Many veterans are confused about how VA disability ratings work when they have multiple service-connected conditions. If a veteran has a 40% rating for back pain and a 20% rating for hearing loss, does the veteran receive 60% compensation? The answer is no—the VA uses a complex combined rating system that doesn’t simply add ratings together. Understanding how the VA combines multiple disability ratings can help a veteran understand their compensation and identify opportunities to increase their overall disability rating. This article explains the VA’s combined rating system and how veterans can calculate their total disability compensation.

The VA’s Combined Rating System Explained

The VA doesn’t add disability ratings together to create a combined rating. Instead, the VA uses a mathematical formula based on the concept of “residual capacity.”

Here’s the basic principle: The VA assumes a veteran with a 40% rating for back pain has 60% of their ability to work remaining. If that veteran also has a 20% rating for hearing loss, the VA applies the 20% rating to the veteran’s remaining 60% capacity—not to the original 100%.

This is why the VA’s combined ratings don’t equal simple addition. A veteran with a 40% rating and a 20% rating doesn’t receive 60%—instead, the veteran receives a combined rating of 52% under the VA’s formula.

How the VA Calculates Combined Ratings

The VA uses the following formula for combining ratings:

First, list all of the veteran’s disability ratings in descending order (highest to lowest). Apply the highest rating to the veteran’s full work capacity. This leaves the veteran with a remaining capacity equal to 100% minus the veteran’s highest rating. Apply the next highest rating to the veteran’s remaining capacity. This creates a new remaining capacity. Continue applying each rating to the veteran’s remaining capacity until all ratings are applied.

Let’s work through an example. Suppose a veteran has three service-connected disabilities:

• Back pain: 50% rating
• Hearing loss: 20% rating
• Tinnitus: 10% rating

Step 1: Apply the 50% rating to 100% capacity. This leaves the veteran with 50% remaining capacity.

Step 2: Apply the 20% hearing loss rating to the veteran’s 50% remaining capacity. 20% of 50% equals 10%. This reduces the veteran’s remaining capacity from 50% to 40%.

Step 3: Apply the 10% tinnitus rating to the veteran’s 40% remaining capacity. 10% of 40% equals 4%. This reduces the veteran’s remaining capacity from 40% to 36%.

The veteran’s combined rating would be expressed as 64% (100% minus the final 36% remaining capacity). The VA rounds this to the nearest 10%, which would give this veteran a combined rating of 60% for disability compensation purposes.

Using a VA Disability Calculator

Understanding the VA’s combined rating formula can be complex, especially with multiple disabilities. Veterans can use online VA disability calculators to determine their combined ratings without doing the math manually. If you have multiple service-connected disabilities and want to understand your combined rating, visit our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2025/. This veteran-friendly calculator allows you to input your individual ratings and instantly see your combined rating and estimated monthly compensation.

Rounding and Combined Ratings

An important aspect of the VA’s combined rating system is rounding. The VA expresses combined ratings to the nearest 10%.

If a veteran’s combined rating calculation results in 64%, the veteran’s combined rating rounds down to 60%. If the calculation results in 65% or higher, it rounds up to 70%. This rounding rule applies to all combined ratings—the VA never uses a combined rating like 63% or 57%. Only ratings divisible by 10 are used.

Monthly Disability Compensation Based on Combined Ratings

A veteran’s combined disability rating directly determines the veteran’s monthly disability compensation. The VA publishes disability pay rates annually, adjusted for cost-of-living increases.

In 2025, approximate monthly rates for veterans without dependents include:

• 0% rating: $0 (veteran still qualifies for VA healthcare but no monthly payment)
• 10% rating: $180-200
• 20% rating: $350-380
• 30% rating: $550-600
• 40% rating: $800-850
• 50% rating: $1,100-1,200
• 60% rating: $1,400-1,500
• 70% rating: $1,800-1,900
• 80% rating: $2,100-2,200
• 90% rating: $2,400-2,500
• 100% rating: $3,700-4,000

These are approximate figures—actual rates vary by year and by veteran circumstances (dependent status, age, etc.). Veterans with dependents receive higher monthly payments than these estimates.

To see your exact monthly compensation based on your combined rating, use our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2025/.

