VA Disability Calculator 2026

What is a VA combined disability rating?

A VA disability calculator, also called a VA rating calculator or VA combined rating calculator, estimates your overall rating from individual disability ratings. The VA does not simply add the percentages. It combines them from largest to smallest, applying each rating to the share of you that is not already considered disabled.

The calculator then rounds the combined value to the nearest 10% to estimate your combined rating. That rating helps determine your monthly disability compensation. Your actual payment can also depend on details such as eligible dependents and the current compensation rates.

Why your VA combined rating matters

Your combined rating connects your individual condition ratings to a compensation estimate. Seeing both the unrounded value and the rounded rating helps you understand why the final result may differ from the sum of the percentages you entered.

A payment estimate can help with budgeting, planning household expenses, and comparing expected income with bills or other benefits. Treat it as a planning figure, not a guarantee of what the VA will award or pay. The listed rates are effective December 1, 2025, so check current VA information before making a financial commitment based on the estimate.

How to use this VA disability calculator

1. Enter each individual rating shown in your VA decision. Separate the percentages as the calculator requests, and use the awarded ratings rather than estimating or changing them.
2. Complete any other fields the calculator displays. For the sample calculation, the inputs are ratings of 50%, 30%, 20%, and 10%, the additional field is set to no, and children under 18 is 0.
3. Review the combined value before rounding, the rounded combined rating, and the monthly and yearly compensation estimates.
4. If your circumstances or the VA's rates change, update the calculator inputs and check the effective date shown with the estimate.

VA disability calculator example

How to read your VA disability calculator results

Ratings entered lists the individual percentages used in the calculation. Check that these match your VA decision. A mistaken entry can change the combined value and compensation estimate.

Combined value before rounding shows the result of applying the ratings in descending order to the remaining non-disabled share. Rounded combined rating is the value rounded to the nearest 10%, which the calculator uses for the compensation estimate. In the sample, 74.8% becomes 70%. The unrounded figure is useful for understanding the math, but it is not the rounded rating shown in the result summary.

How to make your estimate more useful

1. 01

   Use the ratings in your VA decision

   Copy each individual rating carefully, including any separate ratings for different conditions. If you believe a rating or decision does not reflect your situation, review the VA's instructions and consider getting help from a qualified veterans benefits professional.

2. 02

   Keep household details current

   Enter dependent information accurately when the calculator asks for it. If your family circumstances change, update the inputs before relying on the estimate for a budget.

3. 03

   Plan with the effective date in mind

   Use the monthly figure as an estimate for planning, and note that the displayed compensation rates are effective December 1, 2025. Recheck the rate information before using it to set recurring spending or make a borrowing decision.

Common VA disability calculator mistakes

• Adding ratings as if they were ordinary percentages

  VA math applies each rating to the remaining non-disabled share. Adding every percentage directly will not produce the VA combined rating.

• Confusing the unrounded value with the final rating

  The combined value before rounding is not the same as the rounded combined rating used for the estimate. Read both lines in the results.

• Treating the estimate as an official decision

  The calculator estimates a rating and payment from the information entered. It does not determine eligibility, change a VA decision, or guarantee a payment amount.

• Using outdated or incomplete inputs

  Confirm each rating and any dependent details before relying on the result. Also check the compensation rate's effective date, since an estimate based on a different rate period may not match a current payment.

The VA disability formula

Key terms

Individual disability rating

A percentage assigned to an individual service-connected condition.

Combined disability rating

The overall rating calculated by applying each individual rating to the remaining non-disabled share, then rounding to the nearest 10%.

Combined value before rounding

The result of combining individual ratings before the final rounding step.

Monthly compensation

The estimated monthly VA disability payment associated with the calculated rating and the rate information used.