2022 VA Disability Rates

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs makes a concerted effort to ensure that disabled veterans are rated accurately for their disabilities and receive associated tax-free financial compensation. The VA also wants to make sure that the disability pay does not lose its value over time due to inflation.

As a result, each year, the VA will evaluate its compensation rates and adjust them if necessary.

The new rates take effect on December 1, 2021. Keep reading to find out more about how to calculate the new compensation rate you should expect, depending on your specific circumstances.

If your disability rating is 10% or 20%, you will not receive a higher benefit payment for having a spouse, dependent children, or dependent parents. The 2022 flat VA disability pay for a 10% disability is $152.64, and the pay rate for a 20% disability is $301.74.

Monthly Payments Based on 10%-20% Rating

Disability Rating Monthly payment
10% $152.64
20% $301.74

Monthly Payments Based on Disability Rating

Dependent status 30% disability rating 40% disability rating
Veteran alone (no dependents) $467.39 $673.28
With spouse (no parents or children) $522.39 $747.28
With spouse and 1 parent (no children) $566.39 $806.28
With spouse and 2 parents (no children) $610.39 $865.28
With 1 parent (no spouse or children) $511.39 $732.28
With 2 parents (no spouse or children) $555.39 $791.28
Dependent status 50% disability rating 60% disability rating
Veteran alone (no dependents) $958.44 $1,214.03
With spouse (no parents or children) $1,050.44 $1,325.03
With spouse and 1 parent (no children) $1,124.44 $1,414.03
With spouse and 2 parents (no children) $1,198.44 $1,503.03
With 1 parent (no spouse or children) $1,032.44 $1,303.03
With 2 parents (no spouse or children) $1,106.44 $1,392.03

Added Amounts

Dependent status 30% disability rating 40% disability rating
Spouse receiving Aid and Attendance $51.00 $68.00
Dependent status 50% disability rating 60% disability rating
Spouse receiving Aid and Attendance $86.00 $102.00

Basic Rates for Monthly Payments

Dependent status 70% disability rating 80% disability rating
Veteran alone (no dependents) $1,529.95 $1,778.43
With spouse (no parents or children) $1,659.95 $1,926.43
With spouse and 1 parent (no children) $1,763.95 $2,045.43
With spouse and 2 parents (no children) $1,867.95 $2,164.43
With 1 parent (no spouse or children) $1,633.95 $1,897.43
With 2 parents (no spouse or children) $1,737.95 $2,016.43
Dependent status 90% disability rating 100% disability rating
Veteran alone (no dependents) $1,998.52 $3,332.06
With spouse (no parents or children) $2,165.52 $3,517.84
With spouse and 1 parent (no children) $2,299.52 $3,666.94
With spouse and 2 parents (no children) $2,433.52 $3,816.04
With 1 parent (no spouse or children) $2,132.52 $3,481.16
With 2 parents (no spouse or children) $2,266.52 $3,630.26

Added Amounts

Dependent status 70% disability rating (in U.S. $) 80% disability rating (in U.S. $)
Spouse receiving Aid and Attendance $119.00 $136.00
Dependent status 90% disability rating (in U.S. $) 100% disability rating (in U.S. $)
Spouse receiving Aid and Attendance $153.00 $170.38

Basic Rates for Monthly Payments

Dependent status 30% disability rating 40% disability rating
Veteran with 1 child only (no spouse or parents) $504.39 $722.28
With 1 child and spouse (no parents) $563.39 $801.28
With 1 child, spouse, and 1 parent $607.39 $860.28
With 1 child, spouse, and 2 parents $651.39 $919.28
With 1 child and 1 parent (no spouse) $548.39 $781.28
With 1 child and 2 parents (no spouse) $592.39 $840.28
Dependent status 50% disability rating 60% disability rating
Veteran with 1 child only (no spouse or parents) $1,020.44 $1,288.03
With 1 child and spouse (no parents) $1,118.44 $1,407.03
With 1 child, spouse, and 1 parent $1,192.44 $1,496.03
With 1 child, spouse, and 2 parents $1,266.44 $1,585.03
With 1 child and 1 parent (no spouse) $1,094.44 $1,377.03
With 1 child and 2 parents (no spouse) $1,168.44 $1,466.03

Added Amounts

Dependent status 30% disability rating 40% disability rating
Each additional child under age 18 $27.00 $36.00
Each additional child over age 18 in a qualifying school program $89.00 $119.00
Spouse receving Aid and Attendance $51.00 $68.00
Dependent status 50% disability rating 60% disability rating
Each additional child under age 18 $46.00 $55.00
Each additional child over age 18 in a qualifying school program $149.00 $178.00
Spouse receving Aid and Attendance $86.00 $102.00

