If your combined rating is 30% or higher, the people who depend on you can add a meaningful amount to your monthly check — a spouse alone is worth $219.59 a month at 100%, over $2,600 a year. Here's who counts, what they're worth in 2026, and how to make sure the VA actually pays you for them.
The 30% threshold
This is the rule that surprises people: at 10% and 20%, every veteran is paid the same flat rate, no matter their family. Dependents only increase your compensation once you reach a 30% combined rating. From there, the higher your rating, the more each dependent adds. Because it's the combined rating that matters, a veteran with two 20% ratings — which combine to 36%, rounding to 40% under VA math — does qualify for dependent additions, while a single 20% rating does not.
Who counts as a dependent
- Spouse — a current legal spouse recognized by the VA.
- Children under 18 — biological, adopted, or stepchildren.
- Children 18–23 in school — unmarried children attending an approved program full-time; they're paid at a higher rate than minors.
- Dependent parents — up to two parents who rely on you financially, subject to the VA's income/dependency test.
A child who is permanently incapable of self-support due to a disability that began before age 18 (sometimes called a “helpless child”) can remain a dependent indefinitely, regardless of age.
2026 added amounts
The first child and a spouse are built into the base “with dependents” rates. Beyond that, the VA adds these fixed amounts per extra dependent (2026, effective Dec 1, 2025):
| Rating | Each child under 18 | Each child 18–23 in school | Spouse Aid & Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30% | $32.00 | $105.00 | $61.00 |
| 50% | $54.00 | $176.00 | $101.00 |
| 70% | $76.00 | $246.00 | $141.00 |
| 100% | $109.11 | $352.45 | $201.41 |
And here is what the core dependents themselves add on top of the veteran-alone base rate at the same levels:
| Rating | Spouse | First child (with spouse) | First child (no spouse) | Each dependent parent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30% | $65.00 | $49.00 | $44.00 | $52.00 |
| 50% | $109.00 | $81.00 | $73.00 | $88.00 |
| 70% | $153.00 | $113.00 | $102.00 | $123.00 |
| 100% | $219.59 | $160.82 | $146.85 | $176.24 |
(The full pay chart lists every rating level from 30% through 100%.)
Aid & Attendance for a spouse
If your spouse is so disabled that they need the regular aid of another person, you may qualify for an additional Aid & Attendance (A&A) amount on top of the normal spouse rate — for example, an extra $141 a month at 70%, or $201.41 at 100%. It requires medical evidence about your spouse's condition, and it stacks with everything else: the spouse addition, child additions, and parent additions all remain in place.
Worked examples
Every household amount is the veteran-alone base rate plus one fixed addition per dependent. Four examples, computed from the 2026 tables:
1. A veteran rated 70% with a spouse, two children under 18, and one dependent parent:
- Base rate with spouse and one child: $2,074.45
- One additional child under 18: + $76.00
- One dependent parent: + $123.00
- Total: $2,273.45 / month
2. A veteran rated 40% with a spouse and one child:
- Base rate alone: $795.84
- Spouse: + $87.00 · First child: + $65.00
- Total: $947.84 / month
3. A single veteran rated 60% raising two children under 18:
- Base rate alone: $1,435.02
- First child (no spouse): + $88.00 · Additional child: + $65.00
- Total: $1,588.02 / month
4. A veteran rated 80% whose spouse qualifies for A&A, with one child under 18 and one child aged 18–23 in college:
- Base rate alone: $2,102.15
- Spouse: + $175.00 · Spouse A&A: + $161.00
- First child: + $129.00 · School-age child: + $281.00
- Total: $2,848.15 / month
Notice how much the school-age rate matters in example 4: a child aged 18–23 in an approved program adds $281 at 80%, far above the under-18 rate. Letting VA know about enrollment is one of the most overlooked pay increases there is.
How to add (and remove) dependents
Dependents don't get added automatically — you have to claim them. The paperwork is straightforward:
- VA Form 21-686c — adds or removes a spouse or child (marriage, birth, adoption, divorce).
- VA Form 21-674 — reports a child aged 18–23 attending school, so the higher school-age rate applies.
Both can be filed through your VA.gov account or with help from an accredited representative. Timing matters in both directions. On the way in, reporting an event like a child's birth within one year of the event generally makes the addition effective from the date of the event — so the increase is paid retroactively, the same way back pay works. On the way out, failing to remove a dependent after a divorce, a death, or a child leaving school creates an overpayment: a debt the VA will collect, often by withholding future checks. Report changes promptly in both directions.
Frequently asked questions
Do dependents raise VA pay below a 30% rating?
No. At 10% and 20%, every veteran is paid the same flat rate regardless of family. Dependent additions begin only once your combined rating reaches 30% — worth checking with the calculator if you hold multiple small ratings, since combinations round to the nearest 10.
What form do I use to add a dependent?
VA Form 21-686c for adding or removing a spouse or child, and VA Form 21-674 for a child aged 18–23 attending school. Both can be filed online through your VA.gov account.
What happens to my pay when my child turns 18?
The under-18 addition ends unless the child qualifies another way: an unmarried child aged 18–23 attending an approved school full-time continues at the higher school-age rate (report it on Form 21-674), and a child permanently incapable of self-support since before age 18 can remain a dependent indefinitely.
How much more does a school-age child add than a minor child?
Substantially more. At 70%, each additional child under 18 adds $76 a month while a child 18–23 in school adds $246 — a $170 difference. At 100%, the figures are $109.11 versus $352.45, a $243.34 difference every month.
Can adding a dependent be backdated?
Generally yes, if you report promptly. Reporting a qualifying event within one year of the event generally allows the addition to be effective from the date of the event itself, so the increase reaches back accordingly rather than starting when the paperwork lands.
What if I forget to remove a dependent?
VA keeps paying the addition, and when the change surfaces the excess becomes an overpayment — a debt collected back, often by withholding future compensation. It's the least pleasant letter the VA sends; prompt reporting avoids it entirely.