Va Fuzzy Math: Calculating Va Disability Rating Percentage For Multiple Conditions
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 Migraine Headaches, 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 Migraine Headaches VA 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.
Youd have to layer in some 70s, 60s, 50s, 30s, etc.
Need help to calculate your combined VA rating?
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About Ryan Guina
Ryan Guina is the founder and editor of The Military Wallet. He is a writer, small business owner, and entrepreneur. He served over 6 years on active duty in the USAF and is a current member of the IL Air National Guard.
Ryan started The Military Wallet in 2007 after separating from active duty military service and has been writing about financial, small business, and military benefits topics since then. He also writes about personal finance and investing at Cash Money Life.
Ryan uses Personal Capital to track and manage his finances. Personal Capital is a free software program that allows him to track his net worth, balance his investment portfolio, track his income and expenses, and much more. You can open a free Personal Capital account here.
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What Can I Do If My Hearing Loss Claim Is Denied
It is not uncommon to receive a denial letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs .
You should not be discouraged as there are other options for pursuing disability benefits.
For starters, veterans have the right to appeal a VA disability denial.
You will need to file a Notice of Disagreement VA Form 21-0958 with the VA.
Some veterans prefer to hire legal representation to help fight the appeal.
You can learn more about the VA disability appeals process by reading the VAs article on it here.
Getting It All: Crsc Military Retirement And Va Disability
Before CRSC, veterans would have to waive their military retirement to receive VA disability payments.
CRSC is an entitlement program that gives veterans access to their retirement income without having to offset their VA disability pay. In the past, military retirees used to forego an equal amount of retirement pay usually awarded by the Department of Defense to get VA disability compensation. This was a wise choice at the time because VA benefits are not taxed and retirement benefits are.
But after years of harsh criticism and intense lobbying, Congress changed the law in 2004 to allow eligible retired veterans to receive both retirement and disability payments at the same time. At first, only veterans with disability ratings of 50 percent or more qualified. Currently, Section 1413a, Title 10 of the United States Code grants the same benefits to veterans with disability ratings of 10 to 30 percent.
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Va Disability In A Divorce
When a veteran has a service-connected disability, she may be entitled to receive VA disability payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs. If the disability rating assigned by the VA is under 50%, then a retired member must waive retirement, dollar for dollar, to receive VA disability.
Why waive retirement to receive disability? Two reasons – first, disability is not taxable, and second, the payments are not divisible by the a domestic relations court.
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How To Increase Your Va Disability Rating
Veterans, now that youve seen the VA rates for conditions chart in 2021, maybe you want to learn how to get the VA disability rating and compensation YOU deserve in less time.
If so, join VA Claims Insider Elite, get instant access to the ELITE Experience Portal and $13,119 worth of proprietary VA claim resources today for FREE, and have our medical team get started on your VA disability claim:
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Your Monthly Payment Amount Is
Have you ever wondered how the VA came up with the combined rating that it gave you? Have you ever noticed that 1 + 1 does not equal 2 with the VA? One of the most common complaints we get from veterans is How in the world did the VA get the combined rating that they did with all the ratings I have?
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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.
How Va Rates Adjustment Disorder
If service connection is established, VA will assign a disability rating based on severity. VA rates adjustment disorder using the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders under 38 CFR § 4.130. Veterans can be assigned a 0, 10, 30, 50, 70, or 100 percent rating. These ratings are based on the level of social and occupational impairment a condition presents. Importantly, veterans are not required to meet all of the criteria listed in a rating level to qualify for that rating.
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Get Help Winning A 100% Disability Rating
As you can see, the criteria to receive a 100% disability rating from the VA is complex and confusing. Even if you think you have a strong case, the VA might argue otherwise. Once the VA makes a decision, it is tough to appeal and get a reversal.
That is why you need a top VA disability lawyer to fight for your benefits. The attorneys at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD have a strong track record getting our clients VA disability. We know how to fight cases the VA, and we can put our tools and resources to work for you.
We offer a free consultation during which you can speak to someone in our office about your situation. We may be able to help. Ready to get started? Call our office today: .
Should I Appeal My 70 Percent Va Disability Rating
As you probably know, if you appeal your 70 percent VA disability rating, the VA has an opportunity to lower your rating. If you truly believe you deserve only a 70 percent VA disability rating, appealing may not be in your best interest.
However, do understand that a large number of veterans successfully appeal their ratings.
Winning a VA disability appeal isnt impossible. You just need to understand how to appeal correctly, write briefs, submit evidence, create new medical reports with experts, legal precedence okay, you get the idea, theres a lot that goes into the appeals process. Appealing a 70 percent VA disability rating is not as easy as filling out a couple of forms like many Veterans Service Officers would have you believe.
This article explores two different scenarios that veterans with a 70 percent VA disability may be considering. The first is appealing for a 100% rating and the second scenario is appealing for TDIU benefits. The next two sections cover the pros and cons of both legal strategies.
