VA Disability Pay Rates for 2026
What VA pays each month at each rating. Tax-free, and updated once a year.
The rates in effect now
These are the monthly rates VA lists as effective December 1, 2025. VA says disability compensation provides tax-free monthly payments. Your payment depends on your combined disability rating and on your dependents.
| Rating | Veteran alone | With spouse | With spouse and 1 child |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | same as alone | same as alone |
| 20% | $356.66 | same as alone | same as alone |
| 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 |
same as alone
Dependent pay starts at 30 percent.
Adding more dependents (30 percent and above)
The tables above already include a spouse and one child. Each extra dependent adds an amount that depends on your rating. These are VA's monthly added amounts:
| 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Each additional child under 18 | $32.00 | $43.00 | $54.00 | $65.00 |
| Each additional child over 18 in school | $105.00 | $140.00 | $176.00 | $211.00 |
| Spouse receiving Aid and Attendance | $61.00 | $81.00 | $101.00 | $121.00 |
| 70% | 80% | 90% | 100% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Each additional child under 18 | $76.00 | $87.00 | $98.00 | $109.11 |
| Each additional child over 18 in school | $246.00 | $281.00 | $317.00 | $352.45 |
| Spouse receiving Aid and Attendance | $141.00 | $161.00 | $181.00 | $201.41 |
Dependent parents have their own rate tables on VA's page, with different amounts for one parent or two. Look up your rating there for the exact figure.
How the yearly increase works
VA says it is required by law to match the percentage of the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) made to Social Security benefits. Social Security says COLAs are based on the increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), comparing the third quarter of one year to the third quarter of the next.
The last increase was 2.8 percent. Social Security says it began with December 2025 benefits, payable in January 2026, which is why the rates above carry a December 1, 2025 date.
Where to check
Where to call and where to go
- Free calculator: Download the VA rating and pay calculator (Excel). It estimates your combined rating and monthly pay using VA's rates effective December 1, 2025. It is an estimate, and VA makes the final decision.
- Claim Planner: Enter your ratings and family on this site and print a one-page plan. Nothing you type is saved.
- VA Benefits Hotline: 800-827-1000 for disability claims, direct deposit and benefit questions. VA lists it Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern. TTY: dial 711. (VA: Contact us)
- Current Veterans disability compensation rates (includes the dependent parent tables)
- How to file a VA disability claim
- File a disability claim online (VA Form 21-526EZ)
- Get help from an accredited representative. VA says VSO representatives' services are always free.
- VA: Current Veterans disability compensation rates
- VA: Current disability compensation rates
- VA: Get help from an accredited representative
- VA: Contact us
- VA: How to file a disability claim
- VA: Disability compensation eligibility (tax-free payments)
- Social Security: Latest cost-of-living adjustment
- Social Security: 3.6 percent benefit increase for 2027 (press release, Oct 14, 2026)
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: CPI release schedule