How to read the VA pay chart correctly
· Claim Situation
The situation
The pay chart looks simple, but many Veterans read the wrong row or the wrong column. Here is how to find your real number.
Your ratings combine, they don't add
A 50% and a 30% don't make 80%. VA uses the combined ratings table (38 CFR 4.25): 50 and 30 combine to 65, which rounds to 70. Ratings are combined largest first and the final number rounds to the nearest 10.
Bilateral factor first
If both arms or both legs are rated, the bilateral factor is applied before the rest is combined.
Pick the right column
- Veteran alone; with spouse; with spouse and children; with children only; with parents.
- Extra amounts for each additional child, school children over 18, and a spouse who needs aid and attendance.
- Dependent amounts only apply at 30% and higher, and only if VA has the dependent on your award.
Use the right year
Rates change each December 1. Compare our 2027 estimate with VA's current compensation rates once VA posts the official table.
When your deposit doesn't match
- Check for debt offsets or withholding.
- Check whether a dependent dropped off your award.
- Check for a retired pay or separation pay offset.
See your VA payments and VA debt letters.
Related
Get free help
You never have to pay to file an initial VA claim. Free help: a VSO such as DAV, VFW or the American Legion, or a VA-accredited representative.
Educational only, not legal or medical advice. We are not VA-accredited. No one can promise an outcome; VA decides each claim on its own evidence. Rules and rates change; check the linked VA and eCFR sources.