Last Updated: 12/19/2025
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) uses a rating system to give each condition a percentage based on your symptoms, the treatment you need and how much the condition limits what you can do. This percentage shows to what degree the VA thinks a condition affects your ability to function.
VA disability ratings can raise curiosity among veterans. Common questions we often hear include:
It's important to understand how these ratings work and what they mean because even a small increase in your rating can affect how much money you receive, where you fall on the list for VA healthcare and what other benefits you qualify for.
For the VA to determine your level of disability on a given condition, they first gather and review all available evidence. This typically includes:
Once the VA confirms your condition is connected to your service, they use a rating guide (the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities, or VASRD) to decide your percentage. This guide sorts conditions by body system and assigns ratings from 0% to 100% in bundles of 10.
The VA looks at how often your symptoms happen, how severe they are and how they affect your work and daily life, then matches them to descriptions in the guide. If your symptoms fall between two rating levels, you get the higher one.
Many veterans have more than one service-connected condition. When that happens, the VA combines your individual ratings using a special formula (popularly referred to as "VA math", aka the Combined Ratings Table) rather than simple addition. This combined number becomes your official disability rating, which determines what VA benefits you can get.
A 0% disability rating means the VA agrees your condition is connected to your service, but you won't get monthly payments. Still, this rating has value. You can get VA healthcare for that specific condition, and you may qualify for job counseling if the condition limits your ability to work.
A 0% rating can also help you qualify for the VA home loan program. The rating itself won't lower your funding fee, but having a service-connected condition on record could help you get a reduced or waived fee later if your rating goes up.
Think of a 0% rating as a starting point—it opens the door to more benefits down the road, especially if your symptoms get worse or you have new medical evidence. Even small increases in your rating can unlock important new benefits.
When your rating reaches 10%, you start getting monthly tax-free payments. These payments go up at 20%, though both levels are still on the lower end of the VA pay scale. Because 10% is when the money starts, many veterans see it as a key milestone.
Your healthcare options usually improve at this stage too. You may move into a higher-priority healthcare group, which can mean access to more services or lower costs for certain treatments. You might also qualify for travel pay to get to medical appointments for your service-connected conditions.
At 30% or higher, you also receive compensation based on certain dependents such as your spouse, children or parents who rely on you. This can make a real difference for veterans who support a family.
Healthcare access usually improves at this level too. Many veterans move into Priority Group 2 or 3, which often means more coverage and lower out-of-pocket costs. You may also qualify for the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program if your condition makes it harder to find or keep a job.
At this stage, your disability may play a bigger role in your long-term health needs. The VA may look at whether you qualify for specialized programs or ongoing rehab services. This is where benefits start to grow more noticeably, both in pay and healthcare.
At 50% or 60%, your monthly payments go up quite a bit. Healthcare access often improves too—many veterans move into Priority Group 1, which is the highest level. This can mean no copays for care related to your service-connected conditions and much lower prescription costs, or none at all.
If you're also a military retiree, these ratings can affect your retirement pay. You may qualify for programs like Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) or Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC). These programs let you receive both your military retirement and VA disability pay without one reducing the other.
At this level, some veterans also start thinking about how their disabilities affect their ability to work. If your conditions make it hard to hold a steady job, you might qualify for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU), which pays at the 100% rate even if your combined rating is lower.
A rating between 70% and 90% means you have serious service-connected conditions. Your monthly payments increase significantly, and you may get priority access to more VA programs—like VR&E services, caregiver support and specialized mental health care.
At these VA disability rating levels, the VA pays closer attention to how your disabilities affect your ability to work. Your potential for qualifying for TDIU may be higher. Keep in mind that TDIU works differently than a 100% rating based on the regular schedule system, and the benefits that come with each are not exactly the same.
This is an important range to understand because it shows how veterans with high ratings can receive full compensation without needing to reach 100% on the rating scale.
A 100% total (or schedular) rating is the highest disability level the VA assigns. At this level, you receive the maximum monthly payment, and it's tax-free. You also get the most complete healthcare coverage, with little to no cost for most services and prescriptions.
A 100% rating also opens the door to many additional benefits, including:
Keep in mind that eligibility for these programs can depend on factors like your dependents, income, state laws and service history. Your compensation may also go up each year with cost-of-living adjustments. Overall, a 100% schedular rating gives you the most complete benefits package available through the VA disability system.
Beyond your disability rating, the VA has special designations that can increase your benefits if you meet certain conditions.
Permanent and Total (P&T) means the VA considers your condition unlikely to improve. Veterans with P&T status may qualify for extra benefits, like expanded education assistance for dependents, certain long-term healthcare coverage and survivor benefits through Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) applies when your disability causes specific serious limitations—like loss of use of a limb, severe vision loss or needing daily help from another person. SMC payments are added on top of your regular disability compensation.
Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) lets veterans who can't hold a steady job because of their service-connected conditions get paid at the 100% rate, even if their actual rating is lower. This also gives you access to many of the same benefits as veterans with a schedular 100% rating.
Some service-connected disabilities cause serious physical limitations that qualify veterans for housing and mobility assistance. These programs help with accessibility needs caused by conditions like loss of use of arms or legs, severe burns or paralysis. Benefits may include grants to modify or buy an accessible home, help purchasing a vehicle or funding for adaptive equipment.
Eligibility depends on both your VA disability rating and how your condition affects your daily functioning. As your rating increases or your condition changes, you may qualify for these programs. They're designed to address real-life needs that go beyond standard VA benefits.
Higher disability ratings (especially a 100% schedular rating or P&T status) can unlock education benefits for your family. For instance, programs like Chapter 35 can help pay for school or job training for your spouse and children when you are granted P&T.
If you have P&T status, your dependents may also qualify for CHAMPVA health coverage. Survivor benefits, like DIC, often depend on whether you were rated totally disabled for a certain amount of time or passed away from a service-connected condition. These programs show how your disability rating can affect your family's long-term security.
Your disability rating can change as your health changes. If your symptoms get worse, you get new medical evidence or your job situation changes, you may qualify for a higher rating or new benefits. Changes in your family, like getting married or having a child, can also affect what you're eligible for.
The VA has a process for reviewing your rating if your condition has gotten worse. New laws can also open doors. For example, the PACT Act created new benefits for veterans exposed to toxins during their service. These updates can help you connect more conditions to your military service or access benefits you didn't qualify for before.
Your VA disability ratings along with other possible designations form the basis for determining access to compensation, healthcare priority and the VA's many programs. As the rating increases, so do the range and depth of benefits.
Allsup Veterans Appeals (AVA) is ready to assist you if you feel a VA disability rating decision made in the last 12 months needs to be revisited.
Connect with Allsup Veterans Appeals today by calling 888-372-1190 or contacting us.
