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How VA Combined Disability Ratings Work

By CalculateBenefits Editorial Team · Reviewed by Mark Phaneuf, Publisher · September 2026

VA does not add separate disability ratings with normal math. It starts with the highest rating. Each new rating is applied to the part of the person that VA still treats as able.

This is called the “whole person” method. It keeps a combined rating from going over 100%.

Why is 50% plus 30% not 80%?

Start with a 50% rating. VA treats 50% of the whole person as still able.

Now apply the 30% rating to that 50% part. Thirty percent of 50 is 15. Add that 15 to the first 50. The combined value is 65.

VA rounds the final 65 to 70%. That is why 50% and 30% make a 70% combined rating, not 80%.

How does the VA table work?

VA uses a combined ratings table in federal rules. Put the largest rating on the left side of the table. Put the next rating across the top. The box where they meet gives the new value.

If you have more ratings, carry that new value into the next step. Do not round between steps.

VA's online table and our VA combined-rating calculator use this same basic process.

When does VA round the number?

VA rounds only after all ratings are combined. It rounds to the nearest number that ends in zero.

• A final value ending in 1 through 4 rounds down.
• A final value ending in 5 through 9 rounds up.

A combined value of 64 becomes 60%. A value of 65 becomes 70%.

What if you have more than two ratings?

Put the ratings in order from highest to lowest. Combine the first two. Then combine that value with the third rating. Keep going until every rating is used.

For example, combine 50% and 30% to get 65. Then combine 65 with a 10% rating. The table gives 69. The final 69 rounds to 70%.

Do not round the 65 before adding the 10% rating. Rounding too soon can give the wrong answer.

Does the order change the result?

VA tells raters to start with the largest rating. This makes the work easy to follow and matches the federal table.

The calculator should keep each exact middle value. If a tool rounds after each step, do not trust its answer.

Can anything else change the combined rating?

Yes. Some conditions on paired arms or legs may receive a bilateral factor before the final rating. Special rules may also apply in a small number of cases.

Your combined rating can also change if VA:

• Adds a new service-connected condition
• Raises or lowers one condition's rating
• Fixes the start date of a rating
• Finds that two conditions cannot be rated twice for the same signs

A web calculator is a planning tool. Your VA decision letter is the official result.

How do you check your official rating?

Sign in to VA.gov and open your disability ratings. You can see each rating and the combined rating VA has on file.

Compare that list with your decision letter. Check that every service-connected condition is listed.

What if you think VA made a mistake?

Read the reason in the decision letter. The issue may be the percent for one condition, the start date, missing proof, or the math.

VA offers more than one review path. The right path depends on whether you have new proof or think VA made an error with the record it had.

A VA-accredited Veterans Service Organization can help for free. Use VA's official search to check that the person is accredited.

What is the short version?

1. Start with the largest rating.
2. Use the VA table or whole-person math.
3. Carry the exact value to the next step.
4. Round only once, at the end.
5. Check the final answer against VA.gov.