What Are 2021 Va Disability Rates
Based upon the September 2020 report on inflation from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the Social Security Administration announced that there would be a cost of living adjustment to VA disability compensation for 2021.
VA disability rates 2021 were released on October 13, 2020. The new 2021 VA disability rates were effective December 1, 2020, and disabled veterans saw the new increase starting with January 1, 2021 VA compensation payments.
The COLA increase of 1.3% was small this time around, due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the low inflation rate.
For example, if you were previously receiving $1,000 per month tax-free, a 1.3% pay increase is $13, so your compensation pay in 2021 would go up to $1,013 per month.
What Is The Average Va Compensation For Hearing Loss
According to Veterans United, the average veteran receives $435 per month at a 30% disability rating.
Meanwhile, the same veteran at a 50% disability rating would receive nearly $900 per month.
The VA determines your disability rating after a medical review of the condition and the compensation levels are subject to change.
Moreover, the compensation rates do change based on the number of dependents.
For example, a veteran claiming a spouse only will receive less in monthly disability compared to a veteran with a spouse and other dependents.
Contact a VA representative for more information on the claims process and potential disability payouts.
How Much Is Va Disability Your 2021 Guide To Va Disability Compensation
Veterans trying to make their way through the process of filing a disability claim often come away with more questions than answers about ratings and compensation.
Understanding the complicated paperwork and the VAs unique way of doing math can make it confusing to determine how much VA disability compensation you might receive.
If youve ever scratched your head trying to figure out just how much is VA disability and where can you go for help with your claim, then youve come to the right place!
At VA Claims Insider were veterans helping veterans, and we know how challenging the VA disability claims process can be. We also know how important it is to understand that process so you can get the rating and compensation you deserve by law.
Lets take a look at some common questions related to how much is VA disability?including how to calculate your compensation, how disability ratings affect compensation, and how to get help with your claim.
You DESERVE a HIGHER VA rating.WE CAN HELP.
Take advantage of a FREE VA Claim Strategy Session with an experienced Veteran Coach. Learn what youve been missing so you can FINALLY get the disability rating and compensation youve earned for your service.
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Free Va Claim Consultation
Are you overwhelmed with the VA claims process? Want to know if you have a case? Give our veterans disability benefits lawyers a call. We can talk about your 70 percent VA disability rating and examine what you should do next. Remember, theres a chance we look at your rating and tell you to accept what you have. Well be brutally honest with you about your claim. There is never a cost for a consultation.
What Happens If You Have 60 Va Disability
In our experience at VA Claims Insider, many disabled veterans with 60 VA disability are stuck, frustrated, and underrated, meaning you do NOT currently have the VA disability compensation benefits they deserve by law. This means you could be missing out on thousands of dollars of VA disability benefits for you, your spouse, and your dependents.
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Veteran Disability Compensation Pay Rates
the Department of Veterans Affairs websiteDependents Allowance:Without Children:You may also be interested in: Dependency & Indemnity Compensation a VA benefit for survivors of disabled veterans.10% 20%
| Percentage |
| Veteran with Spouse and One Parent | $505.89 |
| Veteran with Spouse and Two Parents | $545.67 |
| Additional for A/A spouse | $46.00 |
| Veteran with Spouse and One Parent | $1,573.56 |
| Veteran with Spouse and Two Parents | $1,666.38 |
| Additional for A/A spouse | $105.00 |
| Veteran with Spouse and Child | $507.93 |
| Veteran with Spouse, One Parent and Child | $542.61 |
| Veteran with Spouse, Two Parents and Child | $582.39 |
| Veteran with One Parent and Child | $489.57 |
| Veteran with Two Parents and Child | $529.35 |
| Add for Each Additional Child Under Age 18 | $24.00 |
| Each Additional Schoolchild Over Age 18 | $80.00 |
| Additional for A/A spouse | $46.00 |
| Veteran with Spouse and Child | $1,565.40 | |
| Veteran with Spouse, One Parent and Child | $1,658.22 | |
| Veteran with Spouse, Two Parents and Child | $1,751.04 | |
| Veteran with One Parent and Child | $1,535.82 | |
| Veteran with Two Parents and Child | $1,628.74 | |
| Add for Each Additional Child Under Age 18 | $57.00 | |
| Each Additional Schoolchild Over Age 18 | $186.00 | |
| Additional for A/A spouse | $107.00 | $152.06 |
FOOTNOTES:VA Travel Reimbursement
Types Of 100 Percent Va Disability Ratings
Total disability ratings, or 100 percent disability ratings, from the Department of Veterans Affairs are often confusing to veterans, particularly because they are unsure if they can work after receiving this rating.
