VA disability compensation goes up every year by the same cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that Social Security recipients get, effective December 1 of the prior year and reflected in the payment veterans receive in January. The Social Security Administration announced a 2.8% COLA for 2026 on October 24, 2025, and VA’s 2026 rate tables took effect December 1, 2025. The 2026 numbers are final and published — this article gives the confirmed 2026 rates, shows how they were built from the 2025 baseline, and explains how dependents change your total.
Why VA rates move every year
Congress matches VA disability compensation increases to the Social Security COLA, but for compensation it does so through legislation passed each year — the December 1, 2025 increase came from the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025 (S.2392, Public Law 119-42). VA pension and Parents’ DIC rates, by contrast, adjust automatically under 38 U.S.C. 5312. That means veterans, retirees, and disabled workers all get adjusted on the same schedule and by the same percentage, which keeps benefits roughly in step with inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
Recent COLA history shows how much this figure can swing year to year:
| Year | COLA percentage |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 5.9% |
| 2023 | 8.7% |
| 2024 | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 2.5% |
| 2026 | 2.8% |
Because the adjustment is a percentage applied to every existing rate, a bigger COLA year (like 2023’s 8.7%) produces a much larger dollar jump than a smaller one. SSA announced a 2.8% COLA for 2026 on October 24, 2025, and VA applied that same percentage to the 2025 rates below to produce the 2026 rates now in effect.
The 2026 rates, and the 2025 baseline they came from
These are the confirmed 2026 monthly rates (effective December 1, 2025) for a veteran with no dependents, shown next to the 2025 rates they were adjusted from, according to VA.gov. Ratings below 30% don’t receive additional payments for dependents — only veterans rated 30% or higher can add a spouse, children, or dependent parents to their compensation.
| Combined rating | Monthly rate (2026, veteran alone) | Monthly rate (2025, veteran alone) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | $175.51 |
| 20% | $356.66 | $346.95 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $537.42 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $774.16 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,102.04 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,395.93 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,759.19 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,044.89 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,297.96 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $3,831.30 |
No estimating is needed for 2026 — the figures above are VA’s published amounts. The math VA used was the 2025 rate times 1.028: a 70% rating of $1,759.19 in 2025 became $1,808.45 in 2026. If you want to preview a future year’s rate, apply the same method to the newly announced COLA, and treat the result as an estimate until VA posts its table.
How dependents change the math
Once you’re rated 30% or higher, VA adds a fixed monthly amount for each dependent: a spouse, a spouse who requires Aid and Attendance, unmarried children under 18 (or under 23 and in school), and dependent parents. The add-on amount is not a flat number across all ratings — it scales with your combined rating, so a 100% veteran with a spouse gets a larger add-on than a 30% veteran with a spouse. This exists because the whole compensation system is meant to replace earning capacity lost to service-connected disability, and a veteran supporting a family at a higher disability level faces a bigger gap to fill than one at a lower rating.
The categories VA recognizes for added compensation are:
- Spouse (with a smaller additional amount if the spouse needs Aid and Attendance due to their own disability)
- Each unmarried dependent child under 18
- Each dependent child between 18 and 23 who is a full-time student
- A child who became permanently incapable of self-support before age 18
- One or more dependent parents
Because these add-on figures differ by rating tier and are subject to the same annual COLA increase as the base rates, the only reliable place to pull an exact 2026 number is VA.gov’s compensation tables, which list the dependent add-ons rating-by-rating.
Worked example: a 70%-rated veteran with a spouse and two children
Here’s how the calculation actually flows, using VA’s published 2026 figures.
- Start with the base rate for the combined rating. A veteran rated 70% with no dependents receives $1,808.45 per month in 2026 (up from $1,759.19 in 2025).
- Add the dependent amounts for that same 70% tier. VA’s 2026 table lists a 70% veteran with a spouse and one child at $2,074.45, with each additional child under 18 adding $76 — these add-ons rise with rating level, so a 70% veteran’s add-ons are smaller than a 100% veteran’s.
- Sum the base rate and every dependent add-on to reach the total monthly payment.
- Apply the COLA percentage to the whole total, not just the base rate, when 2026 figures are set — VA increases the base rate and dependent add-ons together, by the same percentage.
Under the 2026 table, that veteran’s monthly total is $2,150.45 — $2,074.45 for the 70% spouse-and-one-child rate plus $76 for the second child under 18. If the spouse also qualifies for Aid and Attendance, VA adds $141 at the 70% level. Confirm your own combination on VA.gov’s table before budgeting.
Special Monthly Compensation sits on top of this scale
Veterans with especially severe service-connected conditions — loss of use of a limb, loss of a sense, being housebound, or needing regular Aid and Attendance — may qualify for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC), which pays above and beyond the standard 0–100% schedule. SMC has its own letter-graded rate structure (SMC-K, SMC-L, SMC-S, and so on) and its own annual COLA adjustment. If you think you might qualify — for example, due to loss of use of one hand plus a separate 100% rating — ask your VA regional office or a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) to review your case, because SMC often gets missed when veterans only look at the standard combined-rating table.
Where and when to check your actual 2026 number
VA applied the new COLA-adjusted rates effective December 1, 2025, so the first payment reflecting the 2026 increase landed at the very end of December 2025 / start of January 2026. You don’t need to file anything to get the increase — it’s applied automatically to your existing award. To find your specific 2026 monthly amount:
- Go to VA.gov and search “VA disability compensation rates.”
- Select the table matching your rating tier (10–20%, or 30–100% if you have dependents).
- Match your combined rating and dependent situation to the listed dollar figure.
- Confirm the effective date on the table reads December 1, 2025, so you know you’re looking at the current year’s numbers rather than an old table.
If your award letter or MyVA account shows a different figure than the published table, contact VA directly — individual adjustments (like withholding for overpayments, or SMC add-ons) can change what actually deposits versus the base schedule.
How much does VA disability pay per month in 2026?
The exact 2026 dollar amount depends on your combined disability rating (10% through 100%) and how many dependents you claim. VA calculated the 2026 rates by applying the 2.8% COLA that SSA announced on October 24, 2025 to the 2025 rates. For 2026, a veteran with no dependents receives $180.42 at 10% and $3,938.58 at 100%; veterans rated 30% or higher add amounts for dependents. VA.gov’s compensation rate tables list every combination.
Do I need to reapply to get the annual increase?
No. The COLA increase applies automatically to your existing compensation award. You don’t file a new claim or update your file — VA adjusted the payment amount starting with the December 2025 benefit, which was paid at the end of December 2025 / start of January 2026.
Can I get extra money for my spouse or kids at any disability rating?
Only if your combined rating is 30% or higher. Veterans rated 10% or 20% receive the base compensation amount only, with no additional payment for a spouse, children, or dependent parents, according to VA.gov.
Sources
- VA.gov — Veterans Affairs Disability Compensation Rates: https://www.va.gov/disability/compensation-rates/
- VA.gov — About VA Disability Ratings: https://www.va.gov/disability/
- Social Security Administration — Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information: https://www.ssa.gov/cola/
- VA.gov — Special Monthly Compensation: https://www.va.gov/disability/compensation-rates/special-monthly-compensation-rates/
Related reading
- Social Security COLA for 2026: How Much Bigger Will Your Check Be?
- Medicare Open Enrollment: Dates, What You Can Change, and Costly Mistakes
- Medicare Advantage vs Original Medicare: A Plain-English Comparison