These are the monthly VA disability compensation rates for 2026, effective December 1, 2025, reflecting the annual 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Find your combined rating first, then read across for your family situation — every figure below is tax-free.
How to read this chart
Three things keep veterans from misreading rate tables, so it's worth saying them up front:
- The rates are monthly and tax-free. Nothing is withheld, and VA compensation isn't reported as taxable income. The chart shows exactly what hits your account.
- Payments arrive in arrears. Each month's compensation is generally deposited on the first business day of the following month. December's payment — the first at the new rates — arrived at the end of December 2025.
- Dependents only matter from 30% up. Below that, the family columns don't apply to you at all. From 30% onward, a spouse, children, and dependent parents each add a fixed amount that grows with your rating.
Veteran with no dependents
| Rating | Monthly |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
At 10% and 20%, every veteran receives the same flat amount — dependents do not change your pay until you reach 30%. Notice also that the steps between ratings aren't even: the jump from 90% to 100% is worth far more than any other single step, which is why the path from 90% to 100% gets so much attention.
Veteran with dependents (30% and up)
From 30% onward, the VA adds set amounts for a spouse, children, and dependent parents. Here are three common family situations:
| Rating | With spouse | Spouse + 1 child | + 1 parent (alone) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30% | $617.47 | $666.47 | $604.47 |
| 40% | $882.84 | $947.84 | $865.84 |
| 50% | $1,241.90 | $1,322.90 | $1,220.90 |
| 60% | $1,566.02 | $1,663.02 | $1,540.02 |
| 70% | $1,961.45 | $2,074.45 | $1,931.45 |
| 80% | $2,277.15 | $2,406.15 | $2,242.15 |
| 90% | $2,559.30 | $2,704.30 | $2,520.30 |
| 100% | $4,158.17 | $4,318.99 | $4,114.82 |
Every cell above is just the base rate plus fixed additions. At 70%, for instance, the spouse addition is $153, so $1,808.45 + $153 = $1,961.45. The dependents guide walks through who counts and how to claim them.
Added amounts (per extra dependent)
For families beyond the columns above, the VA adds these fixed amounts on top of the base rate:
| Rating | Each child under 18 | Each child 18–23 in school | Spouse Aid & Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30% | $32.00 | $105.00 | $61.00 |
| 40% | $43.00 | $140.00 | $81.00 |
| 50% | $54.00 | $176.00 | $101.00 |
| 60% | $65.00 | $211.00 | $121.00 |
| 70% | $76.00 | $246.00 | $141.00 |
| 80% | $87.00 | $281.00 | $161.00 |
| 90% | $98.00 | $317.00 | $181.00 |
| 100% | $109.11 | $352.45 | $201.41 |
Example: a veteran at 100% with a spouse and two children under 18 starts at the spouse-and-one-child rate ($4,318.99) and adds one more child ($109.11) for $4,428.10 a month. Each dependent parent also has its own addition — $123 at 70% and $176.24 at 100%, for instance — and a veteran with no spouse uses a slightly smaller first-child amount ($102 at 70%, $146.85 at 100%) than the with-spouse figures built into the table above.
Worked household examples
The chart becomes much easier once you see the addition done out loud. Four realistic households, computed straight from the tables above:
- 70% — spouse and two children under 18. $1,808.45 base + $153 spouse + $113 first child + $76 additional child = $2,150.45 / month.
- 100% — spouse, one child under 18, one child aged 18–23 in college. $3,938.58 base + $219.59 spouse + $160.82 first child + $352.45 school-age child = $4,671.44 / month. The school-age rate is more than triple the under-18 rate, so keeping VA informed about enrollment matters.
- 50% — single parent with two children under 18. $1,132.90 base + $73 first child (no spouse) + $54 additional child = $1,259.90 / month.
- 90% — spouse who needs Aid & Attendance. $2,362.30 base + $197 spouse + $181 A&A add-on = $2,740.30 / month. The A&A amount requires medical evidence that your spouse needs the regular aid of another person.
Any combination works the same way: one base rate, then one fixed addition per dependent. That's exactly what the calculator automates.
How the 2026 rates were set
VA compensation rises each December 1 by the same COLA applied to Social Security, which is announced by the Social Security Administration in October and tied to the Consumer Price Index. For 2026 the adjustment was +2.8% over the 2025 tables — at 100% with no dependents, that meant moving from $3,831.30 to $3,938.58, an extra $107.28 a month. The increase is automatic; no form or claim is needed. Our 2026 COLA guide breaks down the increase at each rating, and because back pay is computed against each year's table, these annual adjustments matter retroactively too. Rates are published in the VA's Veterans Compensation Benefits Rate Tables; this chart mirrors them.
Frequently asked questions
Do dependents increase VA pay at 10% or 20%?
No. At 10% and 20% every veteran receives the same flat amount — $180.42 and $356.66 a month in 2026 — regardless of family. Dependent additions begin only at a 30% combined rating, which is one more reason a rating that combines to 30% rather than 20% can matter more than the percentages suggest.
Is VA disability compensation taxable?
No. VA disability compensation is tax-free. Every figure on this chart is what actually lands in your account — no federal income tax is withheld, and the payments are not reported as taxable income.
When does each month's payment arrive?
VA pays in arrears: each month's compensation is generally deposited on the first business day of the following month. That's why the 2026 rates, effective December 1, 2025, first showed up in the deposit at the end of December 2025.
What if my family doesn't match a column on the chart?
Build your amount from the pieces. Start with the base rate for your rating, then add the fixed amount for each dependent from the tables above — the worked examples in this guide show the arithmetic step by step, and the calculator handles any combination.
Is this chart the maximum the VA pays?
No. SMC pays above the schedular chart for very severe situations, and TDIU pays at the 100% row — $3,938.58 a month in 2026, plus the 100%-level dependent additions — even when the combined rating is below 100%.
Do I use my highest single rating or my combined rating?
Your combined rating. VA combines multiple ratings under 38 CFR §4.25 rather than adding them, so 50% + 30% combines to 70%, not 80%. How VA math works explains why, and the bilateral factor guide covers the extra step for paired limbs.