The Savannah veterans disability attorneys of The Nye Law Group have put together a helpful guide to 100 percent VA disability ratings. The guide explains the different types of total disability ratings and when you can work if you have received one of these ratings.
If you are struggling to obtain the benefits you are entitled, our experienced VA disability lawyers may be able to help you. Contact us today for a free, no obligation legal consultation.
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With A Dependent Spouse Or Parent But No Children
Find the dependent status in the left column that best describes you. Then look for your disability rating in the top row. Your monthly basic rate is where your dependent status and disability rating meet.
If your spouse receives Aid and Attendance benefits, be sure to also look at the Added amounts table, and add it to your amount from the Basic rates table.
| Dependent status | 30% disability rating | 40% disability rating | 50% disability rating | 60% disability rating | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dependent status | 30% disability rating | 441.35 | 40% disability rating | 635.77 | 50% disability rating | 905.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,146.39 |
| With spouse | 30% disability rating | 493.35 | 40% disability rating | 705.77 | 50% disability rating | 992.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,251.39 |
| With spouse and 1 parent | 30% disability rating | 535.35 | 40% disability rating | 761.77 | 50% disability rating | 1,062.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,335.39 |
| With spouse and 2 parents | 30% disability rating | 577.35 | 40% disability rating | 817.77 | 50% disability rating | 1,132.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,419.39 |
| With 1 parent | 30% disability rating | 483.35 | 40% disability rating | 691.77 | 50% disability rating | 975.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,230.39 |
| With 2 parents | 30% disability rating | 525.35 | 40% disability rating | 747.77 | 50% disability rating | 1,045.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,314.39 |
If your spouse receives Aid and Attendance benefits, be sure to also look at the Added amounts table, and add it to your amount from the Basic rates table.
Should I Appeal My 70 Percent Va Disability Rating For Individual Unemployability Or A 100% Rating
This article is dedicated to veterans that receive 70 percent VA disability ratings. Many veterans that receive a 70% VA rating consider appealing for a 100% rating. Because you received a 70 percent VA disability rating, you might also be considering Individual Unemployability benefits. This article will weigh the pros and cons of appealing for a higher compensation rate.
If you have more questions after reading this article, feel free to reach out to us. We can talk about your claim and if we think you could obtain a higher compensation rate.
Woods and Woods, The Veterans Firm, has been adding staff during the Covid-19 pandemic to help serve more veterans.
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Are 100% Va Ratings Permanent
Importantly, a 100 percent disability rating is not automatically permanent however, there are certain situations in which a 100 percent rating is granted permanent status. For example, if a 100 percent disability rating is in place for 20 years or more, VA is not going to reduce that rating unless there is evidence of fraud in the initial rating being assigned. If it is less than 20 years, VA can pursue a rating reduction, but there needs to be both material improvement and improvement under ordinary conditions. VA cannot rely on a simple examination showing improvement when issuing a rating reduction.
About Va Disability Compensation
VA disability pay is a monthly tax-free monetary benefit paid to veterans as a result of their service-connected disability and is intended to compensate veterans for loss of quality of life and civilian employability. Compensation may also be paid for post-service disabilities that are considered related or secondary to disabilities that occurred during 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 are designed to compensate for considerable loss of working time from exacerbations or illnesses.
VA disability rate increases are determined by Cost-of-Living-Adjustments . To calculate the VA disability rate increase the average of the COLA indices of July, August, and September 2020 was compared with the 2019 3rd quarter average. See our COLA increase watch for more information on how 2021 VA disability rates will be determined.
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Special Monthly Compensation Rate Payment Variations
Effective December 1, 2020
Levels K and Q are special rates called SMC rate payment variations. We may add Level K to your basic SMC rate.
| How this payment variation works | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| SMC letter designation | 111.74 | How this payment variation works | If you qualify for SMC-K, we add this rate to your basic disability compensation rate for any disability rating from 0% to 100%. We also add this rate to all SMC basic rates except SMC-O, SMC-Q, and SMC-R. You may receive 1 to 3 SMC-K awards in addition to basic and SMC rates. |
| SMC letter designation | 67.00 | How this payment variation works | This is a protected rate that we havent awarded since August 19, 1968. If we awarded you an SMC-Q designation, we pay this rate in place of your basic disability compensation rate. |
Va Scheduler Benefits For 100 % Disabled Veterans:
A 100% rating is the top of the schedule among 100%, 60%, and 80%. 100% is indicating total disability of veteran. According to this rating, the disable veteran is eligible for the maximum VA scheduler benefit, which, as of 2019, is just more than $3,000 per month.
The veteran when submits their application for review to veteran affairs department, the person who decides to approve their claim also assigns them a disability rating. If the veteran has a convincing the supporting documentation in file, the better chance they have of getting a higher rating.
