How VA Math Works

      

With one disability, your rating is your total. With multiple disabilities, the VA does not add percentages together. 

    

Instead, the VA uses a “whole person” method. Think of your body as 100%, and each new rating gets applied to what’s left. 

   

Here’s a simplified example: 

  • Start with 30%: 100% – 30% = 70% remaining. 
  • Add 20% next: 20% of 70% = 14% (which equals 44%, leaving 56%).
  • Add 10% next: 10% of 56% = 5.6%. 
  • Final value: 50.4%, rounded to 50%. 

    

How To Use the Combined Ratings Table 

    

To calculate using the VA’s table: 

  • Put your ratings in order from highest to lowest. 
  • Find your highest rating in the left column. 
  • Find your next highest rating across the top row. 
  • Use the number where they meet as the combined value. 
  • Round to the nearest 10 (1–4 down, 5–9 up). 
  • Repeat for each additional rating, then round the final number. 

(Hill & Ponton)

VA Math

Submit Comment

For many veterans, trying to understand how the VA calculates disability ratings can feel like learning a completely new kind of math. Because the process is not intuitive and the table itself can appear confusing at first glance, many veterans spend time studying charts, examples, and explanations to understand how their conditions translate into a final rating. For those navigating claims or appeals, learning VA math becomes an important step in making sense of how their benefits are determined.