VA Disability Ratings Guide

How VA Ratings Work

A VA disability rating is a percentage — 0% to 100%, in increments of 10 — that represents how much a service-connected condition affects your ability to function. Higher percentage, higher monthly compensation. Simple concept, wildly complex execution.

Here's what actually happens: you file a claim (VA Form 21-526EZ), the VA orders a Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam, a rater at your regional office reads the exam results alongside your service records, and they assign a percentage based on the Schedule for Rating Disabilities in 38 CFR Part 4. That percentage directly controls how much money hits your bank account each month.

The system isn't designed to measure how much pain you're in. It's designed to measure average earning capacity lost due to your condition. That distinction matters. A veteran with a 30% knee rating and a desk job might function fine day-to-day, but the VA is saying: "On average, a person with this level of knee impairment loses about 30% of their earning power." It's an actuarial calculation, not a pain scale.

Most veterans don't have just one condition. You might have a bad back, tinnitus, a bum knee, and PTSD — all service-connected. Each condition gets its own rating, and then those ratings are combined (not added) into a single overall percentage. That combined percentage determines your pay. And the way they combine them? That's where "VA math" comes in.

The Rating Schedule

Everything lives in 38 CFR Part 4 — the Schedule for Rating Disabilities (commonly called the VASRD). It's been around since the 1940s with periodic updates. The schedule contains diagnostic codes (DC) for every ratable condition, organized into body systems: musculoskeletal, mental disorders, respiratory, cardiovascular, and so on.

Each diagnostic code lays out specific criteria for each rating level. Take DC 5260 — Limitation of Flexion of the Leg. The schedule literally says:

• Flexion limited to 60° → 0%
• Flexion limited to 45° → 10%
• Flexion limited to 30° → 20%
• Flexion limited to 15° → 30%

The C&P examiner measures your range of motion, the rater matches it to the schedule, and you get that percentage. Mechanical. But mental health conditions like PTSD (DC 9411) use more subjective criteria — occupational and social impairment levels — which is why mental health ratings tend to be more variable and more contested.

The VA recently modernized parts of the rating schedule. The musculoskeletal section got significant updates effective February 7, 2021, changing how conditions like knee and shoulder disabilities are evaluated. Mental health criteria were updated in late 2024. If you were rated under old criteria, your existing rating is protected — but new claims use the current version.

VA Math Explained

This is where most veterans get blindsided. VA math isn't regular math. If you have a 70% rating and a 20% rating, your combined rating isn't 90%. It's 76% — which rounds to 80%. Why? Because the VA uses the "whole person" theory.

The idea is this: you start as a whole person — 100% healthy. Each disability takes away a percentage of what's remaining, not a percentage of the original whole. Your first rating bites into 100%. Your second rating bites into whatever's left.

Worked Example #1: Two Conditions

Say you have PTSD at 70% and tinnitus at 10%.

• Start with 100% (whole person)
• Apply the 70%: 100% × 0.70 = 70% disabled → 30% remaining healthy
• Apply the 10% to the remaining 30%: 30% × 0.10 = 3%
• Total: 70% + 3% = 73% combined
• Rounded to nearest 10: 70% final rating

Not 80%. Seventy. That's a $200+/month difference.

Worked Example #2: Four Conditions

Now let's get realistic. Say you have:

• PTSD — 50%
• Lumbar spine — 20%
• Left knee — 10%
• Tinnitus — 10%

Always start with the highest rating and work down:

• Start: 100% healthy
• 50% PTSD: 100 × 0.50 = 50 disabled → 50 remaining
• 20% back: 50 × 0.20 = 10 → total disabled = 60 → 40 remaining
• 10% knee: 40 × 0.10 = 4 → total disabled = 64 → 36 remaining
• 10% tinnitus: 36 × 0.10 = 3.6 → total disabled = 67.6
• Rounded: 70% combined rating

One more thing: the VA rounds to the nearest 10, but 0.5 rounds up. A combined value of 74.5% rounds to 70%, but 75% rounds to 80%. Those half-points can mean hundreds of dollars per month. This is why adding a 10% condition on top of existing ratings sometimes bumps you into the next bracket — and sometimes doesn't.

Individual Ratings by Condition

Not all conditions are rated the same way. Here's how the VA handles some of the most common ones.

