If you were wounded or injured or became sick as a result of your military service, you may be entitled to VA disability compensation. This benefit is a tax-free monthly payment from the Department of Veterans Affairs to affected military veterans.
The amount you may receive varies with the severity of the service-related condition. The more severe or debilitating your condition, the more VA disability compensation benefits you may receive.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at VA Disability Rates and Compensation and Pay Schedules, give you a breakdown of all the updated 2023 numbers, and more.
Let’s take a look!
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VA Disability Pay Schedule
Special Monthly Compensation
Presumptive Conditions
Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA)
Get Help Filing A Claim
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
VA Disability Rates (2023 Update)
If the VA determines that you have a compensable service-related condition or multiple such conditions, they will assign a disability rating between 0% and 100%.
A 0% disability rating goes to veterans who have a service-related diagnosis, but the condition is not severe enough to affect lifestyle, employment or social functioning and does not require medication. A 100% rating goes to veterans whose service-related conditions are completely disabling.
Combined VA Ratings - 2023/2022 Compared
| wdt_ID | VA Disability Rating | 2023 Disability Pay (8.7% increase) | 2022 Disability Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 165.92 | 152.64 |
| 2 | 20 | 327.99 | 301.74 |
| 3 | 30 | 508.05 | 467.39 |
| 4 | 40 | 731.86 | 673.28 |
| 5 | 50 | 1,041.82 | 958.44 |
| 6 | 60 | 1,319.65 | 1,214.03 |
| 7 | 70 | 1,663.06 | 1,529.95 |
| 8 | 80 | 1,933.15 | 1,778.43 |
| 9 | 90 | 2,172.39 | 1,998.52 |
| 10 | 100 | 3,621.95 | 3,332.06 |
2023 VA Compensation Rates for Veterans with a 10% to 20% Rating
Even if you have a dependent spouse, child, or parent you will not receive higher compensation if you are currently rated at 10% or 20%. That’s one more reason why it’s so important to review your rating closely to see if you have been mis-rated or under-rated by the VA.
10% - 20% Compensation Rates 2023
| wdt_ID | Disability Rating | Monthly Payment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 165.92 |
| 2 | 20 | 327.99 |
2023 VA Disability Compensation Rates for 30% – 100%
You may receive a higher VA disability compensation rate if you have a spouse, child or dependent parent and you are at least 30% disabled. You may also receive additional compensation if your spouse has a serious disability.
Let’s cover the rates for veterans who have dependents in the tables below! Reminder that it starts at 30% because the VA grants no additional compensation for veterans who are rated with a combined rating of 20% or lower. The table here is for married veterans.
Compensation rates for Veterans with a dependent spouse or parent, but no children
Veteran Alone (no dependents)
| Veteran alone (no dependents) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 2023 Compensation | 2022 Compensation |
| 30% | $508.05 | $467.39 |
| 40% | $731.86 | $673.28 |
| 50% | $1,041.82 | $958.44 |
| 60% | $1,319.65 | $1,214.03 |
| 70% | $1,663.06 | $1,529.95 |
| 80% | $1,933.15 | $1,778.43 |
| 90% | $2,172.39 | $1,998.52 |
| 100% | $3,621.95 | $3,332.06 |
With Spouse (no parents or children)
| With spouse (no parents or children) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 2023 Compensation | 2022 Compensation |
| 30% | $567.84 | $522.39 |
| 40% | $812.29 | $747.28 |
| 50% | $1,141.83 | $1,050.44 |
| 60% | $1,440.31 | $1,325.03 |
| 70% | $1,804.37 | $1,659.95 |
| 80% | $2,094.03 | $1,926.43 |
| 90% | $2,353.92 | $2,165.52 |
| 100% | $3,823.89 | $3,517.84 |
With spouse and 1 parent (no children)
| With spouse and 1 parent (no children) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 2023 Compensation | 2022 Compensation |
| 30% | $615.67 | $566.39 |
| 40% | $876.43 | $806.28 |
| 50% | $1,222.27 | $1,124.44 |
| 60% | $1,537.05 | $1,414.03 |
| 70% | $1,917.41 | $1,763.95 |
| 80% | $2,223.38 | $2,045.43 |
| 90% | $2,499.58 | $2,299.52 |
| 100% | $3,985.96 | $3,666.94 |
With spouse and 2 parents (no children)