VA department uses the disability rating system to put a digit on what it perceives as their level of disability. The rating schedule for a 100 percent disabled is given below that completely gives the data about the amount of money given to 100% disabled veteran and their family on monthly basis.
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Symptoms Of Hearing Loss
Chronic exposure to loud noises and aging both contribute to hearing loss which is common in most adults 65 or older.
There are other factors that can contribute to temporary hearing loss such as excessive earwax.
If you are having problems with your ears and hearing, you should schedule an appointment with a medical professional or ear specialist.
There are several signs and symptoms attributed to hearing loss:
- Muffling of speech/sounds
- Frequently asking others to speak louder or more slowly.
- Needing to turn the volume up high on electronic devices.
Hearing loss is detrimental enough that it can cause victims to want to withdraw from social settings and conversations to avoid the inconvenience.
As a result, hearing loss can start to negatively alter other functions of your lifestyle which makes finding treatment important.
Once again, you should speak with a medical professional if you are having issues with your hearing.
Va Math: The Fuzzy Math Behind Your Va Disability Rating
If you have one disability, then the rating for that disability and the rating for your total disability will be one and the same.
However, most of us have more than one service-connected disability.
So how does the VA consider all of them and wind up with one combined VA rating percentage?
If you receive several ratings for corresponding disabilities, they will not just be added together in a cumulative nature.
If you are rated at 70% for PTSD and 50% for Sleep Apnea, you wont be 70% + 50% = 120% disabled.
Why?
Because its physically impossible to be more than 100% disabled.
Instead, the VA starts with your highest overall rating, multiplies the next highest rating into the previous one, adds it on, and so on.
In the example I just gave, the VA would take the highest rating first, the 70% for PTSD.
According to that number, they would assume that 100% 70% = 30% of you is still healthy.
Then they multiply that remaining 30% by the rating for your Sleep Apnea disability, which is 50%.
Take 50% of 30% and you wind up with 15%.
Add that 15% onto the original 70%, and you wind up with an 85% total disability rating, which would be rounded up to a 90% combined VA disability rating.
The process continues for each disability remaining from highest to lowest.
Is that clear?
Clear as mud, but its the system we have.
But rather than trying to run your own calculations, just use our FREE Combined VA Rating Calculator above!
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How Does The Va Rate Disabilities
When it comes to service connected compensation claims, the VA takes the view that it should not add whole numbers together to get your rating but, instead, the VA takes percentages of percentages. It is as if the VA says if you are 10% disabled then you are 90% healthy. Therefore, the next rating is not added but is used to take a percentage of the healthy 90%. So for a veteran with two 10 ratings the first ten percent rating would be 10% of 100, which is 10%. The second ten percent rating would be 10% of the 90% , which is 9%. So the combined rating would be 19%. The percentages are all rounded up or down to the nearest ten percent. Here, the rating would be rounded to 20%.
The combined rating system starts to work against a veteran when he gets closer to 100%. It gets harder and harder to get that higher rating, especially once a veteran is over 50%. For instance, if a veteran has a ratings of 50% for PTSD, 50% for Sleep Apnea, a rating of 20% for diabetes and 20% for a back problem the combined rating is 80%. So even though 50+50+20+20 equals 140 in real math it is only 80 in VA math.
Combined Rating System For Multiple Disabilities
The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes that former service members may have incurred more than one disability or had a pre-existing condition made worse while on active duty. Veterans applying for a combined disability rating must submit relevant medical records for each disability. Here is how the VA assigns a combined disability rating:
Using its internal Combined Rating Table, the VA lists the most severe disability first and the least severe disability last. After assigning a disability rating to each condition, the VA rounds the combined rating to the nearest 10th percentile.
Veterans should keep in mind that the VA uses a different formula to calculate each disability percentage. For example, one disability rating of 50 percent and another of 30 percent does not mean the veteran will automatically receive an 80 percent combined disability rating. The actual figure is likely to be closer to 65 percent, which the VA then rounds to 70 percent.
In another combined disability rating example provided by the VA, a veteran filing a disability claim has a 40 percent disability rating with the first service-related condition and a 20 percent disability rating for the second issue. The Combined Rating Table assigned this veteran a total disability rating of 52 percent. Since VA disability compensation only pays in what they refer to as whole percentages, the adjuster would convert the 52 percent rating to the nearest whole number divided by 10, which would be 50.
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How Are The Rates Determined
Congress designed the rates to reflect the projected amount of lost income that results from a veteran’s disability. The rating percentages reflect the severity of the condition, so a 30% rating for a single veteran with no dependents means that $441.35 should cover the economic cost of the disability, while a 100% rating needs $3,146.42.