Veteran Benefits
VA Disability Compensation
A tax-free monthly payment for injuries or illnesses connected to your service - or that service made worse. Build your combined rating and estimate your payment below, no sign-up required.
Estimate your monthly payment
Use the interactive estimator below to build your combined VA rating and see what your monthly compensation could look like. Every figure uses published 2026 VA rates - there is nothing to sign up for, and nothing is shared until you ask for help.
What you have earned
Your rating is the key to everything
Disability compensation is a tax-free monthly payment based on a combined rating from 10% to 100%. That single number drives your monthly check - and it opens doors to health care, housing help, and special monthly compensation.
The catch: the VA does not simply add your ratings together. It combines them on a sliding scale, which trips up a lot of veterans. The estimator below does that math for you, then layers on dependents so you can see the real number.
$180.42/mo
Starting rate at 10%, tax-free (2026)
$4,158/mo
Roughly the 100% rate with a spouse (2026)
100% tax-free
Disability compensation is never taxed
Your rating & payment estimator
Add each condition and its rating, then add your family. The estimate updates as you go - no personal details required.
Build your combined rating
Add each service-connected condition and its rating. The VA does not simply add your ratings - it combines them, so two 50% conditions do not equal 100%.
Your combined VA rating
Exact math: 65% -> VA rounds to the nearest 10%
Add your family
Once your combined rating is 30% or higher, the VA pays more for eligible dependents.
Marital status
Dependent children
Children under 18
Children 18-23 in an approved school
Dependent parents
Parents who relied on you financially.
Estimated monthly payment
$1,808.45
About $21,701 per year, tax-free
- Base rate at 70%
- $1,808.45
- Estimated over 10 years
- $217,014+
Estimate only. Excludes the bilateral factor and other special rates. The VA rounds combined ratings to the nearest 10%. Rates adjust yearly with the COLA - confirm on va.gov.
Why the math matters
Two 50% ratings do not equal 100%
The VA combines ratings on a descending scale, then rounds to the nearest 10%. Getting one more condition rated correctly can be the difference between 80% and 90% - and hundreds of dollars a month. That is why an accurate review pays off.
A clear path forward
How to file - or raise - your rating
Whether this is a first claim or a push for a higher rating, the path is the same. Here is the order that works.
Start here
File an Intent to File
This one step locks in your effective date - so any back pay is calculated from today, even while you gather evidence. It is free and takes minutes.
Build your case
Gather your evidence
Service records, a current diagnosis, and a nexus that ties the condition to service. Strong, organized evidence is what moves a claim.
Submit
File VA Form 21-526EZ
Apply online or with help. Claim every condition - physical and mental - because your combined rating is built from all of them together.
If denied
Use your review options
A denial is not the end. You have three paths: a Supplemental Claim with new evidence, a Higher-Level Review, or a Board Appeal.
Benefits that build on your rating
Your disability rating is the foundation. These benefits often stack on top - tap any card to learn more.
Get a free rating review
Tell us how to reach you and an accredited team member will review your rating and help you claim every dollar you have earned. No cost, no obligation.
Not sure your rating is right?
Talk with our free assistant any time, or have an accredited specialist review your combined rating and find the increases and back pay you may be owed.
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