VA disability compensation
2026 VA Disability Rates
See your monthly pay. Plan what’s next.
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Estimate Your Pay
The interactive estimator needs JavaScript. The chart below shows 2026 veteran-alone rates; dependent rates are on VA.gov.
Estimated monthly pay
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Tax-free VA compensation · estimate of scheduled pay, not a net deposit or an award decision
This SMC rate replaces the regular rate for your rating. The chart still shows the regular schedule.
SMC-K is not added to the O/P or R rates, so it is not included here.
At 10% and 20%, VA pays the same amount with or without dependents. Your family details still show in the 30%–100% rows of the chart.
2026 Compensation Chart
| Rating | Monthly pay | Annualized pay |
|---|---|---|
| $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| $180.42 | $2,165.04 | |
| $356.66 | $4,279.92 | |
| $552.47 | $6,629.64 | |
| $795.84 | $9,550.08 | |
| $1,132.90 | $13,594.80 | |
| $1,435.02 | $17,220.24 | |
| $1,808.45 | $21,701.40 | |
| $2,102.15 | $25,225.80 | |
| $2,362.30 | $28,347.60 | |
| $3,938.58 | $47,262.96 |
Dependent additions start at 30%; 10% and 20% stay fixed. Annualized means 12 × the current monthly amount, not a payment schedule. Official source: VA.gov 2026 veteran rates.
How Your 2026 Pay Is Set
Short answers to the questions veterans ask us most. Open any section.
How dependents change your pay
From 30% up, VA adds money for a spouse, dependent children, and dependent parents. The amounts grow with your rating. At 10% and 20% there is no dependent addition.
VA publishes a full table for each household. The first child is built into a household row, and each extra child under 18 adds a flat amount. A child aged 18–23 in a VA-approved school program adds a larger, separate amount. A spouse who receives Aid and Attendance adds another amount. The estimator above uses those exact rows.
| Rating | Spouse (total with spouse) | Each extra child under 18 | Each school child 18–23 | Spouse A&A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30% | $617.47 | $32.00 | $105.00 | $61.00 |
| 50% | $1,241.90 | $54.00 | $176.00 | $101.00 |
| 70% | $1,961.45 | $76.00 | $246.00 | $141.00 |
| 100% | $4,158.17 | $109.11 | $352.45 | $201.41 |
Dependents must be on file with VA. Add or update them with VA Form 21-686c (and 21-674 for school attendance). Missing dependents is one of the most common reasons veterans are underpaid.
Why 50% + 30% is not 80%
VA combines ratings with "whole person" math. Each new rating applies only to the part of you that is not already rated.
Example: 50% leaves 50% of you unrated. A 30% condition takes 30% of that remaining 50%, which is 15%. 50 + 15 = 65, and VA rounds to the nearest 10: 70%.
That is why the last few points are the hardest, and why every service-connected condition matters. Run your own numbers in the calculator.
TDIU: paid at the 100% rate without a 100% rating
Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) pays the 100% rate ($3,938.58 for a veteran alone in 2026) when service-connected disabilities keep you from holding substantially gainful work.
The usual thresholds are one disability rated 60% or more, or a combined 70% with one disability at 40% or more. VA also notes that veterans who do not meet those numbers can still be considered on an extra-schedular basis when the evidence shows unemployability. VA's TDIU page · Our TDIU guide
SMC in plain terms
SMC-K is an add-on ($139.87 in 2026) that stacks with any rating, most often for loss of use of a creative organ. VA can grant up to three K awards.
SMC-L through O/P replace the regular rate and are tied to specific losses: feet, hands, sight, being bedridden, or needing another person's help with daily needs. R.1 and R.2/T add higher aid-and-attendance levels. S (housebound) applies when disabilities keep you substantially confined to home, or when a single 100% disability is paired with other disabilities independently rated 60% or more.
No SMC level is automatic from a percentage. The evidence has to show the specific loss or care need. The estimator above uses VA’s full 2026 SMC household tables (spouse, parents, children, spouse A&A). Official SMC tables · Our SMC guide.
The 2.8% COLA and recent history
VA compensation rises each year by the same cost-of-living adjustment as Social Security, based on CPI-W. The 2026 rates (2.8%) took effect December 1, 2025 and showed up in January 2026 payments.
| Benefit year | COLA | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2.8% | Dec 1, 2025 |
| 2025 | 2.5% | Dec 1, 2024 |
| 2024 | 3.2% | Dec 1, 2023 |
| 2023 | 8.7% | Dec 1, 2022 |
| 2022 | 5.9% | Dec 1, 2021 |
The 2023 jump followed the 2022 inflation spike; increases have been smaller since. The next adjustment is announced each October and takes effect the following December. SSA COLA series (SSA labels each increase by the December it takes effect).
Is VA disability pay taxed?
VA disability compensation is excluded from federal taxable income, so it is not reported on your federal return. This applies to disability compensation itself; other VA or military payments can be treated differently. IRS guidance for veterans.
Quick answers
When is VA disability paid?
Monthly, usually on the first business day of the month for the previous month. Direct deposit is standard.
Is the annualized number what I will get this year?
No. It is 12 × the current monthly amount, useful for planning. Actual yearly pay depends on effective dates, dependent changes, and any offsets.
What if my rating changes mid-year?
VA pays the new rate from the effective date of the decision, generally starting the first of the following month. Back pay covers the gap.
Where do these numbers come from?
Every figure on this page is taken from VA's published 2026 tables (effective December 1, 2025), not estimated with a COLA multiplier. Recheck VA.gov for later years.