Free VA Tool
VA Combined Disability Rating Calculator
Add each of your ratings and see your real combined VA rating in seconds, calculated with the VA’s official method. VA math is not simple addition, so two 50% ratings do not equal 100%. This tool includes the 10% bilateral factor that most veterans never hear about, which can change your final number. Use it as often as you like, at no cost, to see exactly where you stand.
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Why your ratings don’t just add up
It is one of the most misunderstood parts of the VA system. If you have a 50% rating and a 30% rating, it feels like you should be at 80%. You are not. The VA uses what veterans call “VA math” — a whole-person method where each new condition is applied only to the part of you that is still considered healthy.
Start with that 50% rating: the VA now considers you 50% healthy. The 30% condition applies to that remaining 50%, adding 15 points — for a combined 65%. Because the VA rounds the final result to the nearest 10%, you are paid at 70%, not 80%. Add more conditions and each one moves the needle less than the last.
That is exactly what the calculator below does — the same formula, table, and rounding the VA uses (38 CFR 4.25), plus the bilateral factor. Add every service-connected condition you carry, and you will see the combined rating the VA should land on.
Whole-person method
Each condition applies to what health remains
Rounds to nearest 10%
The VA rounds only the final combined number
Bilateral factor built in
Extra 10% for both arms or both legs
Combined rating calculator
Add each rating the VA has assigned you. Mark anything that affects an arm or a leg so the bilateral factor can be applied. Your combined rating updates as you go.
How to use this
- If a condition affects an arm or leg, first pick that limb below. Otherwise leave it on Other condition.
- Tap the rating (10%–100%) the VA assigned that condition to add it to your list.
- Add every service-connected condition. When you have disabilities on both arms or both legs, the calculator automatically adds the VA’s 10% bilateral factor.
Step 1 · Where is the condition?
Adding to: Other condition
Upper extremities
Lower extremities
Everything else
Step 2 · Tap the rating to add it
Your disabilities (0)
Your combined VA rating
Add your ratings to see your combined VA rating.
Estimate only. The VA rounds combined ratings to the nearest 10%. Always confirm your official rating on va.gov.
Before you settle for a number
Three things your combined rating can hide
A combined percentage is only part of the story. These are the paths the VA rarely volunteers — and they can mean hundreds of dollars more each month.
The bilateral factor
Disabilities on both arms or both legs earn an extra 10% before combining. This tool adds it for you — just mark which limb each condition affects.
Related: higher-level pay (SMC)TDIU (Unemployability)
If service-connected conditions keep you from steady work, you can be paid at the full 100% rate even without a 100% combined rating.
See if you qualify for TDIUSpecial Monthly Compensation
SMC is higher, tax-free pay for specific losses or for needing daily aid and attendance — the benefit the VA overlooks most often.
Explore SMC levelsCommon questions
How does the VA combine multiple disability ratings?
The VA does not add your ratings together. It uses "VA math" (38 CFR 4.25): each new condition applies only to the part of you still considered healthy. So a 50% and a 30% rating combine to about 65%, not 80% — and because the VA rounds the final number to the nearest 10%, you would be paid at 70%. This calculator runs that exact formula for you.
What is the bilateral factor?
When you have service-connected disabilities affecting both arms or both legs, the VA adds an extra 10% "bilateral factor" (38 CFR 4.26) before combining those with your other conditions. It recognizes that losing function on both sides is more disabling than one side alone. Many veterans — and even some raters — miss it. This calculator applies it automatically when you mark conditions on both arms or both legs.
Does a higher combined rating always mean more money?
Usually yes — the monthly payment rises at each 10% step, and once you reach 30% the VA adds money for dependents. But two other doors can pay you at the 100% rate without a 100% schedular rating: TDIU, if your conditions keep you from holding steady work, and Special Monthly Compensation, for specific losses or housebound and aid-and-attendance needs.
Is this calculator official?
No. It mirrors the VA’s published combined-ratings method to give you an accurate estimate, but only the VA can assign your official rating. If your VA rating does not match what you would expect — or you believe conditions were missed or under-rated — an accredited agent can review your decision for free.
Two ways to move forward — both free
Not sure your rating is right?
If your combined rating feels low for everything you carry, you may be owed more than the VA gave you. An accredited agent can review your VA decision for free and tell you exactly where you stand. There is no obligation, and no cost simply to have a professional look. Knowing whether your rating is accurate is worth the few minutes it takes to ask.
Have a question? Get free information
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