How VA Combined Ratings Work
Last verified: June 23, 2026
VA combined ratings are not simple addition. The site's Combined Rating Calculator uses the VA's "whole person" method, where each disability rating is applied to the remaining non-disabled percentage.
That is why two 50% ratings combine to 75%, not 100%. The calculator shows the step-by-step math so you can see how each rating changes the remaining percentage before the final rounded VA rating.
Worked example: Example: a veteran has one 50% condition and one 30% condition. The first rating removes 50% of the whole person, leaving 50% remaining. The second rating applies to the remaining 50%, so 30% x 50% = 15%.
Read guide →What Is VA Back Pay?
Last verified: June 23, 2026
VA disability back pay, also called retroactive compensation, is the lump-sum payment for the period between your effective date and the date your claim was approved.
Your effective date is usually the date VA received your claim, not the date it approved the claim. If you filed an Intent to File before the formal claim, the effective date may go back to that Intent to File date, up to one year earlier.
Worked example: Example: a veteran alone is awarded a 70% rating with an effective date of January 1, 2025 and a decision date of January 1, 2026. The live back-pay calculator uses the historical rate for each month in the back-pay period, not just today's rate.
Read guide →TDIU Explained: 100% Pay at a Lower Rating
Last verified: June 23, 2026
TDIU, or Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability, can pay at the 100% VA compensation rate even when the combined rating is lower, if service-connected conditions prevent substantially gainful employment.
The TDIU calculator screens the two schedular paths already used on the site: one disability rated 60% or higher, or two or more disabilities with one rated 40% or higher and a combined rating of 70% or higher.
Worked example: Example: a veteran has a 70% combined rating with one condition rated 40%, is not working, and has no dependents. That meets the site's 70/40 schedular screen for TDIU review.
Read guide →Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) Basics
Last verified: June 23, 2026
Special Monthly Compensation is additional tax-free compensation for severe disabilities or care needs, such as amputations, blindness, needing daily care, or traumatic brain injury.
The SMC calculator organizes the estimate around letter levels from K through T. Most levels replace standard disability pay with a higher amount, while SMC-K is added on top of existing compensation.
Worked example: Example: a veteran has one SMC-K qualifying condition. The SMC calculator uses the 2026 SMC-K rate of $139.87/month.
Read guide →Can VA Disability Income Count Toward a Mortgage?
Last verified: June 23, 2026
Yes. The homepage FAQ and gross-up calculator both explain that lenders can gross up non-taxable VA disability income for debt-to-income calculations.
Because VA disability pay is tax-free, the calculator applies the existing site logic showing how a 25% gross-up can increase counted qualifying income and affect buying power.
Worked example: Example: a veteran receives $2,000/month in tax-free VA disability compensation. The gross-up calculator's standard method applies a 25% gross-up for mortgage qualification.
Read guide →How VA Pension and Aid & Attendance Work
Last verified: June 23, 2026
VA Pension is based on the difference between your selected MAPR and your Income for VA Purposes. Aid & Attendance and Housebound status increase the MAPR used by the calculator.
Medical expenses are not subtracted dollar-for-dollar. The pension calculator applies the existing site rule that only unreimbursed expenses above 5% of the selected MAPR reduce countable income, then screens current reported assets plus IVAP against the net worth limit.
Worked example: Example: a veteran with no dependents uses the basic 2026 MAPR of $17,441, has $10,000 in annual income, and reports $2,000 in annual unreimbursed medical expenses.
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