VetVA guides
2026 VA Disability Pay Rates: The 2.8% COLA Tables
VA disability pay went up 2.8% for 2026. Here's what that means in actual dollars — the full monthly tables by rating and dependent status.
The 2.8% COLA, in dollars
By law, VA matches Social Security's cost-of-living adjustment. For 2026 that's 2.8%, effective December 1, 2025 (it shows up in the January payment). What it looks like:
- 100%, veteran alone: $3,831.30 → $3,938.58 — about $107 more a month, $1,287 a year.
- 70%, veteran alone: $1,759.19 → $1,808.45 — about $49 more a month.
- 50%, veteran alone: $1,102.04 → $1,132.90 — about $31 more a month.
If your rating went up and your check didn't change, that's a separate problem — call VA. But if your check went up a little this year, that's the COLA doing its job.
2026 monthly rates — veteran alone
| Rating | Monthly payment |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
Source: VA's official compensation rate tables, effective December 1, 2025.
Common household combinations
At 10–20%, dependents don't change the rate. At 30% and above, a spouse, children, and dependent parents each add more:
| Rating & household | Monthly payment |
|---|---|
| 30% with spouse | $617.47 |
| 60% with spouse | $1,566.02 |
| 60% with spouse + 1 child | $1,663.02 |
| 70% with spouse | $1,961.45 |
| 70% with spouse + 1 child | $2,074.45 |
| 90% with spouse | $2,559.30 |
| 100% with spouse | $4,158.17 |
| 100% with spouse + 1 child | $4,318.99 |
| 100% with spouse + 1 child + 1 parent | $4,495.23 |
A spouse receiving Aid & Attendance adds more on top ($61–$201.41 depending on rating). Additional children add per-child amounts ($32–$109.11 under 18; $105–$352.45 in a qualifying school program).
Beyond COLA: three things that change your check
COLA is automatic, but these aren't — and veterans leave money on the table with all three:
- Dependent updates. Had a kid, got married, or took in a dependent parent? VA doesn't find out on its own. File for a dependency change and your rate goes up from the effective date — but VA won't backdate what you never told them about.
- Rating changes. If a condition worsened, a higher rating beats any COLA. A jump from 90% ($2,362.30) to 100% ($3,938.58) is worth $1,576 a month — forty years of COLAs won't do that.
- SMC. If your situation involves loss of use, daily care needs, or housebound status, Special Monthly Compensation can pay well above the 100% rate — up to $11,271.67 a month.
How COLA works (and when it hits your account)
VA is required by law to match the percentage of Social Security's COLA — it's not discretionary, and it happens every year. The new rates take effect December 1 and land in the January 1 payment (VA pays in arrears, so December's rate arrives January 1). Rates reset every December, so re-verify the tables yearly — bookmark this page or get the Monday briefing and we'll flag the new numbers when they drop.
Get your exact number
Tables cover the common cases, but every household is different. Our 2026 VA pay calculator computes your exact monthly payment — rating, spouse, parents, kids under 18, kids in school — straight from these official tables, with the math shown. And it's all tax-free: see are VA disability benefits taxable? If your January deposit doesn't match your table rate, don't wait — call VA at 1-800-827-1000 and ask them to walk through the math with you.
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