Calculate your combined VA disability rating and estimated monthly compensation using the official whole-person math (38 CFR §4.25) and the bilateral factor (38 CFR §4.26).
The VA combines ratings with a specific formula, not simple addition, and only pays more for dependents once you reach 30%.
Under 38 CFR §4.25 the VA treats you as 100% whole and applies each disability to the healthy percentage you have left. A 50% rating and a 30% rating combine to 65%, not 80%: the 30% applies to the remaining 50% (15%), so 50% + 15% = 65%. The VA then rounds to the nearest 10%.
The VA rounds only once, at the very end, to the nearest 10%. A final combined value of 65% rounds up to 70%; 64% rounds down to 60%. It never rounds at the intermediate steps.
When disabilities affect both sides of the body, both arms, both legs, or paired joints like both knees, 38 CFR §4.26 combines those paired conditions first, adds 10% of that value, then folds the result into your other ratings.
Dependents only affect your payment once your combined rating reaches 30%. At 10% or 20% you receive a flat rate. From 30% up, the VA adds set amounts for a spouse, each child, a child aged 18 to 23 in a qualifying school program, up to two dependent parents, and a spouse who receives Aid and Attendance.
Current monthly base rates, effective December 1, 2025 (a 2.8% cost-of-living increase), in effect through November 30, 2026.
| Combined rating | Veteran alone | With spouse | Spouse + 1 child |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | $180.42 | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 | $356.66 | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $666.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $947.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $1,322.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $1,663.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | $2,074.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | $2,406.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 | $2,704.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | $4,318.99 |
These are base rates. At 30% and up the VA adds set amounts on top: each additional child under 18 adds $32/month at 30%, rising to $109.11 at 100%; each child aged 18 to 23 in a qualifying school program adds more; and there are added amounts for dependent parents and for a spouse who receives Aid and Attendance.
Related reading: VA disability ratings explained, how VA back pay works, and rating criteria by condition.
The VA doesn't add your ratings together. It uses "whole person" math from 38 CFR § 4.25: each new condition is applied only to the healthy percentage you have left. A 50% rating leaves you 50% healthy, so a second 30% rating counts as 30% of that remaining 50% — 15% — for a combined value of 65%, not 80%. The VA then rounds the final figure to the nearest 10%.
Because disability ratings compound instead of adding. After a 50% rating you're considered 50% healthy, and the 30% applies to what's left: 30% of 50% is 15%, so 50% + 15% = 65%. That 65% rounds up to a 70% combined rating. Adding straight to 80% would count disability the VA considers you don't have.
Rounding happens once, at the very end, to the nearest 10%. A final combined value of 65% rounds up to 70%, while 64% rounds down to 60%. The VA never rounds at the intermediate steps — only the final number sets your rating and your monthly pay.
The bilateral factor (38 CFR § 4.26) gives extra credit when you have disabilities on both sides of the body — both arms, both legs, or paired joints such as both knees. The VA combines the paired conditions first, adds 10% of that combined value, then folds the result into your other ratings, nudging your overall rating slightly higher.
Yes, but only once your combined rating reaches 30%. At 10% or 20% you receive a flat rate no matter your family size. From 30% up, the VA adds set amounts for a spouse, each child, a child aged 18 to 23 in a qualifying school program, up to two dependent parents, and a spouse who receives Aid and Attendance.
The 2026 rates took effect December 1, 2025 with a 2.8% cost-of-living increase and run through November 30, 2026. A veteran with no dependents receives $180.42 a month at 10%, $552.47 at 30%, $1,808.45 at 70%, and $3,938.58 at 100%. Dependents add to every rate from 30% up.
A 100% rating pays $3,938.58 a month for a veteran with no dependents. With a spouse it rises to $4,158.17, and with a spouse and one child to $4,318.99 — before added amounts for extra children, dependent parents, or a spouse receiving Aid and Attendance.
It uses the official combined-ratings math from 38 CFR § 4.25, the bilateral factor from § 4.26, and the 2026 rates published on VA.gov, so the combined rating and base payment match the VA's own tables. It's still an estimate: it doesn't account for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC), TDIU, or CRSC, and only the VA can issue an official rating decision.