Cross & York Editorial
VA Combined Rating Table: How the VA Math Actually Works
By Rick Gregory, Legal Specialist
TL;DR
- The VA does not add disability ratings together. It uses a "whole person" method where each new rating applies to the percentage of ability still remaining.
- Two 50% ratings do not equal 100%. They combine to 75%, which rounds to 80% after the VA applies its rounding rules.
- The VA combined rating table is the official lookup tool for these calculations before rounding.
- If your combined rating is at least 70% with one condition at 40% or more, you may qualify for Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU), which pays at the 100% rate.
- A lower-than-expected combined rating is appealable. You have the right to challenge it.
If you have ever added up your individual VA disability ratings and wondered why the number on your award letter looks nothing like your math, you are not alone. The VA combined rating table is at the center of this confusion, and it trips up thousands of veterans every year. This post explains exactly how the system works, walks through a real numerical example, and shows you what to do if you think your rating is wrong.
For a general overview of how ratings work from the start, see our disability rating guide.
How does the VA calculate combined disability ratings?
The VA uses a method called the "whole person theory." The idea is straightforward even if the math feels counterintuitive.
Think of yourself as 100% of a whole person at the start. When the VA assigns your first and highest disability rating, it takes that percentage away from your whole person. What remains is your "remaining efficiency."
Every additional disability rating is then applied to that remaining amount, not to the original 100%.
Here is the process the VA follows:
- List all rated disabilities from highest percentage to lowest.
- Take the highest rating and subtract it from 100. That remainder is your remaining efficiency.
- Multiply the next highest rating by that remaining efficiency. The result is the additional disability added by that condition.
- Add the two values together to get a combined value (still unrounded).
- Repeat for every additional disability, always using the unrounded combined value from the previous step.
- Round the final combined value to the nearest 10%. Values ending in 1 through 4 round down. Values ending in 5 through 9 round up.
This is why your ratings never seem to add up. The VA combined rating table is simply a printed version of this calculation, showing the intersection of any two ratings before rounding.
VA combined rating table
The table below shows combined values for common rating pairs, before rounding. To use it: find the higher rating in the left column, find the lower rating in the top row, and read the value where they intersect.
| Higher \ Lower | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 19 | 28 | 37 | 46 | 55 | 64 | 73 |
| 20 | 28 | 36 | 44 | 52 | 60 | 68 | 76 |
| 30 | 37 | 44 | 51 | 58 | 65 | 72 | 79 |
| 40 | 46 | 52 | 58 | 64 | 70 | 76 | 82 |
| 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 | 70 | 75 | 80 | 85 |
| 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 |
| 70 | 73 | 76 | 79 | 82 | 85 | 88 | 91 |
| 80 | 82 | 84 | 86 | 88 | 90 | 92 | 94 |
| 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 |
How to read the table: A veteran with a 50% rating and a 30% rating lands at 65 on the table. The VA rounds 65 up to 70%. That is the combined rating, not 80%.
For three or more conditions, take the combined (unrounded) value from the first two, treat it as the new "higher" rating, then look it up against the third condition. Repeat until all conditions are included, then round at the very end.
Why doesn't the VA combined rating table show 50% plus 50% as 100%?
This is the single most common question veterans have about combined ratings, and the answer comes directly from how the whole person theory works.
Here is the math step by step:
Step 1: Your first condition is rated at 50%. The VA treats you as 50% disabled. You have 50% remaining efficiency.
Step 2: Your second condition is also rated at 50%. But that 50% applies to your remaining 50%, not to the full 100%. So: 50% of 50% = 25% additional disability.
Step 3: Add the two together: 50% + 25% = 75% combined (unrounded).
Step 4: Round 75 to the nearest 10%. Since 5 rounds up, your final rating is 80%.
So 50% plus 50% does not equal 100%. It equals 80% after rounding. You are not being cheated. This is how the math works by design. The logic is that no matter how many disabilities a veteran has, the total cannot exceed 100% because a person cannot be more than 100% unable.
Here is a second example with three conditions:
- Condition A: 40%
- Condition B: 30%
- Condition C: 20%
First combination (A + B): 40% takes 40 from 100, leaving 60. 30% of 60 = 18. Combined: 40 + 18 = 58.
Second combination (58 + C): 58 takes 58 from 100, leaving 42. 20% of 42 = 8.4. Combined: 58 + 8.4 = 66.4.
Round: 66.4 rounds down to 60%. That is your final combined rating, not 90%.
How to get from 90% to 100% VA disability rating?
Getting from 90% to 100% combined is one of the hardest steps in the VA system, and it is a question the VA combined rating table makes very visible. Look at the 90 row in the table above. To move from 90% to a combined value of 95 or higher (which rounds to 100%), the additional condition would need to be rated at 50% or more. A 40% condition added to 90% produces only a 94 combined value, which rounds down to 90%.
There are two realistic paths to a 100% rating:
Option 1: Earn a schedular 100% rating. If one of your conditions qualifies for a 100% rating on the VA rating schedule, that condition alone places you at 100%. This typically requires total loss of use, severe mental health impairment meeting the top criteria, or another condition specifically rated at 100% in the rating schedule.
Option 2: Qualify for TDIU. Total Disability Individual Unemployability allows the VA to pay you at the 100% rate even if your combined rating is below 100%. See the section below for full details on TDIU eligibility.
If you are stuck at 90% and believe one or more of your conditions is under-rated, a ratings appeal may be the most direct path forward.
What is TDIU and how does it help?
