Migraines are rated on one main thing: how often you get "prostrating" attacks — headaches so severe you have to stop what you're doing and lie down. The frequency sets your percentage.
How it's rated (DC 8100)
Migraines fall under 38 CFR §4.124a, Diagnostic Code 8100, with four levels from 0% to a maximum of 50%:
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 0% | Less frequent attacks (diagnosed, but not prostrating or very infrequent). |
| 10% | Characteristic prostrating attacks averaging one every 2 months over the last several months. |
| 30% | Characteristic prostrating attacks averaging once a month over the last several months. |
| 50% | Very frequent, completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability. (Maximum.) |
The 50% ceiling — and how to go higher
50% is the most DC 8100 allows. "Severe economic inadaptability" doesn't require being totally unemployable, but it does mean your migraines seriously interfere with work. If migraines (alone or with other conditions) actually prevent you from working, the path past 50% is TDIU, which pays at the 100% rate.
What it pays in 2026
For a single veteran in 2026: 10% = $180.42, 30% = $552.47, 50% = $1,132.90 per month. A 50% migraine rating is significant and combines strongly with other conditions.
Documentation is everything
Because there's no blood test for a migraine, ratings hinge on evidence of frequency and severity. A headache log recording each attack — date, duration, whether you had to lie down, and whether you missed work — is often the difference between a 10% and a 30% (or 30% and 50%) rating. Statements from family or coworkers help too.
Migraines as a secondary condition
Migraines are frequently service-connected as a secondary condition — for example, headaches secondary to a neck injury, a traumatic brain injury (TBI), or medication side effects. They also combine with the conditions that cause them.