2026 VA disability compensation rates

Monthly compensation at a glance

These are standard rates before special monthly compensation, offsets, recoupment, or other award-specific adjustments. “Spouse + 1 child” assumes a qualifying child under 18 and no dependent parents.

When dependents affect payment

At a combined rating of 30% or more, VA may pay additional compensation for qualifying dependents. A spouse, qualifying children, and qualifying dependent parents may affect the amount. At 10% or 20%, the standard payment does not increase for dependents.

Dependent status is not automatic just because a family member lives with you. VA must recognize the dependent. Children 18 to 23 in qualifying school programs have separate rules; avoid counting the same child in both age categories.

Use the rate year that applies

The calculator uses the published 2026 schedule. A back-pay estimate covering earlier years needs the rates in effect for each period, along with any changes in rating or dependents. Multiplying today’s payment by the number of months since a claim was filed can be misleading.

What about the next COLA?

Future-year projections are not official compensation tables. This site will label a forecast as a forecast if one is published. For a current award or financial decision, use the official VA rate table and your decision letter. The source link below is the reference for the amounts displayed here.

Read the table in three passes

1. Find the combined rating. Use the final combined percentage, not the sum of individual awards. If needed, calculate it from your decision letter.
2. Match the household. The table above shows three common situations. It is not the complete VA table for every dependent combination.
3. Check additions and exclusions. More children, dependent parents, or a qualifying spouse’s Aid and Attendance can require additional amounts. Special monthly compensation and offsets need separate attention.

Keep a short note of the exact row you used. “70%, spouse and one child under 18, no dependent parents” is much easier to check later than a dollar amount on its own.

A household example: 70%, spouse, and two children

Assume a hypothetical veteran has a 70% combined rating, a VA-recognized spouse, and two qualifying children under 18, with no dependent parents or spouse Aid and Attendance addition.

The 2026 spouse-and-one-child amount is $2,074.45. The additional under-18 child adds $76.00. The standard estimate is therefore $2,150.45 per month. At an unchanged monthly rate, twelve months would total $25,805.40.

In the calculator, choose a spouse and enter 2 children under 18. Do not enter only the “extra” child: the calculator selects the appropriate base and handles the first child. This is an illustration using the official 2026 tables, not an individual award calculation.

Compare a rating change using the same household

For a veteran alone, the displayed 2026 amounts are $1,808.45 at 70% and $2,102.15 at 80%. The difference is $293.70 per month, or $3,524.40 over twelve months at those rates.

To make your own comparison, save the current scenario, change one rating input, and keep the household selections the same. Otherwise the displayed difference may include both a rating change and a dependent change, making the cause harder to understand.

A comparison is a planning exercise. It does not mean an increase has been approved, and the annual figure does not predict a future cost-of-living adjustment.

If your deposit differs from this table

Compare the benefit amount in your award notice with your payment history. Write down the period, approved dependent status, and any listed withholding or adjustment. A mismatch is a question to investigate, not proof that VA underpaid you.

For a retroactive award, split the calculation whenever the rate year, rating, or recognized household changes. Our back-pay guide shows a simple worksheet. For the current estimate, use the dependents guide to check your selections.