How VA Math Works

VA math is not regular addition

If you have a 50% rating and add a 30% rating, the VA does not give you 80%. Instead, it considers how much functional capacity remains after the first disability and applies the next rating to what's left.

Worked example: three conditions

1. Sort highest to lowest: 70%, 30%, 10%.
2. Start with 70%. Remaining efficiency: 30%.
3. Apply 30% to 30% remaining → +9%. Running total: 79%.
4. Remaining: 21%. Apply 10% → +2.1%. Running total: 81.1%.
5. Round to nearest 10% → 80% official rating.

The 5 / 10 rounding rule

VA rounds the raw combined number to the nearest 10%. A raw 74.9% rounds to 70%; a raw 75% rounds to 80%. Hitting the half-way point makes a meaningful pay difference.

Bilateral factor

When you have ratings on paired extremities, VA combines those bilateral conditions first, adds a 10% bonus to that subtotal, then combines with non-bilateral conditions. Two 10% knee ratings become 19% + 1.9% bonus before combining.

Common misconceptions

• "Adding a 10% claim always adds 10%." It rarely does — the higher your existing combined rating, the smaller each new condition's contribution.
• "Two 50% ratings equal 100%." They equal a raw 75%, rounded to 80%.
• "Bilateral conditions don't matter much." The 10% bonus often pushes veterans into the next 10% bracket — sometimes worth thousands per year.

Try it yourself