2026 VA disability pay rates
The complete monthly compensation chart effective December 1, 2025, from the VA's published tables. Click any rating for its full dependent breakdown: spouse, children, parents, and the per-dependent additions.
| Rating | Veteran alone | With spouse | Spouse and one child |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | same | same |
| 20% | $356.66 | same | same |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $666.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $947.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $1,322.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $1,663.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | $2,074.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | $2,406.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 | $2,704.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | $4,318.99 |
Reading the chart: dependent additions start at 30%. At 10% and 20% the rate is flat by law, family or not. A 0% rating is service-connected but pays nothing by itself; it still matters, because the condition is on record for future increases and secondary claims. At 100% alone, the annual figure is $47,262.96, tax free.
These are the published rates: effective December 1, 2025, per the VA's official rate table. Rates change each December 1 with the cost-of-living adjustment, and this page is rebuilt from the new table when they do.
Not sure what your combined rating is? Ratings combine by formula, not addition. The VA disability calculator shows the math step by step, and the combined rating guide explains why 50 + 30 is 65. Just got a decision with months of waiting behind it? The back pay calculator prices each month you waited at the rates in effect for it.
Rate questions, answered
What are the 2026 VA disability pay rates?
The rates effective December 1, 2025 run from $180.42 a month at 10% to $3,938.58 a month at 100% for a veteran with no dependents. Veterans rated 30% or higher receive more if they have a spouse, children, or dependent parents. The full chart on this page comes from the VA's published tables.
When do VA disability rates change?
Every December 1, when the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) takes effect. The rates on this page took effect December 1, 2025 and apply through November 30, 2026. The COLA matches the one Social Security receives.
Why doesn't my 10% or 20% rating pay more for dependents?
Federal law adds dependent amounts only at a combined rating of 30% or higher. Below that, the rate is flat no matter your family size.
Is VA disability pay taxable?
No. VA disability compensation is not subject to federal income tax and does not go on your tax return.
Why is my combined rating lower than my ratings added together?
VA combines ratings with a formula, not addition. Two 50% ratings combine to 75, which rounds to 80%, not 100%. Our VA disability calculator runs the published formula and shows every step.
Keep your rating and the paper behind it in one place
MusterVault stores your decision letters, ratings, and effective dates encrypted on your own computer, computes your monthly pay from these same published tables, and updates them automatically each December. No cloud, no account.
Informational only: the published rate tables, reproduced for lookup. The official amounts are the ones VA states and pays. MusterVault organizes records, never gives claims advice, and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.