1 Select your combined disability rating
Choose the combined rating you want to estimate a payment for — for example, a rating VA has already assigned you, or a scenario you're researching.
2 Select your dependent status
VA pays higher rates at 30% and above when you have qualifying dependents. At 10%–20%, dependents do not change the rate. This tool covers the most common combinations — VA also publishes add-ons for school-age children, second dependent parents, and spouse Aid and Attendance.
3 Enter months since your effective date
Your Estimate
ESTIMATE — not a VA determination. This is an educational illustration of what a given rating pays at VA's published rates for each month. It is not a prediction of your rating, your effective date, or the amount VA will award you. Only VA determines your effective date, your combined rating, and your final award — nothing on this page changes that.
Important disclaimers
- Education only. The VA Files is not a law firm, not a claims agent, and not an accredited representative under 38 U.S.C. §§ 5901/5905. We do not represent veterans in claims, and this page is not legal or financial advice.
- Estimate only — not a prediction. This calculator estimates the payment for a rating you select. It cannot and does not predict your rating, your effective date, or your back-pay outcome.
- VA decides — and this tool cannot know: your VA-determined effective date; dependency or rating changes during the period; or offsets such as apportionments, VA debt recoupment, separation-pay recoupment, or retired-pay interactions (CRDP/CRSC). Any of these can move the real number far from this estimate. Each month is priced with the VA table published for that month (2024/2025/2026 tables; coverage starts December 2023) — the per-month breakdown is shown above your total.
- Verify everything. Check rates at VA.gov or speak with an accredited veterans service organization (VSO), attorney, or claims agent.