Key Takeaways
- VA disability pay rises 3.6% for 2027, the same COLA Social Security recipients get.
- A 100% rating with no dependents rises to about $4,080.37 a month, up $141.79.
- The first higher payment arrives December 31, 2026, for December's benefits.
- Gulf War undiagnosed illnesses must be 10% disabling by December 31, 2026 to use the presumption.
VA disability compensation rises 3.6% for 2027, matching the Social Security COLA that SSA announced on October 14, 2026. A veteran rated 100% with no dependents goes from $3,938.58 to about $4,080.37 a month, roughly $142 more.
The new rates take effect December 1, 2026. Because VA pays a month behind, the first higher deposit lands on December 31, 2026 (January 1 is a holiday).
2027 VA Disability Pay Chart (Veteran Alone)
These are the basic monthly rates for a veteran with no spouse, children or dependent parents. I calculated the 2027 column by applying 3.6% to VA’s 2026 rates, the same way VA does.
| Rating | 2026 | 2027 (3.6%) | Raise |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | $186.92 | +$6.50 |
| 20% | $356.66 | $369.50 | +$12.84 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $572.36 | +$19.89 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $824.49 | +$28.65 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,173.68 | +$40.78 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,486.68 | +$51.66 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,873.55 | +$65.10 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,177.83 | +$75.68 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,447.34 | +$85.04 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,080.37 | +$141.79 |
VA posts its official 2027 tables once the annual veterans’ COLA law is signed, usually in late fall. That law has matched the Social Security percentage every year. I’ll swap in VA’s published figures as soon as they’re out; expect any difference to be a matter of cents.
Your exact amount will be on VA.gov’s compensation rates page and your benefits letter. Military retirees get the same 3.6% on retired pay; my 2027 military pay dates post shows when each deposit lands.
How Dependents Change Your 2027 Payment
At 10% and 20%, VA pays the same flat rate no matter your family situation. Starting at a 30% combined rating, VA adds money for:
- A spouse
- Each child under 18 (or under 23 if a full-time student)
- A spouse who needs Aid and Attendance
- Dependent parents
The add-ons grow with your rating. For example, a 100% veteran with a spouse got $4,158.17 in 2026. At 3.6%, that’s about $4,307.86 in 2027.
Tom is rated 70% with a spouse and one child. His whole check, base rate plus both add-ons, rises 3.6%, so the dependent amounts get the raise too.
Angela is rated 20% and recently married. Her 2027 check is $369.50 either way, since dependents don’t add anything below 30%.
When the Raise Shows Up
VA pays on the first business day of the month for the month before. So December 2026 benefits, the first at the 2027 rate, arrive December 31, 2026.
Several 2027 deposits move up because the 1st falls on a weekend or holiday. My 2027 VA disability payment dates post has every date, including the months with two deposits.
Why Your Combined Rating Isn’t Simple Addition
VA doesn’t add your ratings together. It applies each additional rating to the part of you that’s still considered “able,” then rounds to the nearest 10.
A 50% rating and a 30% rating don’t make 80%. The 30% applies to the remaining 50%, adding 15 points for a combined 65%, which rounds to 70%. Use VA’s combined ratings table rather than doing it by hand.
Special Monthly Compensation
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) pays more than the standard chart for situations like loss of use of a limb, blindness or needing regular Aid and Attendance. SMC rates get the same 3.6% increase for 2027.
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Gulf War Presumptives: The December 31, 2026 Deadline
This one is time-sensitive. For Gulf War undiagnosed illnesses, the condition has to show up and be at least 10% disabling by December 31, 2026 to use the presumption. That’s the date VA set when it last extended the window in 2021.
The covered conditions are Medically Unexplained Chronic Multisymptom Illnesses, including chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and functional gastrointestinal disorders, plus undiagnosed-illness symptom clusters. You need Southwest Asia theater service on or after August 2, 1990.
If you’ve had symptoms for six months or more and haven’t filed, I wouldn’t wait for VA to extend the date again. File every related condition in one claim, and write down when symptoms started and how they limit work and daily life.
PACT Act Presumptives: Burn Pits and Agent Orange
The PACT Act, signed August 10, 2022, created a separate list of toxic-exposure presumptions with no end date. A few conditions still get missed:
- Hypertension and MGUS were added to the Agent Orange list for veterans with qualifying Vietnam-era or other covered service.
- Male breast cancer, urethral cancer and cancer of the paraurethral glands were added to the burn pit list in June 2024. That covers Southwest Asia service since August 2, 1990, and several post-9/11 locations including Afghanistan, Djibouti, Syria and Yemen. Benefits can be backdated to August 10, 2022.
If VA denied one of these before it became presumptive, file a supplemental claim. You no longer have to prove the exposure caused it, which is usually where the first claim failed.
What Could Move VA Pay in 2028
The 2028 increase will again match the Social Security COLA, which SSA announces in mid-October 2027 from July through September 2027 inflation. No one has a credible forecast yet; early estimates usually start in January.
If inflation cools toward the 2% to 3% range many forecasters expect, a 100% rating would land around $4,160 to $4,200 in 2028. That’s my rough math, not a projection from VA.
The other things I’m watching:
- The Gulf War window. Whether VA extends the December 31, 2026 deadline, and for how long.
- The annual COLA law. Congress passes it every year; there’s a recurring push to make the increase automatic.
- Claims backlog. The faster VA works through PACT Act claims, the sooner back pay reaches veterans.
My 2027 Social Security COLA breakdown will track the first 2028 estimates. Veterans who also draw Social Security can use my guide to when to claim Social Security, since that decision often comes up around the same time.
Mistakes I See Veterans Make
Expecting the raise in January. The 2027 rate starts with the December 31, 2026 deposit. There’s no VA deposit dated in January 2027 at all; the next one lands February 1.
Assuming dependents always add money. Below 30%, they don’t change your check at all.
Adding ratings by hand. VA’s combined ratings formula isn’t addition. A 50% and a 30% make 70%, not 80%.
Waiting on a rating increase. If a service-connected condition has gotten worse, you can file for an increase any time. Unlike Medicare open enrollment, there’s no window.
Missing the Gulf War deadline. If you have qualifying symptoms, December 31, 2026 is the date that matters right now.