Basic rates for monthly payments

Dependent status 70% disability rating (in U.S. $) 80% disability rating (in U.S. $)
Veteran with child only (no spouse or parents) $1,615.95 $1,877.43
With 1 child and spouse (no parents) $1,754.95 $2,035.43
With 1 child, spouse and 1 parent $1,858.95 $2,154.43
With 1 child, spouse and 2 parents $1,962.95 $2,273.43
With 1 child and 1 parent $1,719.95 $1,996.43
With 1 child and 2 parents (no spouse) $1,823.95 $2,115.43
Dependent status 90% disability rating (in U.S. $) 100% disability rating (in U.S. $)
Veteran with child only (no spouse or parents) $2,109.52 $3,456.30
With 1 child and spouse (no parents) $2,287.52 $3,653.89
With 1 child, spouse and 1 parent $2,421.52 $3,802.99
With 1 child, spouse and 2 parents $2,555.52 $3,952.09
With 1 child and 1 parent $2,243.52 $3,605.40
With 1 child and 2 parents (no spouse) $2,377.52 $3,754.50
Dependent status 70% disability rating (in U.S. $) 80% disability rating (in U.S. $)
Each additional child under age 18 $64.00 $73.00
Each additional child over age 18 in a qualifying school program $208.00 $238.00
Spouse receiving Aid and Attendance $119.00 $136.00
Dependent status 90% disability rating (in U.S. $) 100% disability rating (in U.S. $)
Each additional child under age 18 $83.00 $92.31
Each additional child over age 18 in a qualifying school program $268.00 $298.18
Spouse receiving Aid and Attendance $153.00 $170.38

VA Disability: How Much Will My Payment Be?

Fortunately it’s not very difficult to calculate your expected VA disability pay based on the rate tables presented here. The total amount of compensation is based on a combination of the veteran’s disability rating, marital status, and members of the household.

To calculate your disability payment, you will first need to find your basic rate based on your disability rating and the makeup of your household. Then, look at the Added Amounts table to determine whether you are eligible for additional VA disability pay for dependent children or because your spouse receives Aid and Attendance benefits.

For example, if you are a single veteran who is 90% disabled according to the federal VA, your monthly VA benefit payment will be $1,998.52. That’s the simple base pay rate for your disability if you live in your household alone. But if you also have a spouse, that pay rate changes to $2,165.52, while your monthly VA benefit would be $2,132.52 if you were single and responsible for a dependent parent.

If you are a disabled veteran rated at 40% disabled by the VA, and you have a spouse and a dependent child, you can expect your monthly VA disability pay to be $801.28. Add a second child, and that benefit amount changes to $837.28 – as the table shows, that’s an additional $36.00 for the second dependent child and any additional dependent children under age 18.

In a third scenario, if you are a disabled veteran rated at 70%, plus you have a spouse who receives Aid and Attendance benefits and a dependent child under 18, you can expect a total monthly benefit of $1,873.95. That’s the base pay rate of $1,754.95 for you, your spouse, your child, plus an additional $119.00 for your spouse receiving Aid and Attendance benefits.

What Does It Mean To Be 100% Disabled?

The 100% disability rating is what the VA uses to indicate that a veteran is considered totally disabled. In other words, the veteran is eligible for the highest level of disability compensation offered by the VA. As you might expect, the eligibility requirements for meeting this high threshold are stringent.

VA disability ratings are typically assigned at the regional level by rating officers known as Decision Review or High-Level Review officers, or by board members of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. To rate a veteran’s disability, reviewers use the VA’s Schedule for Rating Disabilities – or VASRD.  That schedule stipulates that each disability reviewed will be assigned a specific diagnostic code and rated in increments of 10%, starting at 0%.

The VA first will consider the severity of a veteran’s injury or existing medical condition. To be considered 100% disabled, a veteran typically must show that the current medical condition is so severe and pervasive that it renders the veteran completely unable to work.

Please note that it’s possible to receive a 100% rating in a few different ways. For example, the veteran could be rendered 100% disabled as the result of one accident, injury, or medical condition. The veteran could also reach a 100% rating through the combined ratings of several service-connected disabilities. Either route will result in the same designation and the same monthly compensation amount.

It’s also important to note that the federal VA uses a special formula when calculating combined ratings.

Using the Combined Ratings Table, the highest rating of the most severe disability is read in the left column, and the rating of the second disability is found along the top row. The number in the space where the column and row converge is the combined rating of the two disabilities. 