Secondary Conditions and Combined Ratings

When filing disability claims, veterans should remember that conditions can receive ratings as secondary to other service-connected disabilities. Secondary conditions are factored into the veteran’s combined rating just like primary conditions.

For example, a veteran might have:

• Service-connected PTSD: 50% rating (primary condition)
• Service-connected depression: 20% rating (secondary to PTSD)
• Service-connected sleep disorder: 10% rating (secondary to PTSD)

All three conditions are included in the veteran’s combined rating calculation, even though depression and sleep disorder are secondary to PTSD. The veteran’s combined rating would reflect all three disabilities.

Increasing Your Combined Rating

Many veterans wonder whether they can increase their combined disability rating. There are several strategies:

Increase individual ratings: If a veteran’s service-connected conditions worsen, the veteran can file for a rating increase. If a veteran’s back pain condition has progressed and now causes more severe functional impairment, the veteran might qualify for a higher rating for that condition.

Add new conditions: If a veteran develops a new service-connected condition or identifies an overlooked secondary condition, filing a claim for the new condition can increase the veteran’s combined rating.

File for secondary conditions: Many veterans don’t realize they qualify for secondary conditions. A veteran with service-connected back pain who develops depression as a secondary condition can file for the depression, which would increase the veteran’s combined rating.

The Advantage of Multiple Smaller Ratings

Veterans sometimes ask whether it’s better to have one high rating or multiple smaller ratings that combine to the same percentage. The answer is that the combined rating system means multiple ratings often result in a higher combined percentage than a single rating.

For example, a veteran with a single 60% rating receives that 60% combined rating. But if that veteran has a 50% rating and multiple secondary conditions combining to 20%, the veteran’s combined rating might be 64% (rounding to 60%), which is similar. However, if the veteran’s secondary conditions add up to 30%, the veteran’s combined rating becomes 65% (rounding to 70%), which is higher than the single 60% rating.

This demonstrates the importance of filing claims for all service-connected conditions, including secondary conditions. Multiple rated conditions can result in a higher overall combined rating.

Understanding Your VA Disability Statement

When the VA approves a veteran’s combined rating, the veteran receives a disability rating decision letter (called a VA Form 20-0995). This letter explains:

The veteran’s individual disability ratings for each service-connected condition, the veteran’s combined disability rating, the veteran’s effective date (when the veteran’s rating begins), the veteran’s monthly disability compensation amount, and information about the veteran’s appeal rights.

Veterans should carefully review this document to ensure the VA correctly calculated the veteran’s combined rating. If the veteran believes the VA made an error in calculating the veteran’s combined rating, the veteran can appeal the decision.

Beyond Monthly Compensation

It’s important to remember that a veteran’s disability rating affects more than just monthly compensation. A veteran’s rating determines eligibility for various additional VA benefits:

• Veterans at 50% or higher typically qualify for preferential hiring in federal employment
• Veterans at 30% or higher may qualify for vocational rehabilitation and employment services
• Veterans at 50% or higher may qualify for special adaptive housing grants
• Veterans at certain ratings may qualify for dependent benefits or survivor benefits

Additionally, some state and local benefits are based on disability rating percentage. Depending on the veteran’s state, a veteran with a certain disability rating may qualify for property tax exemptions, vehicle registration discounts, or other benefits.

Using Our VA Disability Calculator

To better understand your combined rating and see how individual rating changes might affect your total compensation, visit our VA disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2025/. This tool allows veterans to:

• Input multiple individual disability ratings
• See the combined rating calculation
• Understand how adding new conditions might increase total compensation
• View estimated monthly disability compensation
• Plan for rating increase strategies

This calculator is designed specifically for veterans and provides accurate information based on VA’s official combined rating system.

Understanding the VA’s combined rating system helps veterans comprehend how their multiple disabilities combine to determine their total disability compensation. Rather than simple addition, the VA uses a mathematical formula based on residual capacity. This system means that veterans with multiple service-connected conditions often receive higher combined ratings than they might expect. Veterans should ensure they’ve filed claims for all service-connected conditions, including secondary conditions, to maximize their combined rating. If you have multiple disabilities and want to understand your combined rating and monthly compensation, use our disability calculator to see accurate figures based on your specific situation. Your service and all your service-connected disabilities deserve full recognition and compensation.