';
html += '';
html += ";
html += '0%10%20%';
html += '30%40%50%';
html += '60%70%80%';
html += '90%100%';
html += '
';
html += '
';
html += '';
html += '
';
html += '';
newRow.innerHTML = html;
container.appendChild(newRow);
rowCount++;
}
function removeRow(rowId) {
var row = document.getElementById(rowId);
if (row) {
row.remove();
}
}
function calculateVARates() {
// 1. Gather all inputs
var selects = document.getElementsByClassName('rating-select');
var ratings = [];
for (var i = 0; i < selects.length; i++) {
var val = parseInt(selects[i].value);
if (!isNaN(val)) {
ratings.push(val);
}
}
// 2. Sort Descending (Highest to Lowest)
ratings.sort(function(a, b) { return b – a; });
// 3. The "VA Math" Algorithm
// Reference: 38 CFR 4.25
var currentEfficiency = 100; // You start 100% efficient (0% disabled)
var currentDisability = 0; // Accumulator for disability
// If only one rating exists, that is the rating
// If multiple, we combine them.
// However, the math technically works iteratively even for the first one if we treat base as 0.
// Let's use the standard "Efficiency Remaining" method.
for (var i = 0; i Round to Integer -> New Rating.
}
// Let's re-implement with the integer rounding step to be precise.
var combinedValue = 0;
// Special case: If any rating is 100%, total is 100%.
if (ratings.includes(100)) {
combinedValue = 100;
} else {
// First rating is the base
if (ratings.length > 0) {
combinedValue = ratings[0];
for (var i = 1; i 9->90. 84/10=8.4->8->80).
var finalRating = Math.round(rawScore / 10) * 10;
// Cap at 100
if (finalRating > 100) finalRating = 100;
// 5. Calculate Estimated Pay
var dependentStatus = document.getElementById('dependent-status').value;
var payAmount = 0;
if (finalRating >= 10 && payRates2024[dependentStatus] && payRates2024[dependentStatus][finalRating]) {
payAmount = payRates2024[dependentStatus][finalRating];
} else if (finalRating === 0) {
payAmount = 0;
}
// 6. Display Results
document.getElementById('results').style.display = 'block';
document.getElementById('raw-score').innerText = rawScore + '%';
document.getElementById('final-rating').innerText = finalRating + '%';
// Format Currency
var formatter = new Intl.NumberFormat('en-US', {
style: 'currency',
currency: 'USD',
});
document.getElementById('monthly-pay').innerText = formatter.format(payAmount);
var note = "Estimated 2024 monthly rate for " + dependentStatus.replace('_', ' & ');
if (finalRating < 30 && dependentStatus !== 'alone') {
note += ". (Note: Dependent benefits generally start at 30% rating)";
}
document.getElementById('pay-note').innerText = note;
}
How to Calculate VA Disability Rates: Understanding "VA Math"
Calculating your combined VA disability rating is rarely as simple as adding up your individual percentage ratings. If you have a 50% rating for PTSD and a 30% rating for a knee injury, your total is not 80%. Instead, the Department of Veterans Affairs uses a unique method known as the Combined Ratings Table, often referred to by veterans as "VA Math."
This calculator handles the complex logic for you, providing both your raw combined score and your final rounded VA rating which determines your monthly compensation.
The "Whole Person" Concept Explained
The logic behind VA disability calculations is based on the "Whole Person" concept. The VA assumes a veteran starts as a 100% efficient "whole person." When a disability is rated, it subtracts from that efficiency. Subsequent disabilities are then applied only to the remaining efficiency, not the original 100%.
Example Calculation
Let's look at a veteran with three disabilities rated at 50%, 30%, and 10%.
Step 1: Start with 100% efficiency. The highest rating (50%) is applied first. 100% – 50% = 50% efficiency remaining. Current Rating: 50%.
Step 2: Apply the second rating (30%) to the remaining 50%. 30% of 50 is 15. Add this to the current rating: 50 + 15 = 65%.
Step 3: Apply the third rating (10%) to the new remaining efficiency (35%). 10% of 35 is 3.5. Add this to the current rating: 65 + 3.5 = 68.5%.
Step 4: Round the final result to the nearest 10%. 68.5 rounds up to 70%.
Why the "Raw Score" Matters
While your monthly compensation is based on the rounded final rating (e.g., 70%), your "raw score" (e.g., 68.5% or 73%) is crucial for future claims. If you are at 73% (rounded to 70%) and you receive a new 10% rating, that new rating might push you over 75%, which would round up to 80%, significantly increasing your monthly benefit.
2024 VA Disability Pay Rates (Veteran Alone)
Compensation rates vary based on cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) and whether you have dependents (spouse, children, or parents). Dependents usually add to your payment only if your combined rating is 30% or higher.
Rating
Monthly Payment (Veteran Alone)
10%
$171.23
20%
$338.49
30%
$524.31
40%
$755.28
50%
$1,075.16
60%
$1,361.88
70%
$1,716.28
80%
$1,995.01
90%
$2,241.91
100%
$3,737.85
Important Factors: Bilateral Factor and Rounding
The Bilateral Factor: If you have disabilities affecting both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles, the VA adds an additional 10% to the value of those specific disabilities before combining them with other conditions. This "Bilateral Factor" usually results in a higher overall rating.
Rounding Rules: The VA rounds the final combined score to the nearest 10 percent. Scores ending in 5 or higher round up (e.g., 85% becomes 90%), while scores ending in 4 or lower round down (e.g., 84% becomes 80%).
Use the calculator above to experiment with different rating combinations to see how additional claims might affect your total compensation.