Estimate your 2024 monthly compensation based on your disability rating and dependent status.
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Single (No Spouse)
Married
0
1
2
Base Rating Pay:$0.00
Dependent Allowance:$0.00
Total Monthly Payment:$0.00
*Based on estimated 2024 Rates
Understanding Your 2024 VA Disability Rate
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides tax-free monthly compensation to veterans with service-connected disabilities. The amount you receive depends primarily on your combined disability rating and, if your rating is 30% or higher, the number of dependents you have.
Important: Veterans with a rating of 10% or 20% receive a fixed amount regardless of their marital status or number of children. Dependent allowances only trigger at the 30% rating tier and above.
How the Calculation Works
The VA benefits calculation involves two main steps:
Base Rate: This is determined strictly by your disability percentage (10% to 100%).
Dependent "Adders": If you are rated 30% or higher, additional amounts are added to your base pay for:
A legally married spouse.
Children under the age of 18.
Children between 18 and 23 who are attending school.
Dependent parents.
Spouses requiring Aid & Attendance (A&A).
The 30% Rule for Dependents
Many veterans are surprised to find that adding a spouse or child to their claim does not increase their pay if their rating is 10% or 20%. The VA assumes that the compensation at these lower levels is supplemental and does not require adjustment for family size. However, once a veteran reaches a 30% combined rating, the financial impact of dependents becomes significant.
Factors That Influence Your Check
Beyond the standard headcount of family members, certain specific factors can alter the "adder" amounts:
School Age Children: Children over 18 must be enrolled in an approved educational institution to qualify for the "School Child" rate, which is higher than the standard child rate.
Aid & Attendance for Spouse: If your spouse is blind, in a nursing home, or requires the regular aid of another person, you may qualify for an additional monthly stipend on top of the standard spousal addition.
Bilateral Factor: While not calculated here, disabilities affecting both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles can increase your specific combined rating percentage, potentially bumping you to the next higher pay bracket (e.g., from 80% to 90%).
2024 Rate Adjustments
VA disability rates are adjusted annually based on the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) determined by the Social Security Administration. The rates used in this calculator reflect the 2024 adjustments, ensuring you get a realistic estimate of your current potential benefits. Always verify your final award letter from the VA for the exact official amount.
function calculateBenefits() {
// 1. Get Inputs
var rating = parseInt(document.getElementById('disabilityRating').value);
var hasSpouse = parseInt(document.getElementById('hasSpouse').value); // 0 or 1
var childrenU18 = parseInt(document.getElementById('childrenUnder18').value);
var childrenSchool = parseInt(document.getElementById('childrenSchool').value);
var parents = parseInt(document.getElementById('dependentParents').value);
var spouseAid = document.getElementById('spouseAid').checked;
// Validation against NaN
if (isNaN(childrenU18)) childrenU18 = 0;
if (isNaN(childrenSchool)) childrenSchool = 0;
if (isNaN(parents)) parents = 0;
// 2. Define Rates (2024 Estimates used for logic)
// Structure: index 0 is placeholder, then 10, 20… 100
var baseRates = {
10: 171.23,
20: 338.49,
30: 524.31,
40: 755.28,
50: 1075.16,
60: 1361.88,
70: 1716.28,
80: 1995.01,
90: 2241.91,
100: 3737.85
};
// Adders only apply if rating >= 30
// Data structure: Key = rating, Value = { spouse, childU18, childSchool, parent, spouseAid }
var adders = {
30: { spouse: 57.00, childU18: 31.00, childSchool: 100.00, parent: 42.00, spouseAid: 57.00 },
40: { spouse: 76.00, childU18: 41.00, childSchool: 133.00, parent: 56.00, spouseAid: 76.00 },
50: { spouse: 96.00, childU18: 51.00, childSchool: 167.00, parent: 70.00, spouseAid: 95.00 },
60: { spouse: 115.00, childU18: 62.00, childSchool: 200.00, parent: 84.00, spouseAid: 114.00 },
70: { spouse: 134.00, childU18: 72.00, childSchool: 234.00, parent: 98.00, spouseAid: 133.00 },
80: { spouse: 153.00, childU18: 82.00, childSchool: 267.00, parent: 112.00, spouseAid: 153.00 },
90: { spouse: 172.00, childU18: 93.00, childSchool: 301.00, parent: 126.00, spouseAid: 172.00 },
100: { spouse: 191.14, childU18: 103.55, childSchool: 334.49, parent: 140.32, spouseAid: 191.14 } // Using specific 100% adders
};
// 3. Calculation Logic
var basePay = baseRates[rating] || 0;
var depAllowance = 0;
// Dependent logic only if rating >= 30%
if (rating >= 30) {
var rates = adders[rating];
// Spouse
if (hasSpouse === 1) {
depAllowance += rates.spouse;
if (spouseAid) {
depAllowance += rates.spouseAid;
}
}
// Children
// Note: VA charts usually specify "Spouse + 1 child" then "each additional".
// However, mathematically, the "Each Additional" rate is often consistent or we use the additive model for estimation.
// For a general calculator, additive model is standard unless using exact lookup tables for every combo.
// We will use the additive per-person rates defined above.
depAllowance += (childrenU18 * rates.childU18);
depAllowance += (childrenSchool * rates.childSchool);
// Parents
depAllowance += (parents * rates.parent);
}
var totalPay = basePay + depAllowance;
// 4. Formatting Function
function formatCurrency(num) {
return '$' + num.toLocaleString('en-US', { minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2 });
}
// 5. Display Results
document.getElementById('basePayResult').innerHTML = formatCurrency(basePay);
// Show/Hide Dependent Row based on rating
var depRow = document.getElementById('depRow');
if (rating < 30) {
depRow.style.display = 'none';
} else {
depRow.style.display = 'flex';
document.getElementById('depAllowanceResult').innerHTML = formatCurrency(depAllowance);
}
document.getElementById('totalPayResult').innerHTML = formatCurrency(totalPay);
document.getElementById('result-container').style.display = 'block';
}