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Increase Va Disability Rating Tip #: Focus On High Value Va Disability Claims
A High-Value VA Claim is a disability or condition with a HIGH likelihood of getting rated at 30% or higher on its own.
Focusing on High-Value VA disability claims is a great way to increase your VA disability rating in less time.
These includeVA claims such as Mental Health Conditions , Sleep Apnea Claims, Migraines, and Respiratory Conditions , among others.
Versus a Low-ValueVA Claim, which is a disability or condition with a LOW likelihood of gettingrated at 30% or higher on its own.
These includeVA disability claims like Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, Scars, and MusculoskeletalConditions.
What is the VAs Fuzzy Math?
Veterans must understand that theyre battling against the VAs fuzzy math calculation when trying to increase their service-connected VA rating.
If youre tryingto go from 70% to 100% or 80% to 100%, you must layer in some High Value Claimsor increase the VA rating on conditions already service connected, otherwise,you simply cant get there mathematically.
VA disabilitiesare NOT cumulativeinstead, they are factored into each other, in order, fromhighest VA rating down to lowest rating, and multiplied against one another todetermine your overall combined VA disability rating.
If you havemore than one disability rating from the VA, you can use the VA DisabilityRating Calculator to compute your combined rating in two simple steps.
> > Click HERE to access the VA Compensation Calculator now. < <
60% of yourbody is disabled, which leaves or 40% healthy.
Since The Va Has Lawyers You Should Have One Too
At Woods and Woods, the Veterans Firm, weve helped thousands of veterans with their VA disability applications and appeals. Weve been adding staff and lawyers during the Covid pandemic to better serve disabled veterans in difficult times.
Call us today to discuss your VA disability appeal or your first application. The call is free and we wont charge you a single fee until we win your case. We even pay for the postage for all of the documentation you send to our office. You can look for a VA disability attorney near you or call us and join the thousands of veterans living off of VA disability thanks to Woods and Woods.
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Is It Possible To Receive A 100% Disability Rating
The VA makes achieving a 100% disability rating difficult, but not impossible. However, the VA will pay certain veterans 100% disability compensation, even if the VA has not rated their service-related disabilities at the total level. This compensation program is known as Total Disability for Individual Unemployability , and it was established for disabled veterans who are unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment because of their service-related disability.
Individual unemployability requires the veteran to have one disability rated at 60% or more or, if more than one disability exists, one disability ratable at 40% or more with a combined rating of 70% or more. The VA will grant TDIU benefits to veterans who dont meet the rating requirements, though the evidentiary requirement is slightly higher.
If you have been unable to find and keep a job that provides substantially gainful employment, then it may be in your best interests to explore TDIU. The veterans disability lawyers at George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers can help you compile evidence the VA requires for the maximum disability rating. This may include job records and affidavits from former and/or prospective employers, as well as medical records and expert vocational consultant reports.
About Our Va Disability Calculator
VA Disability Benefits include tax-free monetary compensation and other benefits, depending on the VA Disability Rating. The VAs calculations use a percentage of the Veterans remaining non-disabled percentage when adding the next disability percentage. For example, if a veteran had three disabling conditions rated at 30%, 20% and 20%, the VA would first apply the largest percentage, 30%.
To factor in the next percentage, it would not simply add 20 to 30 and get 50. Rather, it would apply the 20% to the Veterans remaining 70% of non-disability. The resulting 14% would be added to the current rating of 30%, creating a total of 44%. If these were the only two disabilities on hand, this would get rounded down and the Veteran would receive a total disability of 40%.
Next, the third disability rating, 20%, would be applied to the remaining 56% . This would result in an individual rating of 11%. This would then be added to the total of 44%, generating a total disability rating of 55%. This number would then be rounded up, producing the combined disability rating of 60%. Normal math would have reached a 70% disability rating instead.
If all of this seems more than a bit confusing to you, rest assured that you are not alone. Thats why we have provided the calculator above to help you get a better idea of how your disability ratings add up using VA math. Keep in mind that this tool should be used only to get a general idea of how disability ratings are combined.
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What Happens After Va Grants Service Connection For Ptsd
Once a veteran establishes service connection for their PTSD claim, thebattle isnt over. The veteran must do what he can to make sure the VA gives him the correct compensation.
Compensation is based on the rating VA assigns a veteran . This rating is based on how severe the veterans PTSD symptoms are.
Because the ratings are based on the veterans symptoms, its important to have medical records. These records should detail the symptoms the veteran suffers, and how they affect the veterans life.
Again, this is another area where having medical opinions is crucial to building a strong case. The max rating is 100%, but this is hard to get. A lot of veterans end up with a 70% rating and unemployability because they cannot work.
The VA will use a C& P exam to help them determine what the appropriate rating is. A veteran should review the PTSD rating criteria that VA uses. The veteran should discuss with family and friends how they see PTSD affecting the veteran. This will give the veteran evidence he needs to assure the C& P examiner as a full picture of his problems.