Veterans who have a service-connected disability may be eligible for VA disability compensation. This is a monthly payment made by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to compensate for the decrease in earning capacity resulting from a service-connected injury or illness. The amount of compensation a veteran receives depends on their combined disability rating and whether they have dependents (spouse, children, or dependent parents).
The VA uses a rating schedule to determine the percentage of disability for each condition. These ratings are then combined using a specific VA formula to arrive at a single, overall "combined disability rating." This combined rating is what determines the monthly compensation amount.
The compensation rates are updated annually by the VA. The calculator above provides an estimate based on the most recently available rates for veterans without dependents. To determine your exact compensation, including potential additional amounts for dependents, you should consult the official VA compensation rate tables or speak with a VA representative.
How Disability Ratings are Combined
The VA does not simply add percentages together. Instead, it uses a mathematical process to combine multiple disability ratings into a single rating. For example, a veteran with a 50% disability and another 30% disability would not receive 80% compensation. The VA formula ensures that the combined rating reflects the overall impact on earning capacity. The formula can be complex, but the general idea is that each subsequent rating contributes less to the overall combined percentage than it would if simply added.
This calculator simplifies the process by taking a pre-determined combined disability rating as input and providing an estimated monthly compensation amount based on standard VA rate tables for veterans without dependents.
function calculateVADisability() {
var combinedRatingInput = document.getElementById("combinedRating");
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result");
var combinedRating = parseFloat(combinedRatingInput.value);
if (isNaN(combinedRating) || combinedRating 100) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter a valid combined disability rating between 0 and 100.";
return;
}
// VA Disability Compensation Rates (as of December 1, 2023 – subject to change annually)
// These are base rates for veterans WITHOUT dependents.
var vaRates = {
0: 0, // 0%
10: 179.38, // 10%
20: 351.17, // 20%
30: 536.55, // 30%
40: 730.89, // 40%
50: 941.31, // 50%
60: 1168.67, // 60%
70: 1412.69, // 70%
80: 1673.58, // 80%
90: 1951.03, // 90%
100: 3737.85 // 100%
};
var estimatedCompensation = 0;
// Find the closest matching rate or interpolate if necessary (though VA rates are discrete)
// For simplicity, we'll use the closest discrete rate for this calculator.
// A more accurate calculator would use specific VA tables or interpolation logic if provided.
if (combinedRating === 0) {
estimatedCompensation = vaRates[0];
} else if (combinedRating >= 10 && combinedRating = 20 && combinedRating = 30 && combinedRating = 40 && combinedRating = 50 && combinedRating = 60 && combinedRating = 70 && combinedRating = 80 && combinedRating = 90 && combinedRating < 100) {
estimatedCompensation = vaRates[90];
} else if (combinedRating === 100) {
estimatedCompensation = vaRates[100];
}
// Format the output to two decimal places
var formattedCompensation = estimatedCompensation.toFixed(2);
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Estimated Monthly Compensation (without dependents): $" + formattedCompensation;
}