What are the 2026 VA disability compensation rates?

The 2026 VA disability rates (effective December 1, 2025) reflect a 2.8% COLA increase. Rates for a veteran alone range from $180.42/month at 10% to $3,938.58/month at 100%. Veterans rated 30% or higher receive additional compensation for dependents under 38 C.F.R. § 3.23.

What is the 2026 VA disability rate for a 70% rating?

The 2026 VA disability rate for a 70% rating is $1,808.45/month for a veteran alone. With a spouse the rate increases under 38 C.F.R. § 3.23. Use the calculator above to compute your exact pay with dependents.

What is the 2026 VA disability rate for a 100% rating?

The 2026 VA disability rate for a 100% rating is $3,938.58/month for a veteran alone, and $4,158.17/month with a spouse. All VA disability compensation is tax-free under federal and state law.

How does VA combined rating math work?

VA uses the "whole person" method under 38 C.F.R. § 4.25. Each rating reduces the remaining efficiency rather than stacking additively. Example: 50% + 30% = 50% of 100 (leaving 50) + 30% of 50 (15) = 65%, rounded to 70%.

What is a secondary service-connected condition?

Under 38 C.F.R. § 3.310, a secondary condition is proximately caused or aggravated by an already service-connected disability. Common examples include PTSD causing sleep apnea, lumbar strain causing radiculopathy, and diabetes causing peripheral neuropathy.

What is SMC-K and how much does it pay in 2026?

Special Monthly Compensation Level K (SMC-K) under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(k) provides an additional $139.87/month in 2026 for qualifying anatomical loss or loss of use. SMC-K is paid in addition to the standard combined rating pay.

RATE PROJECTIONSESTIMATED — NOT AN OFFICIAL VA RATE

VA Disability Rates 2028

Projected monthly compensation for 2028, modeled from 2026 confirmed rates using SSA Cost of Living Adjustment forecasts. The official rate is announced in October 2027 and takes effect December 1, 2027.

HOW THIS PROJECTION IS CALCULATED

VA disability compensation rates increase annually by the same percentage as Social Security benefits, using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), measured through September each year. The legal authority is 38 U.S.C. § 1114, implemented at 38 C.F.R. § 3.23.

The projected ranges below use the Social Security Administration's intermediate, low, and high economic assumptions from the 2024 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal OASI and DI Trust Funds. The SSA intermediate forecast projects COLAs in the 2.0–3.5% range annually as inflation normalizes toward the Federal Reserve's 2% target. These are not VA numbers. They are educational models.

2.0% COLA
Low estimate

2.5% COLA
Baseline estimate

3.5% COLA
High estimate

Educational estimates only. Official 2028 rates published by VA after the October 2027 COLA announcement. Not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 38 U.S.C. § 1114 · 38 C.F.R. § 3.23

AUTHORITY CHAIN
5 U.S.C. § 8340 — establishes CPI-W as the COLA measurement basis for federal benefit programs
38 U.S.C. § 1114 — statutory authority for VA disability compensation; automatic annual COLA
38 C.F.R. § 3.23 — regulatory implementation: applies COLA percentage to VA rate tables
SSA 2024 Trustees Report — source for intermediate, low, and high COLA forecast assumptions
Confirmed recent COLAs: 2026 (2.8%) · 2025 (2.5%) · 2024 (3.2%) · 2023 (8.7%) · 2022 (5.9%)

2028 Projected Compensation Rates

Veteran alone (no dependents) · Projected from 2026 confirmed rates

Rating	2026 Confirmed	Baseline (2.5%/yr)	Low (2.0%/yr)	High (3.5%/yr)	vs 2026
10%	$175.03	$183.89	$182.10	$187.50	+$8.86
20%	$345.78	$363.29	$359.75	$370.41	+$17.51
30%	$552.47	$580.44	$574.79	$591.82	+$27.97
40%	$795.38	$835.65	$827.51	$852.03	+$40.27
50%	$1,131.68	$1,188.97	$1,177.40	$1,212.28	+$57.29
60%	$1,432.71	$1,505.24	$1,490.59	$1,534.75	+$72.53
70%	$1,808.45	$1,900.00	$1,881.51	$1,937.26	+$91.55
80%	$2,102.15	$2,208.57	$2,187.08	$2,251.88	+$106.42
90%	$2,362.30	$2,481.89	$2,457.74	$2,530.55	+$119.59
100%	$3,938.58	$4,137.97	$4,097.70	$4,219.11	+$199.39

All figures projected from 2026 confirmed rates · Official 2028 rate announced October 2027 · 38 C.F.R. § 3.23

Calculate your combined rating now

The table above shows single-condition rates. Most veterans have multiple conditions. VA uses the combined rating formula under 38 C.F.R. § 4.25 — not simple addition. The free ClaimRecon calculator does the math correctly, including bilateral factor.

Open Free Calculator →

Uses 2026 confirmed rates · Free · No account required

Other projected rate years

VA Rates 2027 →VA Rates 2029 →2026 Confirmed Rates →

Questions veterans ask about 2028 rates

When will the 2028 VA disability rates be officially announced?+

The SSA announces the COLA each October, typically the second week. The 2028 COLA will be announced in October 2027. VA disability compensation rates adjust by the same percentage and take effect December 1, 2027 under 38 U.S.C. § 1114.

How accurate are these projections?+

Informed estimates based on SSA Trustees Report intermediate assumptions — not official numbers. Recent COLAs have ranged from 2.5% (2025) to 8.7% (2023). The ranges here reflect what SSA considers most likely. The actual number will differ. This tool helps veterans plan, not guarantee an outcome.

How does the COLA affect my VA disability payment?+

The COLA is applied uniformly to all VA disability compensation rates under 38 C.F.R. § 3.23. If the 2028 COLA is 2.5%, every rate in the schedule increases by 2.5% — from the 10% rating up to the 100% rating.

How is my combined VA disability rating calculated?+

VA uses a whole person method under 38 C.F.R. § 4.25. Ratings are not added together. Each rating is applied to the remaining healthy percentage. Example: 50% plus 30% = 65%, which rounds to 70%. The ClaimRecon calculator does this automatically.

Projected rates are estimates only · Not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs · Educational tools only — not legal or financial advice · Official 2028 rates published by VA following the October 2027 COLA announcement · 38 U.S.C. § 1114 · 38 C.F.R. § 3.23 · ClaimRecon LLC © 2026

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