The 2024 VA disability rates are now available. Veterans can enjoy a 3.2% increase in benefits due to rising inflation in the economy.
The VA disability pay chart is an important resource for veterans who receive or are applying for VA disability compensation for a service-connected condition. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs updates its disability compensation chart annually with new rates that reflect the current economy and cost of living.
The 2024 VA disability pay chart releases before the new year to include the current rates with living adjustment included. As it does with each year’s new rates, the VA also includes compensation rates for veterans with a dependent child or spouse, combat-related special compensation, birth defect compensation, and other special monthly compensation benefits.
2024 VA Disability Pay Chart – 3.2% Increase
Effective Date: Dec 01, 2023
If your disability rating is 10% or 20%, you won’t receive higher compensation even if you have a dependent spouse, parent, or child.
Disability Rating | Monthly Payment |
10% | $171.23 |
20% | $338.49 |
VA disability compensation is based on the veteran’s disability rating and certain details of dependent family members.
Disability Rating | Veteran (alone, no dependents) | With Spouse (no parents or children) |
30% | $524.31 | $586.01 |
40% | $755.28 | $838.28 |
50% | $1,075.16 | $1,178.37 |
60% | $1,361.88 | $1,486.40 |
70% | $1,716.28 | $1,862.11 |
80% | $1,995.01 | $2,161.04 |
90% | $2,241.91 | $2,429.25 |
100% | $3,737.85 | $3,946.25 |
Disability Rating | With Spouse and 1 Parent (no children) | With Spouse and 2 Parents (no children) |
30% | $635.37 | $684.72 |
40% | $904.48 | $970.66 |
50% | $1,261.38 | $1,344.39 |
60% | $1,586.24 | $1,686.07 |
70% | $1,978.77 | $2,095.43 |
80% | $2,294.53 | $2,428.03 |
90% | $2,579.57 | $2,729.89 |
100% | $4,113.51 | $4,280.78 |
Disability Rating | With 1 Parent (no spouse or children) | With 2 Parents (no spouse or children) |
30% | $573.67 | $623.03 |
40% | $821.46 | $887.64 |
50% | $1,158.17 | $1,241.19 |
60% | $1,461.71 | $1,561.56 |
70% | $1,832.94 | $1,949.60 |
80% | $2,128.51 | $2,262.00 |
90% | $2,392.23 | $2,542.55 |
100% | $3,905.11 | $4,072.36 |
Disability Rating | Veteran with 1 Child (no spouse or parents) | With 1 Child and Spouse (no parents) |
30% | $565.81 | $632.00 |
40% | $810.24 | $898.86 |
50% | $1,144.72 | $1,254.64 |
60% | $1,444.89 | $1,578.38 |
70% | $1,812.75 | $1,968.67 |
80% | $2,106.07 | $2,283.31 |
90% | $2,366.43 | $2,566.10 |
100% | $3,877.22 | $4,098.88 |
Disability Rating | With 1 Child, Spouse, and 1 Parent | With 1 Child, Spouse, and 2 Parents |
30% | $681.36 | $730.72 |
40% | $965.04 | $1,031.24 |
50% | $1,337.66 | $1,420.67 |
60% | $1,678.22 | $1,778.06 |
70% | $2,085.34 | $2,202.01 |
80% | $2,416.81 | $2,550.30 |
90% | $2,716.42 | $2,866.74 |
100% | $4,266.13 | $4,433.39 |
Disability Rating | With 1 Child and 1 Parent (no spouse) | With 1 Child and 2 Parents (no spouse) |
30% | $615.18 | $664.54 |
40% | $876.43 | $942.61 |
50% | $1,227.73 | $1,310.73 |
60% | $1,544.73 | $1,644.56 |
70% | $1,929.42 | $2,046.07 |
80% | $2,239.56 | $2,299.47 |
90% | $2,516.75 | $2,667.06 |
100% | $4,044.48 | $4,211.74 |
Added Amounts
Disability Rating | Spouse Receiving Aid and Attendance |
30% | $57.21 |
40% | $76.29 |
50% | $96.47 |
60% | $114.42 |
70% | $133.49 |
80% | $152.56 |
90% | $171.63 |
100% | $191.13 |
Disability Rating | Each Additional Child Under Age 18 | Each Additional Child Over Age 18 in a Qualifying School Program |
30% | $30.29 | $99.84 |
40% | $40.38 | $133.49 |
50% | $51.60 | $167.14 |
60% | $61.70 | $199.68 |
70% | $71.80 | $233.34 |
80% | $81.89 | $266.99 |
90% | $93.11 | $300.64 |
100% | $103.55 | $334.49 |
What Is a VA Disability Rating?