PTSD and Mental Health (DC 9411)

PTSD is rated at 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100% based on occupational and social impairment. The criteria use language like "occasional decrease in work efficiency" (30%) versus "deficiencies in most areas" (70%) versus "total occupational and social impairment" (100%). It's subjective — and that subjectivity is both a challenge and an opportunity. Your personal statements and buddy letters carry real weight here.

Important: the VA rates all mental health conditions under the same criteria and assigns a single rating. If you have PTSD and depression, you don't get two separate mental health ratings. They're combined into one under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders.

Back Conditions (DC 5235–5243)

Spine ratings under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine are based primarily on range of motion. Forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 60° but not greater than 85° gets you 10%. Limited to 30–60°? That's 20%. Less than 30°? 40%. Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine is 50%, and unfavorable ankylosis of the entire spine is 100%.

But here's what most people miss: the VA must also consider functional loss due to pain under 38 CFR §§ 4.40 and 4.45, plus pain on repetitive use under DeLuca v. Brown. If your range of motion is technically 65° but drops to 50° after three repetitions because of pain, that matters. Make sure your C&P examiner documents it.

Knee Conditions (DC 5256–5263)

Knees are tricky because the VA can rate them under multiple diagnostic codes simultaneously. You can receive a rating for limitation of flexion (DC 5260), a separate rating for limitation of extension (DC 5261), and a separate rating for instability (DC 5257) — all for the same knee. This is one of the few situations where pyramiding rules allow stacking ratings on one joint.

And if both knees are service-connected, the bilateral factor kicks in — more on that below.

Tinnitus (DC 6260)

Tinnitus is capped at 10% — period. Doesn't matter if it's in one ear or both. The Supreme Court settled this in Smith v. Nicholson (2005). It's the most commonly service-connected condition in the VA system, and 10% is the maximum schedular rating. If tinnitus causes secondary conditions like insomnia, anxiety, or difficulty concentrating, file those as secondary service connection claims — that's where you get additional ratings.

Migraines (DC 8100)

Migraines are rated at 0%, 10%, 30%, or 50% max. The 50% criteria: "very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability." Key word there is prostrating — the VA wants to know these headaches put you in bed, unable to function. Keep a headache log. Dates, duration, severity, what you couldn't do. That log becomes evidence.

Bilateral Factor

The bilateral factor is one of the least understood — and most helpful — parts of the rating calculation. Here's how it works: if you have service-connected disabilities affecting both paired extremities (both arms, both legs, or one arm and one leg on the same side isn't enough — it's specifically paired limbs), the VA adds an extra 10% of the combined value of those bilateral disabilities before folding them into your overall calculation.

It's defined in 38 CFR § 4.26. The logic: having a disability in both legs is worse than having it in just one, because you can't compensate with the "good" side.

Bilateral Factor Example

Say you have a left knee at 10% and a right knee at 10%:

• Combine the bilateral conditions: 10% + (90% × 0.10) = 19%
• Apply the 10% bilateral factor: 19 × 0.10 = 1.9
• New bilateral value: 19 + 1.9 = 20.9
• This 20.9 then gets combined with your other non-bilateral conditions using standard VA math

It's a small bump, but small bumps matter when you're sitting at 74.5% and need to round up to 80%.

Compensation Rates

VA disability compensation is tax-free. That's worth repeating — it's completely exempt from federal and state income taxes. Rates are adjusted annually based on the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). The 2025 COLA increase was 2.5%.

2025 Monthly Rates (Veteran Alone, No Dependents)

• 10% — $175.51/month
• 20% — $347.05/month
• 30% — $537.38/month
• 40% — $773.82/month
• 50% — $1,102.04/month
• 60% — $1,395.08/month
• 70% — $1,759.28/month
• 80% — $2,045.58/month
• 90% — $2,298.48/month
• 100% — $3,832.06/month

Look at that jump from 90% to 100%. It's an extra $1,533.58/month — $18,403 per year. That cliff is why the difference between a 94% combined (which rounds to 90%) and a 95% combined (which rounds to 100%) is so financially significant.

