VA Disability Rating Chart – VA Granted Me an Increased Disability Rating, but My Overall Rating Didn’t Change! Did VA Take Away the Grant? Why Doesn’t 60% + 30% = 90%?!
One of the most common complaints we hear is that it appears that VA took away part of a veteran’s service connected disability compensation benefits when it granted an award. That is, VA awarded an increased disability rating, but the overall compensation did not change, or the disability ratings assigned do not “add up” correctly. So it appears VA granted more benefits with one hand, but took away all or part of them with the other.
This normally occurs when VA awards a veteran a compensable (greater than 0%) disability rating for two or more disabilities. For example, a veteran may be awarded compensation at the 60% rate for one disability and the 50% rate for another disability. Simple math dictates that the veteran is entitled to a 110% disability rating. However, VA did not award a 110% rating; rather, it awarded an 80% disability rating, which appears to be a 30% reduction.
Congress permits VA to award disability ratings from 10% to 100%, in 10% increments, for a “schedular” disability rating. No award can be greater than 100% on a schedular basis. To know if a disability has been rated as “schedular,” – that is, based on VA’s Schedule of Rating Disabilities – there usually is a four or eight digit code numeric and a percentage assigned to the disability within the rating decision. (VA may assign extraschedular ratings or special monthly compensation, which are benefits generally beyond those permitted by the Schedule, but these benefits are outside the scope of this post.)
Because Congress does not allow disability ratings greater than 100%, VA cannot assign a higher disability rating. In other words, this is the upper limit of what VA can award on a schedular basis. When a veteran carries a 100% rating, he or she is considered totally disabled; the law uses the phrase “a total rating” to describe a 100% disability rating. Regardless of the number of disabilities or how great the aggregate disability ratings, no veteran may be assigned a disability rating greater than 100% or be more disabled than “total” for VA rating purposes.
The “110% disabled” veteran may then ask why VA did not simply award him 100% disability, since the ratings show him to be more than 100% disabled? VA uses a somewhat complicated formula to determine how each of these disabilities affects the veteran, and that formula is what is responsible for “VA math” – that is, the apparent reduction in the overall disability rating.
Disabled veterans, of course, may have multiple disabilities. Independently rated, the sum of each disability rating is often larger than what VA actually awards. This is so because VA uses the Combined Ratings Table at 38 C.F.R. § 4.25 to calculate how various disability ratings are combined into an award. According to § 4.25, VA considers the effects of the most disabling condition to the least disabling condition on the veteran.
This is how it works, for example: If a veteran carries a 60% disability rating, he or she is 40% efficient (non-disabled). Stated another way, this veteran retains 40% of the ability to work. If that same veteran also carries an additional separate 30% disability rating, of the 40% of his or her original efficiency that previously remained, he or she lost 30% of that 40% (that is, he or she retains only 70% of that 40%). This leaves the veteran only 28% efficient, or 72% disabled.
It may be easier to think of it this way: Presume you have a 10 ounce glass of water, and you pour out 60% of that water. What is left is 4 ounces, or 40% of the water. Of that water that remains, you pour out another 30%. That is, only 70% of the 4 ounces remains. There is now only 2.8 ounces, or 28%, of the water that was in the full 10 ounce glass; 7.2 ounces, or 72%, of the water is now gone.
Analogous to the glass of water is a veteran’s disabilities. In this scenario, ordinary math would result in a 90% disability rating, but when the ratings are combined using the formula in § 4.25, the veteran is considered 72% disabled.
Because Congress only authorized disability ratings in 10% increments, VA rounds the final calculation to the nearest 10%, rounding the end number of 1-4 down and of 5-9 up. Therefore, VA will award our veteran a 70% disability rating.
The same considerations apply for the “110% disabled” veteran as those who have ratings of less than 100%. Using VA’s combined ratings formula, the 60% and 50% disability ratings combine to create an 80% disability rating. If the veteran is service connected for another disability, then that disability will be factored into the overall award. In the alternative, had the veteran already obtained a 100% rating, VA would ignore the additional award out of necessity.
Because of “VA math,” not every award will result in additional compensation. Say VA awards this same veteran, who has an 80% disability rating, an additional 20% disability rating for another disability. The overall compensation award would remain the same! VA takes the 80% rating and factors the 20% additional disability onto that, resulting in an 82% rating, which rounds down to 80%. Therefore, it appears that VA ignored the new 20% award! It did not; that is just the way VA math works.
The Combined Ratings Table can be found here: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2005/julqtr/pdf/38cfr4.25.pdf
Doesn’t this seem to turn what could be a simple process into something excessively complicated? Could “VA Math” be part of the reason the VA is so back logged? How many Veterans benefits could be paid for by the billions of dollars dumped into programs for the military that will never even be utilized in their designed capacity? I guess these are just questions that should never be addressed, just incase they present valid points.
Very informative and easy to follow post, just letting you know at the end you said giving an additional 20% to someone already rated with 80% would leave them with 82%; actually it would be 84% (.2X20). Not that important, just thought you might want to know. Thanks for the informative post!
In common math 60% plus 30% equals 90%. However, the way the VA “combines” disability ratings, 60 = 30 = 72. Why? Because the highest rating, in this case the 60% rating, is deducted from 100 %, leaving the veteran 40% “abled”. The 30% comes out of the remaining 40%, meaning that 30% of 40% = 12%. Therefore, instead of 60 + 30 = 90, The VA combines 60% and 30% and gets 72%, which is probably rounded down to the nearest 10%. Not really complicated, bu my combined 30% + 30%+10%+10% equals 60%, not the expected 80%. It probably does not slow down the VA’s processing of a claim, just cuts into the veteran’s cash flow.
