Disability rating is a number that is assigned to a veteran’s injury or illness. That percentage determines your monthly compensation, access to healthcare, and some state benefits. Understanding how the disability rating system works and what your number means is an important part of receiving compensation and benefits for your injuries.
What A Rating Means
The first step of understanding the VA Disability Rating System is to understand what the number actually means:
- 0 percent—Condition is service connected but not compensable.
- 10–100 percent—Paid in 10-percent increments. A higher number equals greater average impairment to earning capacity.
The Schedule For Rating Disabilities
VA’s schedule assigns criteria for each body system. Example: For the knee, limited flexion of 15 degrees equals 30 percent, while flexion of 60 degrees equals 0 percent. Examiners measure your symptoms against that chart; raters match the measurements to the percentages.
Determining Combined Ratings
The VA does not simply add percentages. Rather, it combines them one at a time. Ratings are applied to the uncompensated portion that remains after each calculation. A veteran rated 50 percent for PTSD and 30 percent for back pain is not at 80 percent.
To determine a combined rating, keep your highest rating as-is and take the next rating and apply it only to what is left. Taking the above numbers as an example: If you have 50 % for PTSD, that leaves 50 % of your ability “uncompensated.” You then apply a 30% back pain rating to the leftover 50%. 30% of 50 is 15. The 15 is added to the original 50% to equal 65%. Remember that VA rounds to the nearest ten. A combined 65 % becomes 70 % while 64 % would round down to 60 %.
If disabilities affect opposite limbs—such as right shoulder, left knee—VA adds 10 percent of their combined value before feeding it into the overall equation. That bump often nudges totals to the next tier.
A 100 percent Permanent and Total rating bars routine future exams and unlocks additional benefits. VA labels P&T when medical evidence shows no reasonable expectation of improvement. A 100% rating and TDIU pay the same. The difference between the two is that 100 percent is not dependent on inability to maintain substantially gainful employment.
Attorneys such as Gregory M. Rada, Attorney at Law know that ratings can be reduced, but only after VA follows due-process notice rules and only if evidence shows sustained improvement under ordinary conditions of life. If you believe that your rating has been unfairly reduced, you may be able to take action to rectify this. A VA rating reduction lawyer can help you understand the process of doing so and guide you through the necessary steps.
Contact A Lawyer Today
Understanding the rating schedule, VA math, and the bilateral factor prepares you to read decision letters with confidence—and challenge them when the numbers don’t add up. While the steps involved in challenging a rating may seem complicated, with professional legal assistance it can be made easy.