VA Disability Rating Calculator
Understanding your combined VA disability rating can be complex, as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) uses a specific "whole person" methodology rather than simple addition. This calculator helps you estimate your combined VA disability rating based on your individual service-connected disability percentages.
How the VA Combines Ratings
The VA's system is designed to reflect the "remaining efficiency" of the veteran. It starts with your highest disability rating and then applies subsequent ratings to the remaining percentage of your "whole person." This means that a 10% rating on top of a 50% rating doesn't simply make it 60%; instead, the 10% is applied to the 50% of efficiency you have left.
Here's a simplified breakdown of the process:
- All individual disability ratings are listed.
- The highest rating is taken first.
- The next highest rating is applied to the "remaining efficiency" (100% minus the highest rating).
- This new combined percentage becomes the starting point for the next highest rating, and so on.
- Finally, the calculated combined rating is rounded to the nearest 10 percent. For example, 65% rounds up to 70%, while 64% rounds down to 60%.
Example Calculation
Let's say a veteran has three service-connected disabilities with ratings of 50%, 30%, and 20%:
- Highest Rating: 50%
The veteran is considered 50% disabled. Remaining efficiency: 100% – 50% = 50%. - Next Highest Rating: 30%
This 30% is applied to the remaining 50% efficiency: 30% of 50% = 15%.
Combined rating so far: 50% + 15% = 65%. Remaining efficiency: 100% – 65% = 35%. - Next Highest Rating: 20%
This 20% is applied to the remaining 35% efficiency: 20% of 35% = 7%.
Combined rating so far: 65% + 7% = 72%. - Rounding:
The calculated 72% is rounded to the nearest 10%, which is 70%.
Therefore, the veteran's combined VA disability rating would be 70%.
Using the Calculator
Enter your individual service-connected disability ratings into the fields below. You can enter up to five ratings. If you have fewer, leave the unused fields blank. The calculator will automatically sort them and apply the VA's combined rating methodology.
Disclaimer: This calculator provides an estimate based on the VA's published combined rating schedule. It is not an official determination from the Department of Veterans Affairs. For an official rating, please consult with the VA or an accredited representative.
function calculateVARating() { var ratings = []; var i; // Get all rating inputs and filter valid numbers for (i = 1; i = 0 && ratingValue <= 100) { ratings.push(ratingValue); } } if (ratings.length === 0) { document.getElementById("result").innerHTML = "Please enter at least one valid disability rating."; return; } // Sort ratings in descending order (highest first) ratings.sort(function(a, b) { return b – a; }); var combinedRating = 0; var remainingEfficiency = 100; // Represents the "whole person" for (i = 0; i < ratings.length; i++) { var currentRating = ratings[i]; // Calculate the impact of the current rating on the remaining efficiency var impact = (currentRating / 100) * remainingEfficiency; combinedRating += impact; remainingEfficiency -= impact; } // Round the final combined rating to the nearest 10 percent var roundedCombinedRating = Math.round(combinedRating / 10) * 10; var resultHtml = "