Dependent Additions

If you're rated 30% or higher, you get additional compensation for dependents — a spouse, children, and dependent parents. At 100% with a spouse and two children, you're looking at roughly $4,200+/month depending on children's ages. These additions scale with your rating percentage. At 30% the dependent bump is modest; at 100% it's substantial.

Add your dependents through VA Form 21-686c. Do this immediately after your rating is assigned — the VA won't automatically know about your family. And if your family situation changes (marriage, divorce, child turns 18 and leaves school), update it or you'll end up with an overpayment that the VA will collect.

Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)

SMC is extra compensation on top of your regular rating for veterans with severe disabilities. It's defined in 38 U.S.C. § 1114 and comes in levels — designated by letters from SMC-K through SMC-T. The most common ones:

SMC-K — Loss of Use

An additional $138.45/month (2025 rate) for loss of use of a creative organ, one hand, one foot, or certain paired organs. This is the most commonly awarded SMC level. It stacks on top of your regular compensation. And yes — erectile dysfunction secondary to medication or a service-connected condition qualifies for SMC-K. A lot of veterans miss this one.

SMC-S — Housebound

Awarded when you have a single disability rated at 100% plus additional disabilities independently rated at 60% or more. Or, when you're substantially confined to your home due to service-connected disability. SMC-S adds about $434/month beyond the 100% rate. This is sometimes called "statutory housebound."

SMC-L — Aid & Attendance

For veterans who need regular help with daily activities — bathing, dressing, eating, adjusting prosthetics, or protecting themselves from their environment. The rate jumps significantly at this level. SMC-L pays about $4,818/month (2025). Higher SMC tiers (L½ through R, S, T) exist for progressively more severe disabilities and can exceed $10,000/month.

TDIU — Total Disability Individual Unemployability

TDIU is how veterans who can't work get paid at the 100% rate without a 100% combined rating. It's not a handout — it recognizes that some combinations of disabilities make it impossible to hold substantially gainful employment even if the math doesn't add up to 100%.

Eligibility Requirements

There are two paths, defined in 38 CFR § 4.16:

• 4.16(a) — Schedular TDIU: You need one disability rated at 60% or more, OR a combined rating of 70% with at least one condition at 40%. This is the standard path.
• 4.16(b) — Extraschedular TDIU: If you don't meet the percentage thresholds but your service-connected disabilities still prevent employment, the regional office can refer your case to the Director of Compensation Service. Harder to get, but it exists.

You file TDIU on VA Form 21-8940 (Veteran's Application for Increased Compensation Based on Unemployability). The form asks about your employment history, education, and training. Be honest but thorough — explain why your disabilities prevent work, not just that they do.

The Income Threshold

"Substantially gainful employment" means earning above the federal poverty level — $15,060/year in 2024. If you're working and earning more than that, TDIU is going to be a tough sell. But marginal employment doesn't count — working in a sheltered workshop, working for a family member who accommodates your disability, or working part-time below the poverty level generally won't disqualify you.

Getting a Higher Rating

If your condition has worsened since your last rating, you can file a claim for increased rating. This is different from an appeal — you're not saying the VA got it wrong (though they might have), you're saying things have gotten worse.

What You Need

• Current medical evidence — recent treatment records, a new nexus letter, updated test results showing the decline
• Personal statement — describe in detail how your condition has worsened and how it affects your daily life and work
• Buddy/lay statements — family, friends, or coworkers who can describe the changes they've observed
• Employment records — missed work, accommodations, performance issues linked to your condition

The Three Decision Review Lanes

Under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA), you have three options when you disagree with a rating:

• Supplemental Claim (VA Form 20-0995): Submit new and relevant evidence. The VA takes a fresh look. Fastest lane — often decided in 60–90 days.
• Higher-Level Review (VA Form 20-0996): A senior rater reviews the existing evidence for errors. No new evidence allowed. Good when you think the rating was applied incorrectly.
• Board of Veterans Appeals (VA Form 10182): A Veterans Law Judge reviews your case. Longest wait — often 1–2+ years — but you can submit new evidence and request a hearing.

The best strategy depends on your situation. If you have new medical evidence showing worsening, go Supplemental. If you think the rater applied the wrong diagnostic code or ignored evidence already in your file, try Higher-Level Review first. And if both of those fail, the Board is your backstop.

Frequently Asked Questions