Many Veterans become confused when they have different service-connected problems that the VA rated them for and may not understand how to calculate them. Veterans occasionally presume that the VA simply adds together the separate VA ratings to get an overall rating. If you have multiple VA ratings you can consult the VA ratings table located here. For example, where a Veteran has an 60% disability, a 20% disability, the rating does not equal 80%. Instead, look at the ratings with the highest rating on the left side of the chart and lower rating on the top of the chart. The 60% rating will be located on the left side and the 20% on the top. Then you look at the number where the two numbers intersect–and in this case the number is 68. Ratings are always divisible by 10 and so you round to the nearest number that is divisible by 10, which in this case would be 70.
If you have more than two ratable disabilities, you do the same thing and line up the disabilities from highest to lowest. For example,let’s sayyou have three rated disabilities 60, 40, and 20. You first take the 60 on the left side of the column and the 40 on the top they meet at the number 76 which is then found on the left side of the column and the 20 at the top. These two numbers meet at 81 which is rounded down to 80. Eightyis the overall rating for this example. Then for additional ratings you can keep using this same chart all the through. Even easier than doing this is utilizing a calculator many of which can be found online.
If your curious as to how much each VA rating pays per month go to the charts here. The amount of compensation you can see varies depending on if your married or if you have dependent children. The amount can also be increased year to year depending on the inflation and cost of living. One thing that’s very important to do if you are the recipient of VA compensation is to tell the VA if your married status changes or if your dependent children status changes. The reason this is so important is because if your situation changes but you do not tell the VA then you will keep receiving an amount of money that you are not entitled to, and this will create the dreaded overpayment situation where you owe the government money. Alternatively, if you get married or have children then you will be missing out on money that you are entitled to. Like virtually all VA situations there is a form to give VA notice of these change in status. Go to this form.
