Understanding VA Disability Ratings: Complete Guide to the Rating System

If you're new to VA disability compensation, the rating system can feel confusing. What does a 30% rating actually mean? Why do two veterans with the same condition sometimes get different ratings? And how does the VA calculate combined ratings when you have multiple conditions?

This guide breaks down everything you need to know about VA disability ratings - in plain language, without the bureaucratic jargon.

What Are VA Disability Ratings?

VA disability ratings are percentages (0%, 10%, 20%, up to 100%) that represent how much your service-connected condition affects your ability to function in civilian life and work. The higher the rating, the more severe the disability, and the more monthly compensation you receive.

These ratings aren't arbitrary. The VA uses a detailed guidebook called the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD), which lists specific criteria for each condition and rating percentage. Every diagnostic code has its own rating criteria.

Rating Increments

VA ratings go in 10% increments: 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100%. You can't get a 25% or 75% rating - the VA rounds to the nearest 10% based on their criteria.

A 0% rating means the VA acknowledges your condition is service-connected, but it's not currently severe enough to warrant compensation. However, a 0% rating is still valuable - it establishes service connection, making it easier to increase your rating if the condition worsens.

What Each Rating Percentage Means

Different conditions use different criteria, but here's a general framework for how the VA thinks about severity:

• 0-10%: Mild symptoms that rarely interfere with daily activities or work. May require minimal treatment.
• 20-30%: Moderate symptoms that occasionally limit your ability to work or perform daily tasks. May require regular treatment or medication.
• 40-60%: Significant symptoms that frequently interfere with work and daily life. May require ongoing medical care and cause notable functional impairment.
• 70-90%: Severe symptoms that substantially limit your ability to work and perform most activities. Often requires extensive medical treatment and causes major functional limitations.
• 100%: Total disability. The condition prevents you from maintaining substantially gainful employment. Symptoms are so severe they dominate your daily life.

For example, PTSD ratings are based on the frequency and severity of symptoms like panic attacks, difficulty with social interactions, depression, and cognitive issues. A 30% PTSD rating indicates occasional symptoms, while a 70% rating reflects chronic, debilitating symptoms that severely impact work and relationships.

Monthly Compensation Rates by Rating

Your rating percentage directly determines your monthly tax-free compensation. As of 2026, here are the base rates for a veteran with no dependents:

• 10%: $171.23/month ($2,054.76/year)
• 20%: $338.49/month ($4,061.88/year)
• 30%: $524.31/month ($6,291.72/year)
• 40%: $755.28/month ($9,063.36/year)
• 50%: $1,075.16/month ($12,901.92/year)
• 60%: $1,361.88/month ($16,342.56/year)
• 70%: $1,716.28/month ($20,595.36/year)
• 80%: $1,995.01/month ($23,940.12/year)
• 90%: $2,241.91/month ($26,902.92/year)
• 100%: $3,737.85/month ($44,854.20/year)

Veterans with dependents (spouse, children, or dependent parents) receive additional compensation. For example, a 50% rated veteran with a spouse and one child receives $1,225.16/month instead of $1,075.16/month.

These rates are adjusted annually for cost of living, so they typically increase each year.

How Combined Ratings Work (VA Math)

Here's where it gets tricky. If you have multiple service-connected conditions, the VA doesn't simply add the percentages together. Instead, they use "VA math" - a system that calculates how much function you have left after each condition.

The Efficiency Concept

The VA starts with the assumption that you're 100% efficient (fully functional). Each disability reduces your remaining efficiency, not your total efficiency.

Example: If you have a 50% rating for one condition, the VA considers you 50% efficient. If you have a second 30% condition, that 30% doesn't just add to 50%. Instead, it takes 30% of your remaining 50% efficiency.