| With spouse and 2 parents (no children) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 2023 Compensation | 2022 Compensation |
| 30% | $663.49 | $610.39 |
| 40% | $940.56 | $865.28 |
| 50% | $1,302.70 | $1,198.44 |
| 60% | $1,633.79 | $1,503.03 |
| 70% | $2,030.46 | $1,867.95 |
| 80% | $2,352.74 | $2,164.43 |
| 90% | $2,645.24 | $2,433.52 |
| 100% | $4,148.04 | $3,816.04 |
With 1 parent (no spouse or children)
| With 1 parent (no spouse or children) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 2023 Compensation | 2022 Compensation |
| 30% | $555.88 | $511.39 |
| 40% | $795.99 | $732.28 |
| 50% | $1,122.26 | $1,032.44 |
| 60% | $1,416.39 | $1,303.03 |
| 70% | $1,776.10 | $1,633.95 |
| 80% | $2,062.51 | $1,897.43 |
| 90% | $2,318.05 | $2,132.52 |
| 100% | $3,784.02 | $3,481.16 |
With 2 parents (no spouse or children)
| With 2 parents (no spouse or children) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 2023 Compensation | 2022 Compensation |
| 30% | $603.71 | $555.39 |
| 40% | $860.12 | $791.28 |
| 50% | $1,202.70 | $1,106.44 |
| 60% | $1,513.14 | $1,392.03 |
| 70% | $1,889.15 | $1,737.95 |
| 80% | $2,191.86 | $2,016.43 |
| 90% | $2,463.71 | $2,266.52 |
| 100% | $3,946.09 | $3,630.26 |
Compensation Rates for Veterans with dependents, including children
Veteran with 1 child only (no spouse or parents)
| Veteran with 1 child only (no spouse or parents) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 2023 Compensation | 2022 Compensation |
| 30% | $548.27 | $504.39 |
| 40% | $785.12 | $722.28 |
| 50% | $1,109.22 | $1,020.44 |
| 60% | $1,400.09 | $1,288.03 |
| 70% | $1,756.54 | $1,615.95 |
| 80% | $2,040.77 | $1,877.43 |
| 90% | $2,293.05 | $2,109.52 |
| 100% | $3,757.00 | $3,456.30 |
With 1 child and spouse (no parents)
| With 1 child and spouse (no parents) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 2023 Compensation | 2022 Compensation |
| 30% | $612.40 | $563.39 |
| 40% | $870.99 | $801.28 |
| 50% | $1,215.74 | $1,118.44 |
| 60% | $1,529.44 | $1,407.03 |
| 70% | $1,907.63 | $1,754.95 |
| 80% | $2,212.51 | $2,035.43 |
| 90% | $2,486.53 | $2,287.52 |
| 100% | $3,971.78 | $3,653.89 |
With 1 child, spouse, and 1 parent
| With 1 child, spouse, and 1 parent | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 2023 Compensation | 2022 Compensation |
| 30% | $660.23 | $607.39 |
| 40% | $935.12 | $860.28 |
| 50% | $1,296.18 | $1,192.44 |
| 60% | $1,626.18 | $1,496.03 |
| 70% | $2,020.68 | $1,858.95 |
| 80% | $2,341.87 | $2,154.43 |
| 90% | $2,632.19 | $2,421.52 |
| 100% | $4,242.55 | $3,902.99 |
With 1 child, spouse, and 2 parents
| With 1 child, spouse, and 2 parents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 2023 Compensation | 2022 Compensation |
| 30% | $708.06 | $651.39 |
| 40% | $999.26 | $919.28 |
| 50% | $1,376.62 | $1,266.44 |
| 60% | $1,722.93 | $1,585.03 |
| 70% | $2,133.73 | $1,962.95 |
| 80% | $2,471.22 | $2,273.43 |
| 90% | $2,777.85 | $2,555.52 |
| 100% | $4,295.92 | $3,952.09 |
With 1 child and 1 parent (no spouse)
| With 1 child and 1 parent (no spouse) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 2023 Compensation | 2022 Compensation |
| 30% | $596.10 | $548.39 |
| 40% | $849.25 | $781.28 |
| 50% | $1,189.66 | $1,094.44 |
| 60% | $1,496.83 | $1,377.03 |
| 70% | $1,869.59 | $1,719.95 |
| 80% | $2,170.12 | $1,996.43 |
| 90% | $2,438.71 | $2,243.52 |
| 100% | $3,919.07 | $3,605.40 |
With 1 child and 2 parents (no spouse)
| With 1 child and 2 parents (no spouse) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 2023 Compensation | 2022 Compensation |
| 30% | $575.45 | $529.39 |
| 40% | $913.38 | $840.28 |
| 50% | $1,270.09 | $1,168.44 |
| 60% | $1,593.57 | $1,466.03 |
| 70% | $1,982.63 | $1,823.95 |
| 80% | $2,299.47 | $2,115.43 |
| 90% | $2,584.36 | $2,377.52 |
| 100% | $4,081.14 | $3,754.50 |
Jump to a Section of this Guide:
VA Disability Rates
Special Monthly Compensation
Presumptive Conditions
Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA)
Get Help Filing a Claim
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
VA Disability Pay Schedule (2023 Update)
If you have a medical condition or disability due to your military service, you may qualify for VA disability compensation. But there are certain things you need to do to qualify. And it helps to know the mechanics of how VA disability compensation is paid out.
