Depression is rated under 38 CFR 4.130 using the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders, the same formula that governs PTSD, anxiety, and every other service-connected mental health condition. The formula does not rate your diagnosis. It rates how much your symptoms impair your work and your relationships.
The General Rating Formula Tiers
| Rating | Level of impairment | 2026 pay (no dependents) |
|---|---|---|
| 100% | Total occupational and social impairment | $3,938.58 |
| 70% | Deficiencies in most areas: work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, mood | $1,808.45 |
| 50% | Reduced reliability and productivity | $1,132.90 |
| 30% | Occasional decrease in work efficiency, generally functioning satisfactorily | $552.47 |
| 10% | Mild symptoms, or symptoms controlled by continuous medication | $180.42 |
| 0% | Diagnosed but symptoms do not interfere with functioning | $0 |
What Separates 50% From 70%
This is the most consequential line in the mental health schedule, worth $675.55 per month in 2026. The 50% tier describes reduced reliability and productivity: panic attacks more than once a week, impaired judgment, disturbances of motivation and mood, and difficulty maintaining effective work and social relationships.
The 70% tier describes deficiencies in most areas. Its listed symptoms include suicidal ideation, obsessional rituals, near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, impaired impulse control, spatial disorientation, neglect of personal appearance and hygiene, and an inability to establish and maintain effective relationships.
Two things veterans routinely fail to report cost them this tier: passive suicidal ideation (thoughts of not wanting to be here, with no plan) and neglect of hygiene (days without showering or changing clothes). Both are explicitly listed 70% criteria. Both must be reported honestly.
You Get One Mental Health Rating, and That Helps You
The VA assigns a single evaluation covering all service-connected mental health conditions. Rating depression, PTSD, and anxiety separately would violate the anti-pyramiding rule at 38 CFR 4.14.
This works in your favor. Under Mittleider v. West, when symptoms cannot be medically separated between service-connected and non-service-connected causes, all symptoms are attributed to the service-connected disability. Every mental health symptom you have counts toward one rating, which is far easier to push into the 70% range than three small separate ones would be.
Depression Secondary to a Physical Condition
This is the single most under-filed claim in the VA system. Under 38 CFR 3.310, depression is routinely granted as secondary to chronic pain and to any condition that limits daily functioning:
- Chronic back, knee, or shoulder pain. Years of pain and lost activity are a recognized cause of depressive disorder.
- Migraines. Frequent prostrating attacks and the loss of predictability they cause.
- Tinnitus. Constant unrelenting noise with no relief.
- Sleep apnea and chronic sleep deprivation.
- Erectile dysfunction and other conditions affecting relationships and self-image.
Because a mental health rating can reach 70% or 100%, a successful secondary depression claim moves a combined rating more than nearly anything else a veteran can file. A veteran at 40% for a back condition who adds 70% for depression goes to 82% raw, which rounds to 80%: from $795.84 to $2,102.15 per month.
Working Does Not Cap Your Rating
The formula measures impairment, not unemployment, and the 70% tier explicitly contemplates a veteran who still works. What matters is the cost of working: missed days, write-ups, accommodations, conflict with supervisors, jobs lost or changed, reduced hours. Social impairment counts equally, so isolation, a shrinking circle of friends, avoided family events, and marital strain all belong in the record.
At Your C&P Exam, Describe Your Worst Weeks
Examiners often open with how are you doing, and the reflexive answer is fine. Give frequency and specifics instead: days in the past month you could not get out of bed, days you skipped showering or eating, work missed, how sleep and concentration are affected, and any thoughts of self-harm. Bring a symptom log and a written statement from someone who lives with you.