Step-by-Step Example

Let's say you have three conditions:

• Knee injury: 40%
• Tinnitus: 10%
• PTSD: 30%

Here's how the VA calculates your combined rating:

1. Start with your highest rating: 40% (you're 60% efficient)
2. Apply the next highest (30%): 30% of remaining 60% = 18%. Combined: 40% + 18% = 58%
3. Apply the final rating (10%): 10% of remaining 42% = 4.2%. Combined: 58% + 4.2% = 62.2%
4. Round to nearest 10%: 62.2% rounds to 60%

Your final combined rating would be 60%, even though 40% + 30% + 10% = 80% with simple addition.

Why This System Exists

The VA's rationale is that you can't be more than 100% disabled. If they simply added percentages, a veteran with five 30% conditions would theoretically be 150% disabled - which doesn't make sense.

By reducing remaining efficiency with each condition, the VA ensures the combined rating never exceeds 100%, while still accounting for multiple disabilities.

Bilateral Factor

If you have the same type of disability affecting both sides of your body (both knees, both ears, both arms, etc.), the VA applies a "bilateral factor" before calculating your combined rating.

Here's how it works:

1. Add the ratings for both bilateral conditions together
2. Multiply by 10% (the bilateral factor)
3. Add that result to the sum
4. Combine with other ratings using VA math

Example: If you have 20% for your left knee and 10% for your right knee:

• Sum: 20% + 10% = 30%
• Bilateral factor: 30% × 0.10 = 3%
• Total bilateral: 30% + 3% = 33%
• Then combine this 33% with your other ratings using VA math

The bilateral factor recognizes that having disabilities on both sides of your body is more debilitating than having them on just one side.

Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU)

What if your combined rating is less than 100%, but your service-connected disabilities prevent you from holding down a job?

That's where TDIU comes in. TDIU allows veterans to receive compensation at the 100% rate even if their combined rating is below 100%.

TDIU Eligibility

To qualify for TDIU, you generally need:

• One condition rated at 60% or higher, OR
• Multiple conditions with one rated at 40% and a combined rating of 70% or higher

Additionally, you must demonstrate that your service-connected disabilities prevent you from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment. This doesn't mean you can never work - it means you can't hold down stable employment due to your disabilities.

Many veterans who are stuck at 70% or 90% and unable to work should explore TDIU as an option.

Permanent and Total (P&T) Status

If you have a 100% rating (either schedular or through TDIU) and the VA determines your condition is unlikely to improve, they may designate you as Permanent and Total (P&T).

P&T status comes with significant benefits:

• No more routine reexaminations to verify your rating
• Eligibility for ChampVA health insurance for dependents
• Property tax exemptions in many states
• Access to Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA/Chapter 35) for your spouse and children

P&T status provides stability - you won't have to worry about the VA scheduling you for exams to reduce your rating.

Increasing Your Rating

If your condition has worsened since your last rating decision, you can file for an increase. Here's how:

1. Gather current medical evidence: Get recent exams, treatment records, and a letter from your doctor explaining how the condition has worsened.
2. Review the rating criteria: Look up your diagnostic code to understand what's required for the next rating level.
3. File a claim for increase: Submit VA Form 21-526EZ and include your new medical evidence.
4. Attend the C&P exam: Be honest and thorough about your symptoms and limitations.

Don't exaggerate, but don't downplay your symptoms either. Describe your worst days, not your best days. The C&P examiner needs to understand how your condition truly impacts your life.

Final Thoughts

Understanding VA disability ratings is essential for maximizing your benefits. Whether you're filing your first claim or seeking an increase, knowing how ratings work - and how they're combined - helps you set realistic expectations and advocate for yourself effectively.

Remember, the rating system is designed to compensate you for the impact service-connected conditions have on your life. If your disabilities are holding you back from working or living normally, you deserve every percentage point you're entitled to.

Don't settle for less than you've earned. Use the free tools available, work with a VSO, and keep fighting for the rating that accurately reflects your condition.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information and should not be considered legal or medical advice. Always consult official VA resources and a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) for guidance specific to your situation.