A VA disability rating is a percentage assigned to a veteran’s disability. The percentage ranges from 0% to 100%. A 0% rating indicates that, although a disability has been found by the VA and connected to the veteran’s service, it does not qualify for a VA disability benefit based on the veteran’s current symptoms. On the other hand, a 100% disability rating allows the veteran to qualify for the highest amount of disability compensation for their condition.
When a veteran has more than one allowable condition for disability benefits, the VA uses a combined disability rating system. The VA uses a table with figures to determine a combined disability rating after assigning a disability rating to each condition. For instance, using the combined rating table, a veteran with a 50% rated condition and a 40% rated condition would receive a combined rating of 70%.
The VA can also assign a disability rating to a condition that a veteran had before entering the service but was made worse during their service. This is technically a rating for “level of aggravation,” or the amount that a condition worsened. For example, a veteran entering the service with a condition rated at 10% but leaving with the condition at 50% has a 40% level of aggravation. The VA then uses the 40% rating to determine how much VA disability compensation you should receive.
For 2024, the VA will use the 2024 VA disability pay chart to determine compensation amounts for new disability compensation recipients. Veterans currently receiving disability compensation will also see the increased rates reflected in their payments.
How To Calculate Your VA Disability Payment
The 2024 VA disability pay chart outlines the exact rates that veterans can expect to receive based on their disability rating and other circumstances, such as having a dependent spouse or parent or having dependent children.
To find your rate, you’ll start with the basic monthly rate for your disability rating. The VA has separate disability compensation charts for 10%-20% ratings, 30%-60% ratings, and 70%-100% ratings. First, look for the chart on which your disability rating falls. For example, a veteran with a 20% disability rating would look on the 10%-20% chart. Then, find your exact rating. Follow that row over to the right column to find your base monthly payment. A veteran with a 20% rating gets a base monthly payment of $338.49.
For ratings of 30% or higher, veterans can qualify for additional monthly compensation for their dependent parent, spouse, or child. Use the chart for your specific circumstance. Veterans with no dependents can use the charts under the ‘Veteran (alone, no dependents)’ section. If you are a veteran with a 40% disability rating and no dependents, your basic monthly rate is $755.28. That number moves up to $838.28 if you have a dependent spouse, and $904.48 with a dependent spouse and one dependent parent.
Veterans with dependent children can use the charts under the ‘Veterans with one child’ section. For additional children, use information in the ‘Added Amounts’ table. For example, a veteran with a 70% disability rating and one dependent child receives $1,812.75 as their basic monthly rate. However, that increases to $2,202.01 with a dependent child, spouse, and two parents.
Additional amounts are also listed under each section for each disability rating. For example, a veteran with a 70% disability rating can get $71.80 monthly for each additional minor child or $233.34 each month for a dependent child over 18 in a qualifying educational program.
What Is the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)?
The VA sometimes increases its disability compensation rates based on the federal Cost of Living Adjustment, also known as COLA. An adjustment from COLA helps recipients receive fair amounts related to the increased cost of living that happens over time due to inflation and typical economic patterns.
COLA also affects Social Security disability compensation recipients, as it increases the funds they receive from the Social Security Administration for their disability. When COLA increases Social Security compensation rates, the VA typically also increases its rates, although the two compensation rate increases don’t always happen at the same time. However, the federal government does require the VA to use the same percentage increase as the Social Security Administration when adjusting its disability compensation rates.
In 2023, the Social Security Administration raised Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) compensation rates by 8.7%. The Social Security increase for 2024 is 3.2% due to rising inflation.
