VA Disability Pay Rates 2024: Charts and Examples
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VA disability benefits range from $171.23 to $4,433.39 per month in 2024. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) publishes the rates annually. Disability severity and family circumstances affect the rate. A claim takes 104.1 days on average to complete.
The veterans disability compensation program gives qualifying veterans a tax-free monthly payment to help them financially. The program supports veterans who are disabled or have a condition that was made worse during military service.
Here’s how veterans disability payments are calculated, how to determine how much you might receive in benefits and how to apply for VA disability.
How are VA disability compensation rates calculated?
The VA calculates a veteran’s disability payment by considering three factors:
The severity of the veteran’s disability.
The number and types of dependents the veteran has.
Whether a family member qualifies for Aid and Attendance benefits.
VA disability payments start with a base rate, which rises with the severity of the disability and the types of dependents. The VA then adds extra money to the base rate if the person's spouse qualifies for Aid and Attendance benefits, or if the veteran has multiple dependent children.
Severity of the disability
The VA assigns a disability rating to a veteran after reviewing evidence in the benefits application or from military records.
Disability ratings are percentages issued in 10% increments up to 100% (fully disabled). The percentage represents how much the disability decreases the veteran’s overall health and ability to function.
The VA requires applicants who don’t have enough medical evidence to get a compensation and pension exam — sometimes called a C&P. This exam confirms that a disability is related to military service.
Veterans who have more than one qualifying disability get a combined disability rating. This rating is not as simple as adding the disability percentages together. For example if a veteran has one kind of disability rated at 50% and a second disability rated at 30%, the veteran's combined disability rating is not 80%. The VA determines the combined disability rating, which it then uses to calculate the monthly disability payment.
Number and types of dependents
The VA adjusts disability rates for veterans who are financially responsible for a spouse, children or parents in any combination. The VA requires proof of their financial dependency.
A spouse is anyone you have legally married, including someone of the same sex as you. The VA recognizes common-law marriages as well.
To claim a child as a dependent for VA disability, the child can be biological, adopted or a step-child. Dependent children must be one of the following:
Under 18 years old.
18 to 23 years old but unmarried and enrolled full-time as a student.
Deemed permanently disabled before turning 18.
You can add a parent to your VA benefits if they are financially dependent on you and their net worth and income are below the legal limit for claiming them as a dependent.
Aid and attendance status
If a veteran's family member qualifies for Aid and Attendance status, the VA increases their monthly disability payment. Certain family members of qualifying veterans are eligible for Aid and Attendance if they:
Require assistance to perform activities of daily living such as bathing, preparing food and taking medication.
Live in a nursing home because of physical or mental incapacity.
Are bedridden.
Have 5/200 visual acuity or less in both eyes with glasses or contacts.
Have a concentric contraction of vision to 5 degrees or less.
Aid and Attendance is available for the:
Spouse of a living veteran.
Surviving spouse of a deceased veteran.
Permanently disabled children over age 18 who became disabled before turning 18.
Surviving parents that already receive Parent's Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.
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2024 veterans disability rates
Veteran disability rates are paid monthly. Because they follow the cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) Social Security applies to its benefits, every time Social Security benefits are recalculated to account for inflation, veteran disability rates change as well. This means that veteran disability pay rates can differ from year to year.
There are two categories of veteran disability pay rates: those for unmarried veterans and those for married veterans. Within each category, combining disability rating with the different types and number of dependents determines a veteran’s monthly payment. Because married veterans receive higher rates than unmarried veterans, it is important to double-check that you are looking at the correct table when looking up your rate.
The VA updates its disability compensation rates to reflect the Social Security Administration's (SSA) annual cost of living allowance (COLA). The SSA approved a 3.2% COLA for 2024. The 2024 rates take effect on January 1, 2024.
Additional amounts
Veterans with spouses who qualify for Aid and Attendance benefits, and veterans with more than one dependent child get additional funds each month.
Examples of calculating monthly VA disability payments
Some monthly payment calculations are more complicated than others, especially those involving veterans with several dependents. The three example scenarios below use the amounts in the tables above.
2023 veterans disability rates
How to apply for VA disability compensation
If you believe you are eligible for veteran’s disability pay, here are the steps to apply.
Decide on an application method. You can submit your application online, by mail, in person at a VA office or with the help of an accredited representative. If you are submitting your claim by mail, you’ll need to download VA Form 21-526EZ and fill it out. Regardless of which method you use, you’ll need to submit supporting documentation. If you need help filing the application and supporting evidence, you can call your regional VA office to ask for assistance.
Gather documentation to support your application. This can include medical records from VA or private doctors and hospitals, as well as statements from people who are familiar with your disability. You do not have to submit your supporting documentation with your claim; however, the VA says that sending in all of your documents together with your application can help them work through the process more quickly.
Submit documentation. Once you have all of your documentation together, submit it with your application to complete your claim. If you filed an Intent to File form or submitted your claim without evidence, gather the documentation and submit it to support your claim.
If you do not have all of your documentation together but want to file a claim, use an Intent to File form instead. The date on which you file the claim becomes your effective date and is still active as long as you complete your claim within 365 days of the effective date. You might qualify for backpay.
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