VA Disability Calculator
Combine up to three service-connected disability ratings using VA math, then estimate 2026 monthly compensation from your dependent profile.
Disability ratings
Enter each VA-assigned rating. The calculator sorts them from highest to lowest.
Dependent family members
Dependent additions apply only when the rounded combined rating is at least 30%.
2026 rates effective December 1, 2025. Estimate only; VA determines eligibility and payment.
Payment breakdown
VA math combination steps
| Step | Rating applied | Remaining efficiency before | Added disability | Cumulative disability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50% | 100.00% | 50.00% | 50.00% |
| 2 | 30% | 50.00% | 15.00% | 65.00% |
| 3 | 10% | 35.00% | 3.50% | 68.50% |
How to use the VA Disability Calculator
What this calculator does
This calculator estimates a Veteran's combined disability rating and monthly compensation using the “whole person” method commonly called VA math. It first combines up to three VA-assigned condition ratings, rounds the result to the nearest 10%, and then looks up the 2026 compensation rate for the selected spouse, child, and dependent-parent profile. It is a planning estimate, not a claim decision. It does not decide whether a condition is service connected, assign individual ratings, determine effective dates, calculate back pay, or include special monthly compensation.
When to use it
Use it to check how multiple ratings interact before or after a VA decision, compare the compensation effect of a changed rating, estimate the dependent adjustment for household planning, or create a workbook that documents the assumptions behind an estimate. For official determinations, compare your result with the VA's current Veterans disability compensation rate tables.
How to calculate
- The calculator opens with a complete demonstration: 50%, 30%, and 10% conditions; a spouse receiving Aid and Attendance; three children under 18; and no other dependents. The live result and example Excel workbook are ready immediately.
- Replace Condition #1, Condition #2, and Condition #3 with ratings from a VA decision. At least one rating is required. Optional condition fields may remain blank.
- Set Marital status, Children under age 18, School children aged over 18, and Dependent parents. These selections affect compensation only when the rounded combined rating is at least 30%.
- Read the monthly estimate, cumulative percentage, rounded combined rating, annual estimate, payment breakdown, and step table. Select Download Excel to export the current model. Reset clears the demonstration and disables export until a complete valid state is entered again.
Input guide
Condition #1 is required and accepts a VA rating from 0% through 100% in 10-point steps; 50% is the startup example. Higher ratings generally increase the combined rating, but ratings are not simply added. Condition #2 and Condition #3 use the same format and are optional; 30% and 10% are the example values. A common mistake is entering symptoms or an unrounded medical percentage rather than the rating stated in a VA decision.
Marital status is required. Choose Not married, Married, or Married; spouse receives Aid and Attendance. The third option adds the official rating-specific amount and should not be selected merely because a spouse provides care. Children under age 18 accepts 0 – 15. The base dependent rate includes one child when any child is present; each additional child uses the added-amount table. School children aged over 18 accepts 0 – 15 qualifying school dependents and is added separately. Dependent parents accepts None, One, or Two. Do not count relatives unless VA recognizes them as dependents.
Output guide
Total cumulative disability is the unrounded result after each rating reduces the remaining “efficient” portion of the whole person. Total combined disability rating is that result rounded to the nearest 10%, which drives the rate lookup. Estimated compensation rate (monthly) is the 2026 monthly estimate. Estimated annual compensation is monthly compensation multiplied by 12, not a guarantee of annual payment timing. Dependents adjustment is the difference between the selected dependent payment and the Veteran-alone payment at the same rating.
The Payment breakdown separates the basic household rate, additional children under 18, school-child additions, and spouse Aid and Attendance. The VA math combination steps table shows the rating applied, remaining efficiency before the step, disability added at that step, and new cumulative disability. A zero addition means that category does not apply; a high adjustment reflects eligible dependent categories, not a higher medical rating.
Worked example
For the startup conditions, sort 50%, 30%, and 10% from largest to smallest. The first rating leaves 50% efficiency. Applying 30% to that remainder adds 15 points, producing 65%. Applying 10% to the remaining 35% adds 3.5 points, producing 68.5%. Rounded to the nearest 10%, the combined rating is 70%. At 70% with a spouse and one child, the 2026 basic rate is $2,074.45. Two additional children add $152.00, and spouse Aid and Attendance adds $141.00, for an estimated monthly payment of $2,367.45 and annual estimate of $28,409.40.
How the model works
New cumulative disability = current cumulative disability + (100 – current cumulative disability) × next rating
Each rating applies only to the portion considered efficient after higher ratings are applied. This prevents combined ratings from exceeding 100%. After all conditions are combined, the final percentage is rounded to the nearest 10%. Compensation is then selected from the official table. Ratings of 10% and 20% do not receive higher basic payments for dependents. The calculator uses rates effective December 1, 2025 and does not include special monthly compensation, unemployability, offsets, withholding, or retroactive payment rules. Effective dates can materially affect back pay; the VA explains those rules on its disability compensation effective-date page.