How to read the VA compensation rate tables
The VA publishes monthly disability compensation in several tables, and it is easy to look in the wrong one. This guide explains how they fit together, using the rates effective December 1, 2025 from the VA’s rate page.
Start with your combined rating
Everything depends on your combined rating, a multiple of 10. If you are not sure of yours, the calculator shows how it is worked out from your individual ratings.
10% and 20%: one amount
At 10% and 20% the monthly amount is the same whatever your family situation. For the rates effective December 1, 2025 that is $180.42 at 10% and $356.66 at 20%. The VA notes that a spouse, child or parent does not raise the rate at these two levels.
30% and above: find your dependent status
From 30% the amount depends on who depends on you. The VA lists the situations in two groups:
- A spouse or parent, with no children. For example a veteran alone, with a spouse, with one parent, or with a spouse and two parents.
- Dependents including children. For example a veteran with one child only, or with a child and a spouse.
Find the row that matches your situation and the column for your rating. The cell is your basic monthly rate. For example, a veteran rated 30% with a spouse and no parents or children has a basic rate of $617.47 a month.
Added amounts
A second table lists amounts that are added on top of the basic rate:
- Each additional child under age 18, beyond the first.
- Each additional child over age 18 who is in a qualifying school program.
- A spouse who receives Aid and Attendance.
The basic rate already includes one child, so the added amount applies to each child after the first.
The VA’s own example
The VA’s page works through one case. A veteran rated 70% with a spouse and three children under 18 starts with the basic rate for a spouse and one child, $2,074.45. Two more children each add $76.00. A spouse who receives Aid and Attendance adds $141. The total is $2,367.45 a month.
Rates change each year
The VA adjusts compensation each December to match the cost-of-living adjustment made to Social Security benefits, so the tables have an effective date. Always check the date next to the table you are reading. This site’s calculator shows the effective date it uses and when it was last checked.
What the tables do not cover
The tables show basic compensation and the added amounts above. They do not decide your rating, and they do not include other benefits you may qualify for. For questions about your own claim, an accredited representative can help.