VA Disability Calculator: See Your 2026 Monthly Payment

VA Disability Calculator

Free VA disability calculator — combine your ratings with official VA math (38 CFR §4.25) and see your estimated 2026 monthly pay. Tax-free estimates, no signup.

Your combined rating
80%
Estimated 2026 monthly pay
$2,102.15
$25,225.80/year
100% tax-free

Enter your ratings and hit Calculate — this VA disability calculator will show your combined rating and estimated 2026 monthly pay.

This VA disability calculator follows 38 CFR §4.25: it sorts your ratings highest-first, combines them with VA math, rounds to the nearest 10%, and looks up your 2026 VA.gov rate. This VA disability calculator is for estimates only — not an official VA determination.

The VA doesn’t add your disability ratings together — it uses “VA math” to combine them, then pays you a tax-free monthly amount based on the result and your dependents. Enter your ratings above to get your combined rating and estimated 2026 monthly payment in seconds. Veterans often call this a VA payment calculator, because it estimates the monthly compensation the VA pays for a service connected disability.

VA disability calculator combining ratings with VA math for 2026 monthly pay

How Do You Use the VA Disability Calculator?

  1. Enter each disability rating the VA assigned you (10%, 20%, 30%… up to 100%).
  2. Mark bilateral conditions if they affect both arms, both legs, or paired muscle groups (this adds the bilateral factor).
  3. Select your dependent status — veteran alone, with spouse, with children, or with dependent parents.
  4. Hit Calculate. See your combined rating (rounded per VA rules) and your estimated 2026 tax-free monthly payment.

How Does VA Math Work?

This is where most veterans get confused: ratings don’t add up. A 60% rating plus a 50% rating is NOT 110% — it’s 80%. Here’s the official formula (38 CFR §4.25):

Combined rating = A + B × (1 − A)

…where A is your highest rating, applied one pair at a time, highest first. Then round to the nearest 10%.

The logic: each new rating applies only to your remaining “efficiency.” At 60% disabled, you’re considered 40% “efficient” — so a second 50% rating takes 50% of that remaining 40% (20 points), not 50 points.

The bilateral factor: if you have disabilities on both sides of your body (both knees, left arm + right leg, etc.), the VA adds half the combined bilateral value on top before the final combination.

Rounding: the VA rounds the final figure to the nearest 10%. 84% → 80%. 85% → 90%.

Worked Example: Marcus’s Combined Rating

Meet Marcus. Army veteran, two service-connected conditions: 60% (back) and 50% (PTSD). No dependents.

Step 1 — Order highest first: 60%, then 50%.

Step 2 — Combine: 0.60 + 0.50 × (1 − 0.60) = 0.60 + 0.50 × 0.40 = 0.60 + 0.20 = 0.80

Step 3 — Round: 80% → 80% combined rating.

Step 4 — Monthly pay (2026, veteran alone): 80% = $2,102.15/month — that’s $25,225.80/year, 100% tax-free.

Notice: 60 + 50 “should” be 110 by normal math, but VA math gives 80. That 30-point gap surprises almost every veteran the first time.

2026 VA Disability Pay Rates (Monthly, Tax-Free)

Rates effective December 1, 2025 (2.8% COLA). Veteran alone vs. veteran with spouse:

RatingVeteran aloneWith spouse
10%$180.42$180.42
20%$356.66$356.66
30%$552.47$617.47
40%$795.84$882.84
50%$1,132.90$1,241.90
60%$1,435.02$1,566.02
70%$1,808.45$1,961.45
80%$2,102.15$2,277.15
90%$2,362.30$2,559.30
100%$3,938.58$4,158.17

Note: 10% and 20% pay the same regardless of dependents — dependent additions start at 30%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Because the VA measures remaining efficiency, not total disability. Each rating after the first applies only to what’s left. It’s the law (38 CFR §4.25) — a 60% plus 50% rating combines to 80%, not 110%.

$2,102.15/month for a veteran alone ($25,225.80/year), or $2,277.15/month with a spouse — all tax-free.

An extra bump when you have disabilities affecting both sides of your body. The VA combines the bilateral pair, takes half of that value, and adds it before combining with your other ratings.

Yes, starting at a 30% combined rating. A spouse, children under 18 (or under 23 if in school), and dependent parents each add to your monthly payment. File VA Form 21-686c to add dependents; the VA won’t do it automatically.

No — VA disability payments are 100% tax-free at the federal level, and most states exempt them too. Don’t report them as income.

Your combined rating (10%–100%) determines your pay tier from the rate table above. Two veterans at 80% get the same base pay — dependents are what change the final check.

No. 100% is the cap for schedular ratings. Some veterans qualify for additional Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) on top.

Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability — if your combined rating is 70%+ (or 60%+ with one condition at 60%) and you can’t hold steady work, the VA may pay you at the 100% rate ($3,938.58/month for 2026). It’s a separate application, not automatic.

A VA pay calculator estimates your monthly VA disability compensation from your combined disability rating and dependent status, using the VA’s published compensation tables for the current year. Enter your rating and dependents to see the monthly estimate.

Related Calculators

This calculator is for educational purposes only — not legal, benefits, or financial advice. VA math follows 38 CFR §§4.25–4.26; individual claims depend on VA decisions, medical evidence, and effective dates. For your official rating and payment, check VA.gov or contact an accredited VSO representative (free).

Sources: 38 CFR §4.25 (combined ratings table); VA 2026 compensation rate tables (2.8% COLA eff. Dec 1, 2025).