Normally the VA pays out benefits by direct deposit each month on the first business day of the following month. When the first business day of the following month is a holiday, the VA will make a direct deposit on the last business day of the preceding month.
Non-business days include weekends and federal holidays.
VA Disability Pay Dates for 2023
If you are receiving VA disability compensation, you can expect your disability compensation payment dates as follows:
VA Disability Pay Schedule
| Month | Pay Date |
|---|---|
| January 2023 | February 1, 2023 |
| February 2023 | March 1, 2023 |
| March 2023 | March 31, 2023 |
| April 2023 | May 1, 2023 |
| May 2023 | June 1, 2023 |
| June 2023 | June 30, 2023 |
| July 2023 | August 1, 2023 |
| August 2023 | September 1, 2023 |
| September 2023 | September 29, 2023 |
| October 2023 | November 1, 2023 |
| November 2023 | December 1, 2023 |
| December 2023 | December 29, 2023 |
Jump to a Section of this Guide:
VA Disability Rates
VA Disability Pay Schedule
Special Monthly Compensation
Presumptive Conditions
Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA)
Get Help Filing a Claim
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Special Monthly Compensation
The Department of Veterans Affairs also pays an additional amount to service-disabled veterans with particularly disabling or disfiguring injuries and illnesses. This benefit, called Special Monthly Compensation (SMC), may be payable if you meet one or more of these criteria:
- You have had one or more limbs or extremities amputated;
- have no effective function remaining in one or more limbs;
- You have lost one or both eyes;
- You are totally blind in one or both eyes;
- You are permanently bedridden;
- You need daily help with one or more activities of daily living (ADLs), such as eating, dressing, and bathing. This is also called “aid and attendance.”
Normally, Special Monthly Compensation comes in grades L through O, lowest to highest.
In addition, Level R may apply if you need daily help from another person for basic needs (like dressing, eating, and bathing), and Level S may apply if your service-connected disability has left you completely housebound.
To learn more about Special Monthly Compensation, and what it takes to qualify, click here.
Presumptive Conditions
If you have a presumptive condition, the Veterans Administration automatically assumes that your disability occurred as a result of your qualifying military service. Do don’t need to prove your disability was service-connected. You only need to demonstrate that the military placed you in a qualifying location within certain time frames. This is common with Agent Orange-related claims.
The specific list of presumptive conditions varies by the location and nature of your service.
You can find a full breakdown here.
According to the Veterans Administration, you may be eligible for benefits if you have a designated presumptive condition, and:
- You are a former POW with a condition at least 10% disabling;
- You served in the Republic of Vietnam between Jan. 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975;
- You are an Atomic Veteran exposed to ionizing radiation, and;
- You participated in atmospheric nuclear testing;
- You occupied or were prisoners of war in Hiroshima or Nagasaki;
- You served before Feb. 1, 1992, at a diffusion plant in Paducah, Kentucky Portsmouth, Ohio or Oak Ridge, Tennessee;
- You served before Jan. 1, 1974, at Amchitka Island, Alaska
- You are a Gulf War Veteran, and;
- You served in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations;
- You have a condition that is at least 10 percent disabling by Dec. 31, 2022
Service Connection by Aggravation
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) uses the term “aggravation” to refer to an injury or illness made worse by military service.
Section 3.306(a) derives from 38 U.S.C. 1153 and explains that a preexisting injury or disease will be considered “aggravated” by active service “when there is an increase in disability during such service,” unless the increase is a natural occurrence of the disease or disability.
In order to receive benefits for an aggravated condition, veterans must first establish that they had a pre-existing condition before they entered military service.
Once established, they must show that their service worsened the condition.
If the VA determines that a condition has, in fact, been aggravated by military service, the veteran will then be eligible for treatment and benefits.
Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA)
The compensation rates are adjusted annually to reflect the rising cost of living. This is important because many veterans depend on these benefits for many years. Absent these cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), inflation would gradually eat away at disabled veterans’ actual buying power over time.