Understanding the Aid and Attendance Benefit
As you check the amount of your VA disability payments using the 2024 VA disability pay chart, you might notice an additional section on the charts for veterans with a 30%-100% disability rating. This section mentions an added amount for veterans with a spouse receiving an Aid and Attendance benefit.
The VA offers an Aid and Attendance benefit to veterans who receive a VA pension and require extra care due to their medical condition.
Those receiving this benefit must meet one of these requirements:
- Has limited eyesight
- Requires the aid of another person for daily activities like feeding or bathing
- Has to spend at least most of the day in bed
- Is a nursing home patient
Often, spouses become the primary caregivers of veterans with health conditions that require extra care. Families in this situation may, therefore, receive the Aid and Attendance benefit for extra monthly compensation.
For example, say you’re a veteran with a 90% disability rating who lives with your dependent spouse. You’d earn $2,429.25 in base pay each month. However, if your condition or health limits your movement and causes you to remain in bed for most of the day and be cared for by your spouse, you may receive the Aid and Attendance benefit. This benefit adds $171.63 monthly for a veteran with a 90% disability rating, bringing your total monthly disability compensation to $2,600.88.
If you haven’t previously qualified for the Aid and Attendance benefit but your situation has changed, you can send a completed application form (VA Form 21-2680) to your pension management center for review.
What Is a 0% Disability Rating?
It can be daunting for veterans to receive a VA disability 0% rating. It’s understandable to feel this way because this rating means that you cannot currently receive compensation for VA disability benefits. However, a 0% VA disability rating is actually a good thing that veterans should see as a positive affirmation of their disability. This rating technically means that the VA has, in fact, found a service connection between your disability and your time in service. Therefore, the VA is acknowledging that you have a disability and that it was caused or made worse by your time in the service.
However, because veterans need to have higher than a 0% rating for their VA disability claim to begin receiving VA disability benefits, they might feel that their 0% rating is not useful. In contrast, this rating is just the start of your VA disability pay journey. A veteran whose condition worsens over time may receive a higher rating when they get reevaluated for their disability, resulting in the payment of disability benefits. A 0% disability rating may not pay benefits immediately, but the most difficult part has been acknowledged: proving that a service connection exists between the veteran’s service and disability.
Veterans should monitor their symptoms and condition regularly to determine whether they may meet a higher rating. You can do this by reviewing your condition in the VA’s 38 CFR Book C, which outlines various conditions eligible for disabled veteran benefits and how the VA rates them based on their severity. As your symptoms progress, you can request reevaluation for your disability rating and VA compensation.
With a 0% disability rating, a veteran with a service-connected disability may still qualify for VA benefits other than disability pay. For example, veterans with service-connected disabilities can get free VA healthcare and priority healthcare eligibility, VA dental and vision benefits, and travel pay reimbursement for healthcare-related travel.
2024 VA Disability Pay Chart Rates
One of the most used and well-known veterans benefits is disability compensation, which is reserved for those who completed their military service in good standing and have a service-connected disability. Qualifying disabilities can include physical and mental health conditions. The Department of Veterans Affairs uses information about the veteran’s condition, symptoms, and quality of life to determine how much VA disability compensation they qualify for by assigning a disability rating. Disability ratings can change over time if a condition worsens or improves. When this happens, veterans may see a decrease or increase in their disability benefits.
The 2024 VA disability pay chart can help you determine how much you can receive monthly for your disability. Remember to use the chart for your specific rating and family situation to ensure that you include qualifying parents, children, and a spouse as dependents. Additional dependents can increase your monthly income, as can receiving the Aid and Attendance benefit. Don’t forget to check the VA disability pay rates each year, as they typically increase annually along with Social Security benefits.
Veterans who believe they qualify for disability compensation or would like to have their disability rating reviewed can fill out the appropriate VA form on VA.gov. If you find that you need help during the process, you can reach out to a VA disability lawyer for assistance. Lawyers experienced in VA disability claims can assist you with paperwork and offer guidance throughout the process to ensure that you don’t miss any important steps. They can also help you with an appeal to get the money you believe you deserve.