Pay
2027 VA disability pay rates: the 3.6% raise, estimated
Social Security announced a 3.6 percent cost-of-living raise for 2027. VA compensation follows it. Here's roughly what each rating will pay, when the raise starts, and when it lands in your account.
The short version
The 2027 raise is 3.6 percent. It starts December 1, 2026. The first bigger payment should arrive on Thursday, December 31, 2026, because January 1 is a holiday. A single veteran at 100 percent goes from $3,938.58 to about $4,080 a month. The numbers below are estimates until VA publishes its official 2027 tables.
Where the 3.6 percent comes from
The Social Security Administration announced a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment on October 14, 2026. It's based on the change in the CPI-W, a consumer price index, from one year's third quarter to the next.
VA disability compensation doesn't rise on its own. Congress passes a short veterans COLA law each year that applies the same percentage to VA compensation and DIC. It has matched the Social Security figure every year in recent memory, but until that law passes and VA posts its tables, treat every 2027 dollar figure, including the ones on this page, as an estimate.
Estimated 2027 pay, single veteran, no dependents
These take the official 2026 rates on VA.gov (effective December 1, 2025) and add 3.6 percent. VA's official numbers may differ by a few cents because of how it rounds.
| Combined rating | 2026 (official) | 2027 (estimate) | About this much more |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | $186.92 | +$6.50 |
| 20% | $356.66 | $369.50 | +$12.84 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $572.36 | +$19.89 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $824.49 | +$28.65 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,173.68 | +$40.78 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,486.68 | +$51.66 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,873.55 | +$65.10 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,177.83 | +$75.68 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,447.34 | +$85.04 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,080.37 | +$141.79 |
If you have a spouse, children or dependent parents and you're rated 30 percent or higher, your check is higher than this table, and it goes up by the same 3.6 percent. If you get TDIU, you're paid at the 100 percent rate, so use the 100 percent row.
When the raise hits your account
VA pays a month behind. The money you get at the start of a month is for the month before. So the new rate starts December 1, 2026, and the first payment at that rate is December's payment.
December's payment would normally land on the first business day of January. January 1, 2027 is New Year's Day, a federal holiday, and when the first falls on a weekend or holiday VA pays on the last business day before it. That puts the first raised payment on Thursday, December 31, 2026. Some banks post it a day early. More on the calendar in when your VA check actually arrives.
What you have to do
Nothing. The raise is automatic. You don't file anything, and your rating doesn't change. If your January statement doesn't show the higher amount, check that VA has your dependents on file and that your rating is what you think it is, then contact VA or a free accredited representative.
How to check the official numbers
VA posts the new tables on its compensation rates page, usually in late November or December. When they go up, we'll replace these estimates with the official figures and note the date here.
Want your own number?
Your check depends on your combined rating, and VA math doesn't add the way you expect. Work out your combined rating first, then read it against this table.
This is general education, not legal advice, and not from the VA. The 2027 dollar amounts are estimates based on the 3.6 percent COLA announced by Social Security and the official 2026 VA rates. For 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.