Pay
What your VA disability rating is worth per month (2026 pay rates)
Your rating is a number. This is the check behind it. Here is the 2026 pay chart for a single veteran, straight from VA.gov, plus how dependents and SMC change the amount.
You have a rating. What most veterans really want to know is simpler than the paperwork makes it sound: what does that rating pay? VA disability compensation is a monthly, tax-free payment. You do not report it as income to the IRS, and it does not shrink because you work. The amount is set by your combined rating, and once you cross 30 percent, by how many dependents you support.
The short version
Your monthly check is based on your combined rating, from 10 to 100 percent. It is tax-free. At 10 and 20 percent, everyone gets the same flat amount. At 30 percent and above, the VA adds money for a spouse, children, and dependent parents. Rates go up a little every December when the annual cost-of-living adjustment kicks in.
The 2026 pay chart, single veteran, no dependents
These are the current base rates for a veteran with no dependents, straight from the official VA compensation tables. They are effective December 1, 2025 (2026 rates). Always confirm the live number on VA.gov before you rely on it.
| Combined rating | Monthly payment |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
Source: VA.gov Veterans disability compensation rates, effective December 1, 2025. Verify current rates on VA.gov before making any decision.
Why the jumps get bigger near the top
Look at the gaps between the numbers. Going from 10 to 20 percent adds under $180 a month. Going from 90 to 100 percent adds more than $1,500. The jump to 100 percent is the largest single step by far. That is by design, and it is why the last stretch of the ladder is the one people fight hardest for. It is also why your combined rating matters more than any single condition. If you are not sure what your combined number actually is, work that out first, because the whole chart hangs on it.
The COLA: why the numbers rise every December
The rates above are not permanent. Each year the VA applies a cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, so compensation keeps pace with inflation. The increase takes effect December 1 and shows up in the payment veterans receive at the start of January, because the VA pays a month in arrears.
For 2026, the COLA is 2.8 percent. That figure comes from the Social Security Administration, which sets the same adjustment for Social Security and VA benefits and announced it on October 24, 2025. It applies to the schedular ratings from 10 to 100 percent and to Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability. Updated August 24, 2026.
How dependents change the check
Here is the split that surprises people. At 10 and 20 percent, dependents do not change your payment at all. Everyone at 10 percent gets the same flat rate, married or single, kids or no kids.
At 30 percent and above, that changes. The VA pays more when you support:
A spouse. Dependent children under 18, or up to 23 if they are in school full time. A child who became permanently disabled before turning 18. And dependent parents, if you provide more than half their support. There is also an extra amount for a spouse who needs regular aid and attendance.
The higher your rating, the larger each dependent add-on. A 100 percent rating with a spouse and children pays noticeably more than the single-veteran figure in the chart above. To claim dependents you have to tell the VA about them and provide proof, like a marriage certificate or a birth certificate. The dependent rate tables live on the same VA.gov page linked above, broken out by rating and family size.
The 30 percent line
Thirty percent is the threshold where family matters to your payment. If you are rated 30 percent or higher and have never added your spouse or kids to your claim, you may be leaving money on the table every single month. Adding a dependent is a separate step from your rating.
Special Monthly Compensation can push it higher
The chart tops out at 100 percent, but the payment does not always stop there. Special Monthly Compensation, or SMC, is an extra tier of pay for specific serious situations. It is not a higher rating. It is an additional amount stacked on top.
The most common form is SMC-K, a flat monthly add-on for the loss, or loss of use, of a specific body part or function. Other SMC levels apply when a condition requires aid and attendance, or leaves a veteran housebound, or involves the loss of use of limbs. If any of that describes your situation, it is worth asking a representative whether SMC applies, because the VA does not always flag it on its own.
Where to verify your number
Pay rates are set by law and published in one place you can trust. Check the official VA.gov compensation rate tables for the current year, including the full dependent breakdowns and SMC amounts. If the deposit hitting your account does not match the rate for your rating and family size, that is worth raising with a free accredited representative, because pay and dependent errors do happen.
Not sure what your combined rating is?
The pay chart only helps once you know your combined number, and the VA does not calculate it the way most people expect. Run your ratings through the calculator first, then bring your questions to the Copilot for a plain-English read on what your check should be.
This is general education, not legal advice, and not from the VA. Your claim depends on your records, your evidence, and your exam. For advice on your specific situation, work with a free VA-accredited representative or a Veterans Service Organization. We are not the VA and are not affiliated with the VA.