How VA combined ratings work
A combined disability rating uses VA’s combined ratings table. It is not the sum of the individual percentages.
Reviewed
Start with individual ratings
Enter each individual disability percentage you want to combine. Do not enter an existing combined total alongside the individual ratings that already make up that total. That would count the same ratings twice.
The calculator accepts percentages in increments of 10, from 0% through 100%. It does not assign a rating to a condition or tell you what percentage a future claim may receive. For intermediate values above the printed table’s range, it continues the same arithmetic; these values round to a final 100%.
Combine from highest to lowest
Under 38 CFR § 4.25, arrange the individual ratings in descending order. Combine the first two using the table, then use that combined value with the next individual rating. Continue until all of the ratings have been included.
Keep the whole-number combined value from the table for the next step. Do not round to the nearest 10 after each combination.
A simple worked example
For example percentages of 50% and 30%, the combined ratings table gives 65. After all ratings have been combined, 65 rounds to a final combined value of 70%.
If there is also a 20% individual rating, combine that 20 with the intermediate 65 before final rounding. The table gives 72, which rounds to 70%. These are examples of the calculation, not suggested individual ratings.
Round to the nearest 10 once, at the end
The final combined value is converted to the nearest multiple of 10. A value ending in 5 rounds upward. The result is capped at 100%; individual percentages are never simply added together.
The calculator displays both the value before this final rounding and the rounded figure so you can follow the steps.
When a bilateral factor needs separate review
38 CFR § 4.26 describes a bilateral factor for qualifying disabilities of paired extremities or paired skeletal muscles. Whether it applies depends on the disabilities and the rule’s requirements; percentages alone cannot answer that question.
This version of the calculator does not apply a bilateral factor. If you select that one applies, or that you are unsure, it will withhold the calculation and point you to the official rule and accredited help. Do not choose the no-bilateral option simply to get a result when the factor may apply.
Use the result for understanding the math
A number from this calculator is not a new VA decision. It does not account for every issue that may affect benefits, establish entitlement to individual unemployability or special monthly compensation, or calculate payment amounts. Your actual decision and current VA rules control.
For a question about the individual ratings or calculation in your decision, find a VA-accredited representative. The claim services of accredited VSO representatives are free.