The 2026 VA disability compensation rates took effect December 1, 2025. Veterans received their first payment at the new rates in January 2026.
The 2026 increase reflects a 2.8% Cost of Living Adjustment. This COLA is applied automatically. No action is required to receive the higher rates. A veteran previously rated at 100% with no dependents saw their monthly payment increase from $3,737.85 to $3,938.58. That is $200.73 more per month. $2,408.76 more per year. Tax-free.
All VA disability compensation is tax-free at the federal level and in most states.
10% and 20% Rates
Veterans rated at 10% or 20% receive a flat monthly rate regardless of dependent status. Adding a spouse, child, or parent does not increase the payment at these two rating levels.
| Disability Rating | Monthly Payment |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
30% to 60% Rates - Veteran Alone
| Disability Rating | Monthly Payment |
|---|---|
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
70% to 100% Rates - Veteran Alone
| Disability Rating | Monthly Payment |
|---|---|
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
30% to 60% Rates - With Spouse, No Children
| Rating | With Spouse | + 1 Parent | + 2 Parents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30% | $617.47 | $669.47 | $721.47 |
| 40% | $882.84 | $952.84 | $1,022.84 |
| 50% | $1,241.90 | $1,329.90 | $1,417.90 |
| 60% | $1,566.02 | $1,671.02 | $1,776.02 |
70% to 100% Rates - With Spouse, No Children
| Rating | With Spouse | + 1 Parent | + 2 Parents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70% | $1,961.45 | $2,084.45 | $2,207.45 |
| 80% | $2,277.15 | $2,417.15 | $2,557.15 |
| 90% | $2,559.30 | $2,717.30 | $2,875.30 |
| 100% | $4,158.17 | $4,334.41 | $4,510.65 |
30% to 60% Rates - With Children
| Rating | 1 Child Only | 1 Child + Spouse | + 1 Parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30% | $596.47 | $666.47 | $718.47 |
| 40% | $853.84 | $947.84 | $1,017.84 |
| 50% | $1,205.90 | $1,322.90 | $1,410.90 |
| 60% | $1,523.02 | $1,663.02 | $1,768.02 |
Spouse Receiving Aid and Attendance - Added Monthly Amount
If your spouse receives Aid and Attendance benefits, add this amount to your basic monthly rate.
| 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% | 100% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +$61.00 | +$81.00 | +$101.00 | +$121.00 | +$141.00 | +$161.00 | +$181.00 | +$201.41 |
What Affects Your Monthly Payment
Your disability rating. The combined rating produced by applying VA math to all your service-connected conditions determines which row of the pay chart applies to you. Ratings are rounded to the nearest 10%.
Your dependent status. Starting at 30%, dependents increase your monthly payment. The VA recognizes spouses, dependent children under 18, children between 18 and 23 enrolled in a qualifying school program, and dependent parents.
Special Monthly Compensation. SMC is additional compensation paid on top of your base rate for veterans with severe disabilities. This includes conditions such as loss of use of a limb, blindness, or the need for regular aid and attendance. SMC-K, which covers specific severe individual disabilities, can be added to any rating level and can be stacked up to three times.
How the COLA Works
The Cost of Living Adjustment is a federal adjustment tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. Congress mandates that Social Security and VA disability compensation move together. When Social Security gets a COLA, VA disability rates increase by the same percentage.
The 2026 COLA was 2.8%. It took effect December 1, 2025. The January 2026 payment was the first at the new rates.
No action is required on your part. The increase is applied automatically to all compensable ratings. If your January 2026 payment did not reflect the new rates, contact the VA or your VSO.
COLA increases compound over time. A veteran who has been rated at 70% since 2010 has seen their monthly payment increase from approximately $1,068 to $1,808 over that period without any change in their rating. The benefit grows every year inflation grows.
The Jump Between Rating Tiers
The pay chart does not increase evenly from tier to tier. Some jumps are small. Some are significant. Understanding where the big gaps are helps you prioritize which conditions to pursue.
The five most significant monthly gaps in the 2026 pay chart for a veteran with no dependents:
90% to 100%: +$1,576.28 per month. This is the largest single jump in the system. A veteran at 90% receives $2,362.30. A veteran at 100% receives $3,938.58. The difference is $18,915.36 per year. This gap is why TDIU matters so much. Veterans who cannot reach 100% schedular but qualify for Total Disability Individual Unemployability are paid at the 100% rate and receive that same $3,938.58 monthly.
60% to 70%: +$373.43 per month. This jump also triggers a meaningful annual difference of $4,481.16.
80% to 90%: +$260.15 per month. $3,121.80 per year.
70% to 80%: +$293.70 per month. $3,524.40 per year.
50% to 60%: +$302.12 per month. $3,625.44 per year.
Every rating threshold has a dollar value attached to it. When you understand what crossing a threshold is worth annually, the work of documenting conditions, filing supplemental claims, and building secondary evidence becomes a concrete financial decision, not just a paperwork exercise.
Declaring Dependents
Dependents do not automatically appear on your VA file. You must add them. Use VA Form 21-686c, Declaration of Status of Dependents, to add a spouse, child, or dependent parent to your record.
Submit supporting documentation. For a spouse, include a marriage certificate. For children, include birth certificates. For children over 18 in school, include enrollment verification.
If you have dependents who are not in your VA file and your rating is 30% or higher, you are leaving money on the table. The back pay for added dependents can go back to the date you first became eligible, not just the date you filed the form.
Added amounts (quick reference)
- Each additional child under 18: $76.00
- Each child over 18 in school: $246.00
- 1 dependent parent: $123.00 / 2 parents: $246.00
- Spouse Aid & Attendance: $141.00
- SMC-K: $142.91 (added per qualifying additional disability)
Full 2026 Pay Table (interactive)
| Rating | Alone | + Spouse | + Spouse, 1 child | 1 child only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | - | - | - |
| 20% | $356.66 | - | - | - |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $666.47 | $596.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $947.84 | $853.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $1,322.90 | $1,205.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $1,663.02 | $1,523.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | $2,074.45 | $1,910.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | $2,406.15 | $2,219.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 | $2,704.30 | $2,494.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | $4,318.99 | $4,085.43 |
Is Your Rating Where It Should Be?
The pay chart shows what you are entitled to at each level. If your current rating does not reflect the actual severity of your conditions, every month at the wrong level is a month of undercompensation.
A VA-accredited attorney can review your complete rating picture at no cost. They identify whether you have grounds for a rating increase, a new secondary claim, or an appeal. They are paid only if they win your case.