VA Disability Combined Rating Calculator

How to do it

1. 1
   Enter your ratings

   Type each service-connected rating as a number, separated by commas, for example 50, 30, 20.

2. 2
   Add paired-limb ratings

   If both arms or both legs are rated, enter those ratings in the bilateral box so the factor is applied.

3. 3
   Choose your dependents

   Tick a spouse, choose 0 to 2 parents and enter children under 18 and children over 18 in school.

4. 4
   Read the combined rating

   The result shows each combining step, the exact combined value and the rating rounded to the nearest 10.

5. 5
   Check the monthly payment

   See the monthly and yearly amount from the rate table and edit the table if the rates change.

About this tool

VA ratings are not added together. The VA starts with the highest rating, treats the veteran as 100 percent "whole", and applies each further rating to what is left, then rounds the result to the nearest 10. This calculator does that for any list of ratings, handles paired arms or legs with the bilateral factor, and turns the final rating into the monthly compensation for a veteran alone or with a spouse, children and dependent parents. The payment table is editable, so it stays useful when the next cost-of-living increase arrives.

Who this is for Veterans who have several service-connected conditions and want to understand why 50 percent plus 30 percent plus 20 percent is 70 percent and not 100. It is also useful for family members, claim representatives and anyone comparing what an increase in a single rating would do to the combined rating and the payment.

How the combination works Put the ratings in order from highest to lowest. The first rating is taken as it is. Every next rating is applied to the part of the person that is still unaffected: with 50 percent, 50 percent is left, and a 30 percent rating takes 30 percent of that remainder, which is 15 points, so the running total becomes 65. A 20 percent rating then takes 20 percent of the remaining 35 points, which is 7, for 72. The VA works in whole numbers at every step and rounds the final figure to the nearest 10, so 72 becomes 70 percent. A final figure ending in 5 is rounded up.

The bilateral factor When both arms, both legs or both hands are service-connected, the VA first combines those ratings with each other, adds 10 percent of that result, and treats the total as one extra disability. In the second box enter the ratings for the paired limbs. For example, 20 and 10 on the two legs combine to 28, plus 10 percent gives 31, and that 31 is then combined with the other ratings you listed in the first box.

From rating to payment The final rating selects a row in the rate table. Veterans rated 10 or 20 percent receive the same amount whatever their family, while veterans at 30 percent or more receive more for a spouse, children and parents. The table holds the rates effective December 1, 2025, and you can edit any cell if the VA publishes new ones. The estimate does not include special monthly compensation, individual unemployability, retroactive pay or state benefits.

Worked example A veteran with ratings of 50, 30 and 20 percent: 50, then 50 + 15 = 65, then 65 + 7 = 72, rounded to 70 percent. The monthly payment for 70 percent is $1,808.45 for a veteran alone and $1,961.45 with a spouse. If the veteran also has two children under 18, the first child is built into the table amount for the family type and the second child adds $76 at the 70 percent level.

Limits The final decision on any claim is made by the VA. This page is an educational estimate, not legal advice or a promise of any rating or payment.

Worked example

With the starting values (ratings 50, 30 and 20, no dependents) the tool shows a combined value of 72 percent, a rounded rating of 70 percent and a monthly payment of $1,808.45 (about $21,701 a year). Tick "spouse" and the payment becomes $1,961.45.