{ "slug": "va-disability-combined-rating", "title": "VA Disability Combined Rating Calculator", "heading": "VA Combined Disability Rating Calculator", "category": "financial", "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/va-disability-combined-rating", "summary": "Combine multiple VA disability ratings using the VA's non-additive math.", "description": "VA disability ratings don't simply add together. If you have a 50% rating and a 30% rating, you don't get 80% — the VA applies each additional rating to your remaining 'able-bodied' percentage, then rounds the combined total to the nearest 10. So a 50% and a 30% combine to 65%, which rounds to 70%, not 80%. This is often called VA math and it consistently produces a lower total than naive addition, which surprises veterans filing multiple claims. Order doesn't matter for the final result, but the calculation always applies ratings from highest to lowest against the remaining percentage for clarity. This calculator takes up to six individual ratings, runs the standard combined-ratings-table logic, applies bilateral factor considerations conceptually, and rounds to the nearest 10% to show your combined VA rating and the resulting compensation-relevant percentage.", "formula": "Combine highest to lowest: remaining = 100 − running total; new total = running total + (rating × remaining/100); round final to nearest 10.", "dateModified": "2026-09-30", "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=va-disability-combined-rating", "inputs": [ { "id": "r1", "label": "Rating 1", "kind": "number", "hint": null, "default": 50, "unit": "%", "min": 0, "max": 100 }, { "id": "r2", "label": "Rating 2", "kind": "number", "hint": null, "default": 30, "unit": "%", "min": 0, "max": 100 }, { "id": "r3", "label": "Rating 3", "kind": "number", "hint": null, "default": 20, "unit": "%", "min": 0, "max": 100 }, { "id": "r4", "label": "Rating 4", "kind": "number", "hint": null, "default": 0, "unit": "%", "min": 0, "max": 100 }, { "id": "r5", "label": "Rating 5", "kind": "number", "hint": null, "default": 0, "unit": "%", "min": 0, "max": 100 } ], "outputs": [ { "id": "rounded", "label": "Combined VA rating (rounded)", "format": "percent", "hint": null, "primary": true }, { "id": "exact", "label": "Exact combined percentage before rounding", "format": "percent", "hint": null, "primary": false }, { "id": "naive", "label": "Naive sum (incorrect method, for comparison)", "format": "percent", "hint": null, "primary": false }, { "id": "count", "label": "Number of ratings combined", "format": "number", "hint": null, "primary": false } ], "worked_example": { "inputs": [ "Rating 1: 50 %", "Rating 2: 30 %", "Rating 3: 20 %", "Rating 4: 0 %", "Rating 5: 0 %" ], "outputs": [ "Combined VA rating (rounded): 70%", "Exact combined percentage before rounding: 72.0%", "Naive sum (incorrect method, for comparison): 100%", "Number of ratings combined: 3" ] }, "how_to": { "title": "How to use this", "steps": [ "Enter rating 1 (%).", "Enter rating 2 (%).", "Enter rating 3 (%).", "Enter rating 4 (%).", "Enter rating 5 (%).", "Read your combined va rating (rounded) on the right — it updates as you type.", "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone." ] }, "scenarios": [ { "name": "Conservative", "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?", "values": { "r1": 30, "r2": 20, "r3": 10, "r4": 0, "r5": 0 } }, { "name": "Typical", "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.", "values": { "r1": 50, "r2": 30, "r3": 20, "r4": 0, "r5": 0 } }, { "name": "Ambitious", "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?", "values": { "r1": 80, "r2": 50, "r3": 30, "r4": 0, "r5": 0 } } ], "limitations": [ "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.", "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.", "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant." ], "faq": [ { "q": "Why doesn't the VA just add up my ratings?", "a": "The VA treats each disability as reducing your remaining full-health capacity rather than stacking losses linearly, on the logic that a second disability can't take away function you've already lost to the first one. This is why a 50% and a 30% rating combine to 65% (rounded to 70%) instead of a straightforward 80%." }, { "q": "Does the order I enter my ratings matter?", "a": "No, mathematically combining ratings from highest to lowest or any other order produces the same final result, since it's a series of multiplications against the remaining percentage. This calculator sorts automatically so you don't have to worry about entry order." }, { "q": "What's the bilateral factor and is it included here?", "a": "The bilateral factor adds an extra 10% multiplier when you have ratings on both sides of the body (both arms, both legs, etc.) before combining with other ratings, which can slightly increase your total beyond the standard math shown here. This calculator does not apply the bilateral factor automatically — if you have paired-limb conditions, consult the VA's full combined ratings table or a VSO for the precise figure." }, { "q": "Does a higher combined rating always mean more monthly pay?", "a": "Generally yes, VA compensation rates step up at each 10% combined rating threshold, and having a spouse or dependents further increases the payment for ratings 30% and above. Ratings below 30% pay a flat amount regardless of dependents." } ], "related": [ "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/military-bah-bas-takehome", "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/ssdi-vs-ssi-comparison" ], "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "citation": "RevenueLab — VA Disability Combined Rating Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/va-disability-combined-rating)" }