In common math 60% plus 30% equals 90%. However, the way the VA “combines” disability ratings, 60 + 30 = 72. Why? Because the highest rating, in this case the 60% rating, is deducted from 100 %, leaving the veteran 40% “abled”. The 30% comes out of the remaining 40%, meaning that 30% of 40% = 12%. Therefore, instead of 60 + 30 = 90, The VA combines 60% and 30% and gets 72%, which is probably rounded down to the nearest 10%. Not really complicated, bu my combined 30% + 30%+10%+10% equals 60%, not the expected 80%. It probably does not slow down the VA’s processing of a claim, just cuts into the veteran’s cash flow.
This was exceptionally helpful. I may not be correct, but in the last paragraph, wouldn’t the actual percentage be 84% (instead of 82%), still rounded down to 80%?
Great article! I am not getting compensation yet, but when I do, I will remeber how it works. Thanks
My question is if I have a disability of 50% or lower does the VA take that amount of monies from my retirement pay?
I have a somewhat related question. How does the VA get away with awarding separate percentages for disabilities and residuals that are clearly connected? I received a 30% award for one disability and two separate awards of 10% each for residuals that are directly related to the primary disability. In my view, all related issues should be lumped together and I should get a 50% rating for that one disability. Fortunately, I had an unrelated 10% rating that brought me to an overall rounded 50% rating.
Two disabilities, one at 80% and one at 20% combine to 84% (not 82%). It still rounds down to 80% though.
Injured over 10 years ago while working with the Army. No orthopedic doctors in Anchorage and surrounding area’s would accept Federal Comp. The only medical treatment available was manipulation; I appreciated the help but to no avail; nothing was helping. Things a drawing down for me; I’m severly disabled and can’t sleep nights let alone go through my day miserable. Because of the medication and lack of sleep have latent affects (Blackouts); no warnings are there to help to stop a car while driving or while at work. I had to forgo going to work because the supervisor would not allow me to alternate my arrival and departture times so I’m not in heavy traffic. I could not live with myself if I ever brought harm to anyone just because I needed a job. I’ve suffered the lack of assistance from my employer and the mediacal community with exception of those who have tried to help, mainly my doctor. The physical performance evaluation rated me at 80% disability. I can barely accomplish any labor and not alot that requires a clear head. I was contacted by someone from the VA; they wanted to know if I had other insurance than WC; I told him they (the Army) is arguing support; arguing all sorts of stuff that wasn’t an issue earlier, just to delay support. The Blue Cross I had while working with the Army; I told the gentleman I had no other insurance to help pay for the evaluation. He thanked me for the information and that’s the last I’ve heard from them. I still need the disability rating; I’m running out of time. The end of this month they OWCP will make a ruling.
how does it work when you had a 60% disability and they assign two new disabilities that are different and combine them with already existing disabilities but remain at 60%; does a person get retroactive pay from the claim date for the new disabilites that are rated even though the disability amount remains at 60%? I haven’t received my official letter yet, just the unofficial one from the DAV. Thanks,
Patty… No, if your disability rating has not increased, you will not get any further retroactive ammounts; however, if you have paid any out of pocket medical expenses, or co-pays, within the “Date of Claim”, then you are entitled to be riembursed the money that you have paid for the condition in which you’ve just become service connected for. Based on the VA’s Combined Rating Chart, your combined evaluation has not changed, per say.
Okay, I’m a some what smart guy and a college student and still can’t understand this. I have the following disability ratings 20, 20, 10, 10, 10, 10,10, 10, 10, 10,10, My over all is 80%, but I really don’t know how the math works with all the ratings I have. When I did the math I got 20+20 = 36, 10+10= 19 so 19*4= 76 ??? I’m also going to go and have a another disability (which was denied) looked over to add it to my service connected (TBI) so how is that going to be factor into the mix ? Am I going to have to get a 50% or more to get a higher disability rating for over all 90% ? OR because it was denied before does that change the rating? Sorry for all the questions, but it seems the VA wants to drive the people that are injured from serving their country mad before they want to pay for their injuries.
I have a 100% P&T, additional 50%, plus additional 10%, Total 155% rounded to 160%. Am I entitled to Special Monthly Compensation “S” Housebound?
I am retired from the army after 20 yrs. I was awarded 50% disability with VA almost 10 yrs ago. 20% R Knee/20% L Knee and 10% on hands. I was given these ratings from surgeries I obtained while on active duty. I have degenerate knee joints. This rating was given to me almost 10yrs ago. My knees and hands have degeneratively worsened over this period of time. I did an inquire through an email to VA. They stated they were going to generate my request for a rate increase and send me something in the mail. This was months ago and I have still not seen or heard anything from them. What should I do?
My combined rating is 100%, can I still work unlimited?
@Robbie Stephey
Go to your local va reps or call 1 800 827 1000 and tell them you want to submit a claim for an increase in your rating. But I should warn you, the va is tricky, any evidence you have or can get to support your claim should be submitted, ie private dr exams, X-rays, mri’s, etc… Good luck
Ok everybody….i work for the VA and here is the link to find out how the rating system works… http://www.benefits.va.gov/warms/bookc.asp the chart is in section 4.25-combined rating tables. its very easy to use. just scoll down till you see it on the main page and as a disabled veteran of 80% but actually 130% i think the VA math system sucks too!!! hope this helps out guys…look around on this page also because it explains EVERYTHING the VA uses to evaluate our service connected disabilities….EXACTLY what they are looking for to give us increases…play the system people if you know what i mean! good luck