Understanding VA Disability Compensation
Veterans with service-connected disabilities may be eligible for monthly VA disability compensation. The amount of compensation is determined by the veteran's combined disability rating, which is calculated by the VA using a specific rating schedule. The VA considers how your service-connected conditions impact your ability to work and live. This calculator provides an estimate based on the 2023 VA disability rate charts and a simplified method for combining ratings.
How Ratings are Combined: The VA does not simply add your individual disability percentages together. Instead, they use a "bilateral factor" and a combined rating table. For example, two 50% ratings do not result in a 100% rating; they combine to a 75% rating. This calculator approximates this process.
Dependents: The monthly compensation amount can also increase if you have dependents, such as a spouse, children under 18, or parents who are claimed on your tax return. The number of dependents is factored into the final compensation amount.
Important Note: This calculator is for estimation purposes only. Your actual VA disability compensation amount will be determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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function calculateVADisability() {
var rating1 = parseFloat(document.getElementById("rating1").value);
var rating2 = parseFloat(document.getElementById("rating2").value);
var rating3 = parseFloat(document.getElementById("rating3").value);
var rating4 = parseFloat(document.getElementById("rating4").value);
var dependents = parseInt(document.getElementById("dependents").value);
var isValidInput = !isNaN(rating1) && !isNaN(rating2) && !isNaN(rating3) && !isNaN(rating4) && !isNaN(dependents) &&
rating1 >= 0 && rating1 = 0 && rating2 = 0 && rating3 = 0 && rating4 = 0;
if (!isValidInput) {
document.getElementById("calculator-result").innerHTML = "Please enter valid numbers for all fields.";
return;
}
var ratings = [rating1, rating2, rating3, rating4].filter(function(r) { return r > 0; });
ratings.sort(function(a, b) { return b – a; }); // Sort descending
var combinedRating = 0;
if (ratings.length > 0) {
combinedRating = ratings[0];
for (var i = 1; i < ratings.length; i++) {
combinedRating = combinedRating + ratings[i] * (100 – combinedRating) / 100;
}
}
combinedRating = Math.round(combinedRating); // VA rounds up to nearest percent
var compensation = 0;
// 2023 VA Disability Rates (simplified from official charts)
// These are base rates for veterans without dependents
var baseRates2023 = {
0: 0, 10: 152.64, 20: 301.30, 30: 460.90, 40: 630.35,
50: 798.46, 60: 957.01, 70: 1150.40, 80: 1335.90, 90: 1560.48, 100: 3605.56
};
var roundedCombinedRating = Math.max(0, Math.min(100, combinedRating)); // Ensure within 0-100 range
// Find the closest lower rate in the table if the combined rating isn't exact
var rateKey = 0;
for (var rate in baseRates2023) {
if (parseInt(rate) 0) {
if (combinedRating >= 30) { // Dependents only add allowance for 30% or higher
if (dependents === 1) dependentAllowance = 138.39;
else if (dependents === 2) dependentAllowance = 270.92;
else if (dependents === 3) dependentAllowance = 394.92;
else if (dependents === 4) dependentAllowance = 511.92;
else if (dependents === 5) dependentAllowance = 622.92;
else if (dependents === 6) dependentAllowance = 727.92;
else dependentAllowance = 727.92 + (dependents – 6) * 95.00; // For more than 6 dependents
// Additional allowance for dependent children under 18 beyond the first one
if (dependents > 1 && combinedRating >= 30) {
dependentAllowance += (dependents – 1) * 36.83;
}
}
}
compensation += dependentAllowance;
document.getElementById("calculator-result").innerHTML = "Estimated Monthly Compensation: $" + compensation.toFixed(2);
}