VA Disability Calculator — Combined Rating (Whole-Person Method)
The VA does not add disability percentages together — it applies them sequentially to the "whole person," so 50% + 30% does not equal 80%. Enter your service-connected ratings (highest first) to see the combined rating calculated step by step and rounded to the nearest 10% per VA rules.
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Rounded to nearest 10% per VA rules — verify at VA.gov for official rating
Sorted disabilities (highest first)
Step 1: apply 50% disability
Step 2: apply 30% disability
Step 3: apply 10% disability
Combined raw rating
VA combined rating (rounded to nearest 10%)
How does this calculator work?
The VA combined rating is NOT a sum. Each disability is applied to the remaining "whole person": Remaining = 100 × Π(1 − dᵢ/100). Combined = 100 − Remaining, then rounded to nearest 10%. For 50%+30%+10%: remaining ≈ 31.5%, combined raw ≈ 68.5%, rounded to 70%. Figures are estimates — verify at VA.gov.
Formula
How this is calculated
The VA combined ratings formula treats the veteran as a "whole person" of 100% efficiency. Each disability reduces the remaining efficiency by its rated percentage of what is left, not of the original 100%. Disability 1 (always the highest) is applied first: remaining efficiency = 100 × (1 − d₁/100). Disability 2 is then applied to whatever is left: remaining × (1 − d₂/100). This continues for each additional rating.
Once all disabilities are applied, the combined raw rating is 100 minus the remaining efficiency. The VA then rounds this to the nearest 10% using half-up rounding (results from 5 to 14 round to 10%, 15–24 to 20%, and so on). A veteran with ratings of 50%, 30%, and 10% ends up with a combined raw rating of about 61.5%, which rounds to 60% — significantly less than the naive sum of 90%.
This calculator shows the exact calculation steps but is an estimate only. The VA's official rating decision considers the specific conditions rated, any "bilateral factor" bonus (for paired limb disabilities), and whether any condition warrants a special rating. Always verify your official rating at VA.gov or with an accredited claims agent.
Frequently asked questions
The whole-person method applies each disability to what is left, not to the original 100%. A 50% disability leaves 50% efficiency. A second 30% disability then removes 30% of that 50% (15 points), leaving 35%, not 20%. The combined result is 65% — not 80% (the naive sum). This is by design: the VA considers that two conditions affecting different body systems don't simply add up.
If a veteran has disabilities affecting both sides of the body (e.g., both legs or both arms), the VA adds a 10% bonus to the combined value of those paired conditions before combining them with other disabilities. This calculator does not apply the bilateral factor — you should confirm with VA.gov whether it applies to your case.
Not automatically. A 100% schedular rating is the highest VA combined rating. Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is a separate benefit that pays at the 100% rate even if the combined rating is below 100%, when the veteran cannot work due to service-connected disabilities. The rating this calculator produces is a schedular estimate only.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). VA Disability Calculator — Combined Rating (Whole-Person Method) [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/va-disability-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "VA Disability Calculator — Combined Rating (Whole-Person Method)." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/va-disability-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "VA Disability Calculator — Combined Rating (Whole-Person Method)," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/va-disability-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_va_disability_calculator, title = {VA Disability Calculator — Combined Rating (Whole-Person Method)}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/va-disability-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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