VA Disability Ratings Explained: Percentages, VA Math & Monthly Pay (2026)

How VA disability ratings work: what a percentage stands for, how a rater picks it under 38 CFR Part 4, what each level pays monthly in 2026, how VA math combines ratings, and what 30%, 50%, 70% and 100% open up.

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.

What a rating percentage stands for

The rating schedule is 38 CFR Part 4, the VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities. Under 38 CFR 4.1, its percentages represent "as far as can practicably be determined the average impairment in earning capacity" that a condition causes in civilian jobs. That is an average, not a measure of your own lost income. Under 38 CFR 4.10, the basis of every evaluation is how well the body as a whole, the mind, or a system or organ can function "under the ordinary conditions of daily life including employment."

How ratings are assigned

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.

How a VA rater picks the percentage

After you file and complete any C&P exam, a VA rater reviews the whole claims file: service treatment records, VA and private medical records, exam reports, and statements from you and people who know you. 38 CFR 4.1 says each disability is to be "viewed in relation to its history," and 38 CFR 4.2 tells the rater to read exam reports "in the light of the whole recorded history" and to return a report that lacks enough detail to rate.

The rater then compares the documented findings with the criteria the schedule prints for your diagnostic code. A case does not have to show every finding listed for a level: 38 CFR 4.21 says it is not expected that all cases will show all the findings specified.

When your findings sit between two levels, 38 CFR 4.7 decides it. The higher evaluation is assigned if the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria for that rating; otherwise the lower one is assigned.

Reasonable doubt is resolved in your favor. Under 38 CFR 4.3 and 3.102, when a reasonable doubt arises about the degree of disability, it goes to the veteran. Section 3.102 defines that doubt as one that exists because of "an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence" that does not satisfactorily prove or disprove the claim.

For joints and muscles, 38 CFR 4.40 counts functional loss as well as measured motion: pain, weakness and reduced endurance all matter, and "a part which becomes painful on use must be regarded as seriously disabled." The DeLuca factors guide covers how flare-ups and repeated use come into an exam.

The decision also sets an effective date. Under 38 CFR 3.400, the general rule for an initial or supplemental claim is the date VA received the claim or the date entitlement arose, whichever is later. An intent to file can protect an earlier date, and VA back pay explained covers how the dates turn into payments.

What each rating pays in 2026

Your rating determines your monthly, tax-free compensation. These are the 2026 rates, effective December 1, 2025, for a veteran with no dependents:

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.

VA math: how combined ratings work

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%. The VA math guide walks through the 38 CFR 4.25 table, more examples and the bilateral factor, and the calculator does the arithmetic for you.

Rounding can make or break a rating

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.

What each rating tier unlocks

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, many states add benefits like free vehicle registration, hunting and fishing licenses, and education benefits for dependents. At 100%, the question becomes whether VA also finds the disability permanent: CHAMPVA health coverage for your spouse and children (38 U.S.C. 1781) and Chapter 35 education benefits (38 U.S.C. 3501) both turn on a total disability that is "permanent in nature."

Special monthly compensation sits outside the scale

Special monthly compensation (SMC) is a separate set of rates in 38 U.S.C. 1114(k) through (t) for specific losses, such as the loss or loss of use of a hand or foot, blindness, deafness of both ears, or a need for regular aid and attendance. The (k) rate is paid "independent of" the regular 10% to 100% rates, so it can sit on top of any rating, not only 100%. The SMC guide lists the levels.

Two paths to 100%: schedular vs. TDIU

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. Under 38 CFR 4.16(a), TDIU generally requires at least one condition rated 60% or higher, or a combined rating of 70% with at least one condition at 40%.

Where rating decisions can go wrong

A careful read of a decision can catch errors such as a condition rated under the wrong diagnostic code, functional loss left out on a joint condition, favorable evidence in the file that the decision never discusses, doubt that was not resolved in the veteran's favor, or an effective date later than the record supports. How to read a VA rating decision covers what to check in the notification letter and the rating codesheet.

The bottom line

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if my symptoms fall between two rating levels?

Under 38 CFR 4.7, the higher rating is assigned if your disability picture more nearly approximates its criteria; otherwise the lower one is. Your case also does not need to show every finding listed for a level (38 CFR 4.21).

What is a 0% VA disability rating?

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.

What does the benefit of the doubt mean for my rating?

When a reasonable doubt arises about how severe your condition is, VA resolves it in your favor (38 CFR 3.102 and 4.3). Section 3.102 describes that doubt as an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence that does not satisfactorily prove or disprove the claim.

What additional benefits come with a 30% rating?

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.

What is TDIU?

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%.

What benefits does a 100% VA disability rating provide?

A 100% rating pays the highest schedular rate. When VA also finds the total disability permanent, a spouse and children can qualify for CHAMPVA health care and Chapter 35 education benefits, and many states add property tax exemptions and other benefits. Special Monthly Compensation is separate: it pays for specific losses, and its (k) rate can be added at any rating level.