TDIU stands for Total Disability Individual Unemployability. It is a VA benefit that pays veterans at the 100% disability compensation rate when their service-connected disabilities prevent them from holding substantially gainful employment, even if their combined rating is less than 100%.
To qualify for TDIU under the standard rules, you must meet one of the following:
- One service-connected disability rated at 60% or more, or
- Two or more service-connected disabilities with a combined rating of at least 70%, and at least one of those disabilities rated at 40% or more on its own.
If you meet the rating thresholds but cannot work because of your service-connected conditions, you apply for TDIU using VA Form 21-8940. The VA will review your work history and medical evidence to determine whether your disabilities prevent substantially gainful employment.
TDIU is particularly valuable for veterans stuck at 70%, 80%, or 90% combined who cannot work. It provides the same monthly compensation as a 100% rating without requiring every condition to be re-rated upward.
TDIU can also be designated as Permanent and Total (P&T), meaning the VA does not intend to reduce your rating in the future. P&T status brings additional benefits including Chapter 35 education benefits for dependents and CHAMPVA health coverage for certain family members.
How do you challenge a VA combined rating you think is wrong?
If you believe the VA made an error in your combined rating, either by applying the math incorrectly or by under-rating one of your conditions, you have the right to appeal. Here is how the process works.
Step 1: Request your rating decision and evidence file
Ask for a copy of your rating decision letter and your claims file (also called your C-file). The decision letter will show each individual rating assigned and how the VA calculated the combined value. The C-file contains all the medical and service records the VA used. You cannot effectively challenge a decision without knowing exactly what the VA reviewed.
Step 2: Identify the specific error
There are two categories of errors to look for. The first is a math error, meaning the VA applied the whole person calculation incorrectly. This is uncommon but it does happen. The second, and far more common, is an under-rating of an individual condition. If a condition is rated at 10% when the evidence supports 30%, fixing that individual rating will change the combined result. Review the diagnostic codes cited in the decision against the actual VA rating criteria for those codes.
Step 3: File the right type of appeal
The VA offers three appeal lanes under the Appeals Modernization Act:
- Supplemental Claim: Submit new and relevant evidence you did not previously provide.
- Higher-Level Review: Ask a senior VA claims adjudicator to review the same evidence without new submissions. This works best for clear rating errors.
- Board Appeal: Take your case to the Board of Veterans' Appeals. You can request a hearing with a Veterans Law Judge.
Deadlines matter. You generally have one year from your rating decision to file in the same benefits period. Missing that window does not close the door permanently, but it may affect the effective date for any back pay.
Working with a VA-accredited representative, whether a Veterans Service Organization (VSO) or a VA-accredited attorney, improves your odds of a successful outcome. Free VSO help is available through organizations like the DAV, VFW, and American Legion at no cost. If you want legal representation for a denied or under-rated claim, Cross & York represents veterans on a contingent fee basis, capped at 20% of past-due benefits. There is no fee for initial claims or unless you receive past-due benefits.
Frequently asked questions
Does the VA combined rating calculator use the same math as the table?
Yes. Any VA combined rating calculator that follows official VA methodology uses the same whole person theory described in this post. The combined ratings table is the printed version; calculators automate the same formula. Results should be identical. The difference is that a calculator handles three or more conditions automatically without requiring you to do the intermediate steps by hand.
Can I have a 100% combined rating without any single condition rated at 100%?
Yes, but it is extremely rare through the standard combination method. Based on the table, you would need multiple high-value ratings combining to a value of 95 or above, which rounds to 100%. For example, two conditions rated 90% and 70% combine to 97, which rounds to 100%. In practice, most veterans reach the 100% pay rate through TDIU rather than through the mathematical combination of individual ratings.
What does "rounded to the nearest 10%" mean for my combined rating?
After the VA completes the whole person calculation, the final number is expressed as a percentage that almost certainly ends in something other than zero. The VA rounds that number to the nearest 10. A combined value of 64 rounds down to 60%. A combined value of 65 rounds up to 70%. This rounding step is the final one and is applied only once, at the very end of all the calculations.
Does adding a new lower-rated condition ever reduce my overall combined rating?
No. Adding a new rated condition can only keep your combined rating the same or increase it. Even a 10% condition added to a high combined value will add at least a small amount before rounding. However, if the pre-rounding combined value was, say, 85 and the new condition pushes it only to 87, it still rounds to 90%. The rounding step means small additions do not always change the final displayed number.
What if my combined rating is correct but I still cannot work?
If the math is accurate but your service-connected disabilities prevent you from holding substantially gainful employment, TDIU is your most important option. You do not need a 100% combined rating to receive 100% pay. You need to show that your conditions, taken together, make sustained employment impossible. A VA-accredited representative can help you document your employment history and connect medical evidence to the TDIU criteria.
Get help with your combined rating
If your rating does not look right, or if you are stuck at 80% or 90% and cannot work, Cross & York can review your case at no cost to you. We are a VA-accredited law firm based in Washington, DC, and we represent veterans on appealed claims and under-rated disabilities.
Call us at (202) 934-2954 or request a free case evaluation. There is no fee unless you receive past-due benefits, and our contingent fee is capped at 20% of past-due benefits under 38 CFR § 14.636.
Free VSO help is also available through veterans service organizations if you prefer a no-cost option before pursuing legal representation.
Cross & York is a VA-accredited law firm authorized to represent veterans before the Department of Veterans Affairs under 38 CFR § 14.629. Contingent fees apply only to past-due benefits awarded on appeal and are capped at 20% in accordance with 38 CFR § 14.636. No fee is charged for representing veterans on initial claims. Address: 1050 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008.