About this site and its sources
VADisabilityChart.com is a free calculator and reference for the arithmetic VA uses to combine disability ratings and the amounts those ratings pay. It is an independent site. It is not part of, endorsed by, or affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and nothing here is legal, medical, or accredited claims advice.
Sources
- Combining method: 38 CFR 4.25, including Table I, the Combined Ratings Table, and the worked examples printed in the regulation (50% and 30% combine to 65, converted to 70%; 60%, 40%, and 20% combine to 81, converted to 80%).
- Bilateral factor: 38 CFR 4.26, including paragraph (d) (in effect since April 2023), which requires leaving a bilateral disability out of the factor when that produces a higher combined evaluation.
- Monthly rates: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, "Current Veterans disability compensation rates," 2026 rates effective December 1, 2025, published at VA.gov. Rates are set by 38 U.S.C. 1114-1115 and adjusted each December with the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (2.8% for 2026).
Method, in one paragraph
Ratings are combined in order of severity with the formula the table is built from, a + b x (100 - a) / 100, rounded to a whole number after each step. Bilateral ratings are combined first, increased by 10 percent of their combined value, and treated as one disability, with every grouping tested so the 4.26(d) most-favorable rule holds. The combined value is converted to the nearest multiple of 10 once, at the end, with 5 rounding up. Pay is then read from the 2026 rate tables by rating and dependent status, with added amounts for additional children and a spouse receiving Aid and Attendance. Special Monthly Compensation and TDIU are outside the scope of the calculator.
Corrections
The rate tables are checked against VA.gov when they change each December. If a number here disagrees with VA.gov or with your decision letter, the VA source governs.