If a veteran has more than two disabilities, the process simply repeats. Take the new combined rating and use the Combined Ratings Table to find the combined rating of the third disability. Repeat this process until all disabilities are accounted for and the combined rating is determined.

Ratings are always rounded to the nearest 90% – for example, 84% rounds down to 80%, but 85% rounds up to 90%. If a veteran’s combined rating for several disabilities nets out at 85%, the VA will compensate that veteran for having a 90% rating.

While 100% is the highest possible rating a veteran can receive from the VA, there are some special circumstances under which veterans may receive special compensation above the 100% compensation threshold. These circumstances may include Aid and Attendance benefits, which are awarded when the veteran needs the regular aid and attendance of a caregiver to carry out basic day-to-day tasks like bathing, dressing, preparing food, etc.

A veteran also may be awarded special compensation if they have lost the use of one or more limbs. For example, if a veteran must use a wheelchair or walker because they are unable to walk unaided, that veteran may be entitled to monthly compensation above the amount stipulated for a 100% disability.

In most cases, VA disability ratings are not considered permanent and sometimes may change if a veteran’s medical condition worsens or improves. However, in some cases, the VA may rate some disabilities as 100% and permanent, meaning that the veteran no longer must attend regular physical exams and the veteran’s monthly compensation will never decrease.

100% Temporarily Disabled

Veterans can also receive a rating of 100% temporarily disabled, which usually happens in cases of temporary hospitalization or convalescence. It can also occur in cases of prestabilization, which is when a veteran is discharged from active duty military service with a serious medical condition that has yet to stabilize. In these cases, veterans will receive VA compensation consistent with a 100% VA disability rating until their condition changes.

In addition, veterans may receive a 100% disability rating if discharged for a service-related diagnosis of cancer. This designation typically remains in place for six months after a completed successful treatment regimen.

What Does It Mean To Be 0% Disabled?

If the VA awards a veteran a 0% VA disability rating, that means the VA has determined that the current medical condition or disability brings few lifestyle limitations that do not warrant disability compensation.

A 0% rating is considered a non-compensable VA rating. This means the veteran will not receive a monthly disability compensation amount but may be eligible for other benefits including VA health benefits, dental care, vision care, life insurance, and travel pay reimbursement.

While a 0% disability rating may literally sound like nothing, it actually carries substantial merit. By assigning a 0% rating, the VA is acknowledging that it is a service-connected disability – it’s just not severe enough for compensation. If the condition worsens in the future, the service connection is already established. This can make the process of filing a claim for an increased rating much easier down the road.

Veterans who receive a 0% VA disability rating are entitled to several benefits. For example, the veteran may receive treatment in VA health care facilities at no cost, since only non-service connected conditions require a copay. In addition, veterans with 0% disability ratings still receive higher priority for VA health care eligibility.

If, over time, the nature and/or severity of a medical condition changes, a veteran always has the option to file a disability claim for an upgraded rating. The VA may increase the rating if changes to the condition are severe enough. In the event of an unfavorable decision, the veteran can file an appeal.

0+0=10?

Additional benefits may be available if the veteran has two or more disabilities that are all rated at 0%. If a veteran can convince the VA that these disabilities make it difficult to work, the VA may elect to assign a total VA disability rating of 10%. This usually happens when the veteran has multiple 0% ratings for disabilities and no other rated disabilities. The veteran must be able to show that work is difficult because of the military service-connected disabilities in question.

The most important thing to remember about a 0% VA disability rating is not to lose heart – the VA has acknowledged that your disability is service-connected. You can provide updated medical evidence and request a rating increase if your medical condition has worsened over time.

What Is the Cost of Living Adjustment?

The COLA – or the Cost of Living Adjustment – is the periodic review and adjustment that ensures veterans’ disability benefits are not diminished by the effects of inflation. The VA is required by law to match the percentage of cost-of-living adjustments that are periodically made to Social Security benefits. These adjustments help to make sure that the purchasing power of disability benefits for veterans keeps up with inflation.

For 2022, VA disability compensation rates reflect a 5.9% cost-of-living increase based on the Social Security Administration’s 2022 COLA. The U.S. Congress passed legislation in early October of 2021 to increase veterans’ disability compensation in correlation with the Social Security COLA, as required by law.

VA Disability Rates for 2022

Programs like VA education benefits, VA health care, and VA disability compensation represent a vital benefit and sense of financial security for many U.S. veterans. If you are currently receiving VA disability benefits, it’s important to understand how compensation rates have changed in 2022.  Be sure you continue to receive the correct amount of VA compensation you have earned through your years of active-duty military service. Stay up-to-date on the latest VA disability compensation rates and how they affect your monthly VA compensation. Calculate your 2022 VA disability payments today.