compensates veterans at the 100% rate when their service-connected conditions prevent them from maintaining substantially gainful employment, even if their combined schedular rating is below 100%. It typically requires at least one condition rated at 60% or more, or a combined rating of 70% with at least one condition at 40%.
A 100% rating unlocks the full range of benefits including maximum monthly compensation, potential eligibility for Special Monthly Compensation, CHAMPVA healthcare for your spouse, Chapter 35 education benefits for dependents, property tax exemptions in most states, and numerous other federal and state benefits.