Disability Compensation is a tax-free monetary benefit paid to Veterans with disabilities that are the result of a disease or injury incurred or aggravated during active military service. Compensation may also be paid for post-service disabilities that are considered related or secondary to disabilities occurring in service and for disabilities presumed to be related to circumstances of military service, even though they may arise after service. Generally, the degrees of disability specified are also designed to compensate for considerable loss of working time from exacerbation or illnesses.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Compensation benefits require that your disability be service-connected. You must also have separated or been discharged from service under other than dishonorable conditions.
Disability Compensation Your disability must be the result of an injury or disease that was incurred or aggravated while on active duty or active duty for training; or from injury, heart attack, or stroke that occurred during inactive duty training. A disability can apply to physical conditions, such as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, as well as mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
APPLICATION PROCESS
The best way to apply for disability compensation is by obtaining an eBenefits account and applying online. When applying for compensation benefits, you must have access to the following information:
- Discharge or separation papers (DD214 or equivalent)
- Medical evidence (doctor and hospital reports)
- Dependency records (marriage and children’s birth certificates)
Alternatively, you may print and mail-in VA Form 21-526EZ, Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits or call VA at 1-800-827-1000 to have the form mailed to you.
Service members may be able to receive disability compensation benefits sooner if you apply prior to your discharge from service through the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) or Quick Start pre-discharge programs.
Compensation rates for Veterans with a 10% to 20% disability rating
Effective December 1, 2020
Note: If you have a 10% to 20% disability rating, you won’t receive a higher rate even if you have a dependent spouse, child, or parent.
| Disability rating | Monthly payment (in U.S. $) |
| 10% | 144.14 |
| 20% | 284.93 |
Compensation rates for Veterans with a 30% to 100% disability rating
Effective December 1, 2020
With a dependent spouse or parent, but no children
- Compensation rates for 30% to 60% disability rating
- Compensation rates for 70% to 100% disability rating
With dependents, including children
- Compensation rates for 30% to 60% disability rating
- Compensation rates for 70% to 100% disability rating
Note: We’re required by law to match the percentage of cost-of-living adjustments made to Social Security benefits. These adjustments help to make sure that the purchasing power of your benefits keeps up with inflation. You can get the latest cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) information on the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) website.
How to use the tables to find your monthly payment
Find your basic rate
Go to the compensation rates for your disability rating. On the Basic rates table, find the amount for your disability rating and dependent status. This is your monthly basic rate.
Example (Veteran with no children):
If you’re a Veteran with a 30% disability rating, and you have a dependent spouse (no dependent parents or children), your monthly basic rate would be $493.35 each month.
Find your added amounts, if any apply
If your spouse receives Aid and Attendance benefits or you have more than one child, you may qualify for additional monthly payment amounts as listed in the Added amounts table.
First, determine your basic rate.
Example (Veteran with children):
If you’re a Veteran with a 70% disability rating, and you have a spouse, plus 3 dependent children under the age of 18, you would start with the basic rate of $1,656.71 (for a Veteran with a spouse and 1 child).
Next, look at the Added amounts table. Find the amount for children under age 18 ($61.00).
Since your basic rate already provides payment for 1 child, you would add the rate of $61.00 for each additional child (so $61 x 2).
If your spouse receives Aid and Attendance, you would also add $113 (which is the added amount for a spouse receiving Aid and Attendance, for a Veteran with a 70% disability rating).
In our example of a Veteran with 70% disability rating, your total monthly payment amount would be:
$1,656.71 basic rate (1 spouse, 1 child)
+ $61 (second child under 18)
+$61 (third child under 18)
+$113 (spouse who receives Aid and Attendance)
Total $1,891.71