Our VA Disability Calculator aka “VA Math Calculator” can give you your overall VA rating.
Calculating the appropriate level of VA disability compensation can be confusing, especially with multiple conditions at play. This is where a VA Disability Calculator aka VA math calculator is helpful.
The below tool simplifies the process of estimating your monthly disability benefits by calculating your combined disability rating based on your individual conditions. Understanding how to use the VA rating calculator and the benefits it provides is crucial for veterans seeking the compensation they deserve.
VA Disability Calculator
Select the percentage of each of your disabilities below. Toggle the switch if it's bilateral.
VA Combined Rating:
**NOTE: Bilateral means its on both sides — eg your left and right leg, or left and right arm.
What is a VA Disability Rating?
A VA disability rating is a percentage assigned to a veteran’s service-connected disability, which measures the severity of the condition and how it affects their ability to work and live. Ratings range from 0% to 100%, in increments of 10%. A higher percentage corresponds to a more severe disability, and thus, higher compensation.
For veterans with multiple disabilities, the process of calculating the total or “combined” disability rating is not as simple as adding up the percentages. Instead, the VA uses a special formula known as the “whole person” concept . This makes manual calculations difficult, but a VA Disability Calculator aka VA Disability Rating Calculator automates the process.
How Does the VA Disability Calculator Work?
The VA Disability Calculator simplifies the “VA Math” calculator process by handling the complex math for you. To use the VA rating calculator, veterans typically enter the percentage ratings of their individual disabilities, and the calculator then provides a combined disability rating.
When calculating VA disability ratings, the VA uses a method that isn’t as simple as adding percentages together. Instead, the Department of Veterans Affairs applies a combined rating system based on the “whole person” concept.
This refers to the unique method the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) uses to calculate combined disability ratings for veterans with multiple service-connected conditions. Unlike standard addition, the VA math calculator follows a formula where each additional disability rating is applied to the remaining “non-disabled” portion of the veteran’s body. This often results in a combined disability rating lower than what a straightforward addition of percentages would suggest.
Learn more about VA Disability Claims with over 200 VA Disability Claim Articles.
VA Math Calculator Example
For example, if a veteran has a 30% disability rating for a knee injury, VA considers that 70% of the body is still “non-disabled.” If there is an additional 20% rating for a shoulder injury, the VA multiplies 20% with the remaining 70% (which equals 14%), which increases the overall disability to 44% (30% + 14% = 44%) and thus reduces the non-disabled portion to 56% (70% healthy – 14% disabled), and — not 50% as a simple sum might suggest. This process continues with each additional condition, and the final total is rounded to the nearest 10.
Bilateral Factor In the Calculation
Moreover, if a veteran has disabilities affecting both limbs (like both arms or both legs), the “bilateral factor” adds another 10% to the combined rating of those conditions. For example, if both legs are affected, the bilateral factor is applied to the combined rating before adding it to the total disability percentage.
The complexity makes it challenging to predict the final combined rating, but there are online calculators to help veterans estimate their combined rating and associated benefits
Got it? Well this is why the VA Math Calculator is so helpful — it makes it easy!
How The VA Disability Calculator Works
The “whole person” concept is based on the idea that a veteran starts with a 100% healthy person. When a veteran has a service-connected disability, that percentage is subtracted from the whole person. Each additional disability is then calculated from what remains of the person’s healthy percentage, not from the original 100%.
How A VA Math Calculator Works Step by Step
Let’s break down the process using an example with multiple disabilities. Suppose a veteran has three service-connected disabilities with ratings of 50%, 30%, and 20%. Here’s how the VA combines them:
- Start with the Highest Disability:
- The veteran starts as a 100% healthy person.
- The first (largest) disability is 50%, so we subtract 50% from 100%, leaving 50% of the veteran’s body still “unimpaired.”
- Apply the Next Largest Disability:
- The second condition is 30%. However, this is now applied to the 50% of the body that remains unimpaired, not to the original 100%.
- 30% of 50% is 15%, which is then subtracted from the remaining 50%.
- Now, the veteran has 50% – 15% = 35% of their body unimpaired.
- Apply the Next Disability:
- The third disability is 20%. Again, this percentage applies to the 35% of the body that remains healthy.
- 20% of 35% is 7%, which is subtracted from 35%.
- Now, the veteran has 35% – 7% = 28% of the body unimpaired.
- Subtract from 100%:
- At the end of the process, 28% of the veteran’s body is still considered “healthy,” so their combined disability rating is 100% – 28% = 72%.
- Rounding:
- The VA rounds combined disability ratings to the nearest 10%. In this case, 72% would be rounded to 70%.
Why The VA Combined Rating Is Different
The key to understanding the concept is that each additional disability is applied to whatever remains healthy, not simply added to the existing percentage. This leads to a combined disability rating that’s often lower than expected. For example, a veteran with 50% and 30% ratings would expect 80%, the VA’s rating calculator, the combined rating is actually 65% (rounded to 70%).
Bilateral Factor
There’s also the bilateral factor in VA claim calculations, which applies when a veteran has disabilities affecting both arms, legs, or paired organs (like both ears or eyes). The VA adds an additional 10% to the VA combined rating for these disabilities before applying the whole-person method. This increases the overall rating to account for the impact of bilateral conditions on a veteran’s quality of life. The VA combined rating calculator an help you determine the full rating after all of these nuances.
Is A VA Combined Rating Calculator the Same As A VA Math Calculator?
A VA combined rating calculator is the same as a VA math calculator. The VA combined rating takes into account the multiple rated disabilities or claims that you have been given by the VA, and computes the full “whole person” rating.
Why Use a VA Disability Rating Calculator?
- Accurate Estimations: Calculating a combined disability rating manually can result in errors. A VA Math Calculator ensures accuracy by following the VA’s formula precisely.
- Time-Saving: Rather than spending hours trying to understand the VA’s rating system, veterans can enter their information into the calculator and get an immediate, accurate result.
- Planning Your Future: Knowing your estimated disability rating and compensation amount can help you make important financial decisions. Veterans can use this information to plan for medical treatments, caregiving costs, and other life expenses.
- Accessible and User-Friendly: Most VA Disability Calculators are available online for free, and they are typically easy to use, requiring just a few clicks to generate results.
How to Maximize Your VA Disability Benefits
Using a VA combined rating calculator is just one part of the process. Veterans should also make sure to provide comprehensive medical evidence to the VA, ensure their claims are well-documented, and seek professional help if needed. Veterans service organizations (VSOs) and specialized attorneys can help veterans navigate the VA claims process, appeal denied claims, and ensure they receive the maximum compensation they are entitled to.