By law, VA disability benefits and Social Security benefits both receive the same annual cost-of-living adjustment. The percentage amount varies based on the inflation rate for the previous year, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
For the year 2023, the COLA adjustment for VA benefits was 8.7%.
In some years, there’s no cost-of-living adjustment, because there was no measurable inflation as indicated by the CPI-W. However, in high-inflation periods, VA and Social Security COLA adjustments have been as high as 14.3%, as they were in 1980. In recent years, the trend has been much lower.
How a VA Claims Lawyer Can Help with your VA Rating
If you believe you may have been improperly denied VA benefits, or if you believe that the VA has assigned you a disability rating that is too low, contact a VA claims attorney. If the VA acted wrongly, your VA claim lawyer can help you file your appeal so you can get the benefits you have earned with your military service.
More specifically, call us today for a free case evaluation if any of the following circumstances apply:
- You have been wrongly denied VA benefits altogether;
- You have wrongly been assigned a low disability rating;
- You have been wrongly denied unemployability benefits;
- You have not been paid back pay that you are owed.
Our team of attorneys at Hill and Ponton have assisted thousands of veterans in their appeals who have been wrongly denied benefits, or who are receiving less than what their service-related injuries or illnesses entitle them to. If the VA acted wrongly in your case, violating the law or their own procedures, we may be able to get the problem corrected.
Jump to a Section of this Guide:
VA Disability Rates
VA Disability Pay Schedule
Special Monthly Compensation
Presumptive Conditions
Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA)
Get Help Filing a Claim
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – VA Disability Rates & Pay Schedule
What is a disability rating?
A disability rating is assigned to you based on the severity of your service-connected disability. The rating is expressed as a percentage that represents how much your disability impacts your day-to-day life and functionality, and your overall health.
Your disability rating is then used to determine what is called your disability compensation rate, that is used to calculate how much money (compensation) you’ll receive from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) every month.
This rating will also be used to determine other benefits, like VA healthcare, among other things.
How does the VA decide what my disability rating will be?
Your rating is based on a number of different factors, including:
- The evidence you provide the VA (i.e. doctor’s reports, medical test results, etc.)
- The results of your Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam, if you need one
- Additional information gathered from federal agencies and other sources
What if I’m diagnosed with more than one disability?
If you have been diagnosed with more than one disability, you will have multiple disability ratings and will need to calculate your combined VA disability rating. To learn more about combined disability ratings and what your rating might be, you can utilize our disability calculator below.
[insert disability calculator image] https://www.hillandponton.com/va-disability-calculator/
How do ratings work for disabilities that were obtained before entering service but got worse while serving?
This is called service-connection by aggravation, or the presumption of aggravation in regards to military service. If you get disability benefits for a pre-service disability, the monthly compensation amount is based on aggravation, or how much worse your disability got because of your military service.
What is VA Disability Compensation?
Disability compensation is a tax-free federal benefit paid out to veterans with service-connected medical conditions and disabilities incurred while on active duty or, for reserve component service members, in the line of duty while on orders.
Once the disabled veteran qualifies for payment benefits, the Department of Veterans Affairs pays out the benefit each month, effective January each year.
Payment values vary based on your medical condition and severity. They can also vary based on the number of family members a veteran has (dependents) such as a surviving spouse.
Not every disabled veteran is eligible for VA disability benefits. To qualify, you must meet three basic criteria:
1.) You must have a current condition, recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and diagnosed by a physician;
2.) You must have an injury, illness, or mental health condition incurred while in-service;
3.) You must be able to establish a medical nexus between your current disabling condition and your military service.
Does Social Security Affect my VA Disability Compensation?
No. VA disability compensation is not considered income, and therefore does not affect your Social Security Benefits, nor does Social Security reduce your VA disability compensation.
VA disability compensation also does not affect Social Security Disability Insurance benefits or SSDI.
You may have other sources of income that can in some cases result in a tax on Social Security benefits. However, since VA disability compensation is not federally taxable income, it does not trigger or increase the Social Security income tax.
Disclaimer: Hill and Ponton does not give individual tax advice. This information is for general informational purposes only. For individual tax advice, you should consult the services of a qualified tax professional.
Where Can I Get Help Applying for VA Disability Compensation?
It’s very common for veterans with qualifying disabilities to have trouble actually receiving benefits. The application process is complicated. Additionally, many veterans who do receive benefits don’t receive the full amount to which they should be entitled.
Initially, many veterans get a lot of help from veterans service organizations, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), or the American Legion.
Even with the assistance of a qualified veterans service officer (VSO), many qualified applicants get rejected. If you’re having trouble getting the benefits you deserve, you may need an attorney who specializes in VA disability benefits.
