VA disability compensation rose 2.8% effective December 1, 2025. A veteran with no dependents receives $180.42 a month at a 10% rating and $3,938.58 at 100%. Ratings of 30% and higher pay more for a spouse, children, or dependent parents. VA compensation is tax-free and separate from Social Security disability.
2026 VA Disability Rates by Rating
| Disability Rating | Veteran Alone | Veteran With Spouse (no children) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | — |
| 20% | $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 |
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, rates effective December 1, 2025 (first paid in January 2026). Ratings of 10% and 20% pay the same regardless of dependents. VA publishes separate tables for children, dependent parents, and each additional child; check va.gov for your family situation.
Special monthly compensation (SMC) can pay more than the 100% rate for specific losses, such as loss of use of a limb or the need for aid and attendance.
How VA Combines Multiple Ratings
VA doesn’t add ratings together. It treats you as 100% “efficient,” applies the largest rating first, then applies each additional rating to the efficiency that’s left, and rounds the final result to the nearest 10%:
| Individual Ratings | Combined Value | Combined Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 50% + 30% | 65 | 70% |
| 40% + 20% + 10% | 56.8 | 60% |
| 60% + 40% | 76 | 80% |
| 70% + 30% + 20% | 83.2 | 80% |
Example (50% + 30%): a 50% rating leaves 50% efficiency; 30% of that 50 is 15, so the combined value is 65, which rounds to 70%.
When disabilities affect both arms or both legs, VA adds a bilateral factor of 10% of the combined value of those disabilities before combining with the rest. A true combined rating uses VA’s combined ratings table (38 CFR 4.25); an online VA calculator can do the math.
Common Ratings by Condition
VA rates each condition under its Schedule for Rating Disabilities based on severity, not diagnosis alone. Ratings for common conditions range widely:
| Condition | Typical Rating Range | What Drives the Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Tinnitus | 10% (the maximum) | Recurrent tinnitus is rated 10% whether one or both ears |
| PTSD and other mental health conditions | 0% to 100% (in steps of 10, 30, 50, 70, 100) | Occupational and social impairment |
| Back conditions | 10% to 100% | Range of motion, incapacitating episodes |
| Sleep apnea | 0% to 100% | Treatment needed (such as a CPAP) and complications; VA has proposed revising this schedule, so check current criteria |
| Migraines | 0% to 50% | Frequency of prostrating attacks and economic impact |
Your rating depends on the medical evidence and your compensation and pension (C&P) exam, so the same condition can be rated differently for different veterans.
TDIU: Paid at the 100% Rate
Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) pays at the 100% rate ($3,938.58 a month for a veteran alone) when service-connected disabilities keep you from holding substantially gainful employment, even if your combined rating is lower.
- Usual threshold: one service-connected disability rated at least 60%, or a combined rating of 70% or more with at least one disability rated 40% or more.
- Exceptions: VA can grant TDIU outside those thresholds on an extraschedular basis.
- Work allowed: marginal employment, generally earnings below the federal poverty threshold for one person, or work in a protected environment such as a family business, doesn’t disqualify you.
Agent Orange Presumptive Conditions
Veterans who served in qualifying locations and have a presumptive condition don’t need to prove the exposure caused it. Qualifying service includes Vietnam (January 9, 1962, to May 7, 1975), the Korean DMZ (September 1, 1967, to August 31, 1971), certain bases in Thailand, and, under the 2022 PACT Act, service in Laos, Cambodia, Guam, American Samoa, and Johnston Atoll during specified periods.
Presumptive conditions include: AL amyloidosis, bladder cancer, chronic B-cell leukemias, chloracne, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), Hodgkin’s disease, hypothyroidism, ischemic heart disease, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Parkinsonism, Parkinson’s disease, early-onset peripheral neuropathy, porphyria cutanea tarda, prostate cancer, respiratory cancers, and certain soft tissue sarcomas.
There’s no fixed “Agent Orange payment”; each condition receives a rating and you’re paid under the standard table above.
VA Disability and Social Security
- They’re separate programs. VA compensation doesn’t reduce SSDI or Social Security retirement benefits, and SSDI doesn’t reduce VA compensation.
- Different standards. SSA decides disability under its own rules; a VA rating isn’t binding on SSA, though SSA considers the evidence. See which conditions qualify for SSDI.
- Faster SSDI decisions: veterans rated 100% permanent and total have their SSDI claims expedited.
- Taxes: VA disability compensation isn’t taxable; SSDI can be, depending on income. See the Social Security tax guide.
- SSI is different: VA compensation counts as income for SSI and reduces the SSI payment.
Part of the Social Security guide.
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