2026 VA Disability Pay Chart & Rates: 2.8% COLA Increase Explained
Posted by Gregory M. Rada | October 27, 2025 | Firm News
Last updated: August 5, 2026
VA disability compensation went up 2.8% for 2026, reflecting this year’s cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). This guide has the complete 2026 VA disability pay charts, including rates for veterans with a spouse, children, and dependent parents, plus TDIU, SMC rates, the full 2026 payment schedule, and what to do if your payment doesn’t match what you expect.
Table of Contents
- What’s changing in 2026 (2.8% COLA)
- When your higher payment arrives
- 2026 VA disability pay chart (veteran alone)
- 2026 VA disability pay charts with dependents
- TDIU pays at the 100% rate
- 2026 SMC rates
- 2026 VA disability payment dates
- How to estimate your new monthly payment
- If your rate doesn’t look right
What’s changing in 2026 (2.8% COLA)
The Social Security Administration announced a 2.8% COLA for 2026. VA disability compensation is tied to the same COLA, so veterans’ monthly, tax-free payments rose by 2.8% across the board (including SMC, DIC, and dependent additions).
Every rate on this page is the official amount effective December 1, 2025, and applies through November 30, 2026. The 2027 COLA will be announced in mid-October 2026 and takes effect December 1, 2026.
When your higher payment arrives
VA pays in arrears, meaning each month’s benefit is paid at the start of the following month. The first payment at 2026 rates arrived on December 31, 2025 (January 1 is a federal holiday, so the payment moved up to the last business day of December). Every deposit date for the year is listed in the 2026 payment schedule below.
2026 VA disability pay chart (veteran alone)
These are the 2026 monthly rates for a veteran with no dependents. If you have a 10% or 20% rating, you receive the same rate whether or not you have dependents.
| Disability rating | 2026 monthly payment |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
| TDIU | $3,938.58 (paid at the 100% rate) |
2026 VA disability pay charts with dependents
Veterans rated 30% or higher receive additional compensation for a dependent spouse, children, and dependent parents. Find the row that matches your household, then the column for your rating. If you have more than one child, or your spouse receives Aid and Attendance, add the amounts from the added amounts table further down.
30% to 60% ratings: with a spouse or dependent parents (no children)
| Dependent status | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran alone (no dependents) | $552.47 | $795.84 | $1,132.90 | $1,435.02 |
| With spouse (no parents or children) | $617.47 | $882.84 | $1,241.90 | $1,566.02 |
| With spouse and 1 parent (no children) | $669.47 | $952.84 | $1,329.90 | $1,671.02 |
| With spouse and 2 parents (no children) | $721.47 | $1,022.84 | $1,417.90 | $1,776.02 |
| With 1 parent (no spouse or children) | $604.47 | $865.84 | $1,220.90 | $1,540.02 |
| With 2 parents (no spouse or children) | $656.47 | $935.84 | $1,308.90 | $1,645.02 |
70% to 100% ratings: with a spouse or dependent parents (no children)
| Dependent status | 70% | 80% | 90% | 100% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran alone (no dependents) | $1,808.45 | $2,102.15 | $2,362.30 | $3,938.58 |
| With spouse (no parents or children) | $1,961.45 | $2,277.15 | $2,559.30 | $4,158.17 |
| With spouse and 1 parent (no children) | $2,084.45 | $2,417.15 | $2,717.30 | $4,334.41 |
| With spouse and 2 parents (no children) | $2,207.45 | $2,557.15 | $2,875.30 | $4,510.65 |
| With 1 parent (no spouse or children) | $1,931.45 | $2,242.15 | $2,520.30 | $4,114.82 |
| With 2 parents (no spouse or children) | $2,054.45 | $2,382.15 | $2,678.30 | $4,291.06 |
30% to 60% ratings: with children
| Dependent status | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran with 1 child only (no spouse or parents) | $596.47 | $853.84 | $1,205.90 | $1,523.02 |
| With 1 child and spouse (no parents) | $666.47 | $947.84 | $1,322.90 | $1,663.02 |
| With 1 child, spouse, and 1 parent | $718.47 | $1,017.84 | $1,410.90 | $1,768.02 |
| With 1 child, spouse, and 2 parents | $770.47 | $1,087.84 | $1,498.90 | $1,873.02 |
| With 1 child and 1 parent (no spouse) | $648.47 | $923.84 | $1,293.90 | $1,628.02 |
| With 1 child and 2 parents (no spouse) | $700.47 | $993.84 | $1,381.90 | $1,733.02 |
70% to 100% ratings: with children
| Dependent status | 70% | 80% | 90% | 100% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran with 1 child only (no spouse or parents) | $1,910.45 | $2,219.15 | $2,494.30 | $4,085.43 |
| With 1 child and spouse (no parents) | $2,074.45 | $2,406.15 | $2,704.30 | $4,318.99 |
| With 1 child, spouse, and 1 parent | $2,197.45 | $2,546.15 | $2,862.30 | $4,495.23 |
| With 1 child, spouse, and 2 parents | $2,320.45 | $2,686.15 | $3,020.30 | $4,671.47 |
| With 1 child and 1 parent (no spouse) | $2,033.45 | $2,359.15 | $2,652.30 | $4,261.67 |
| With 1 child and 2 parents (no spouse) | $2,156.45 | $2,499.15 | $2,810.30 | $4,437.91 |
Added amounts: additional children and spousal Aid and Attendance
The rates above include one child where noted. Add these amounts for each additional child, and for a spouse receiving Aid and Attendance:
| Added amount | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% | 100% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Each additional child under age 18 | $32.00 | $43.00 | $54.00 | $65.00 | $76.00 | $87.00 | $98.00 | $109.11 |
| Each additional child over age 18 in a qualifying school program | $105.00 | $140.00 | $176.00 | $211.00 | $246.00 | $281.00 | $317.00 | $352.45 |
| Spouse receiving Aid and Attendance | $61.00 | $81.00 | $101.00 | $121.00 | $141.00 | $161.00 | $181.00 | $201.41 |
Example: A veteran rated 70% with a spouse and three children under 18 starts at $2,074.45 (the rate for a spouse and 1 child), then adds $76.00 for each of the two additional children ($152.00). If the spouse also receives Aid and Attendance, add another $141.00. Total: $2,367.45 per month.
TDIU pays at the 100% rate
If VA has granted you total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU), your 2026 rate is $3,938.58 per month, the same as a 100% schedular rating, and the same dependent additions apply. A veteran on TDIU with a spouse, for example, receives $4,158.17 per month in 2026. If VA denied your TDIU claim, we handle TDIU appeals nationwide.
2026 SMC rates
Special monthly compensation (SMC) pays above the standard rates when service-connected disabilities involve specific losses (like the loss of use of a hand or foot), being housebound, or needing regular aid and attendance. Here are the 2026 basic monthly SMC rates for a veteran with no dependents:
| SMC level | 2026 monthly rate (veteran alone) | What it generally covers |
|---|---|---|
| SMC-K | $139.87 | Added on top of your regular compensation or SMC rate for the loss, or loss of use, of specific body parts or functions; you can receive up to three K awards |
| SMC-Q | $67.00 | Protected legacy rate (not awarded since 1968), paid in place of basic compensation |
| SMC-L | $4,900.83 | Regular aid and attendance; loss of use of both feet, or one hand and one foot; blindness in both eyes; permanently bedridden |
| SMC-L 1/2 | $5,154.00 | Intermediate rate between L and M |
| SMC-M | $5,408.55 | More severe losses (for example, loss of use of both hands) |
| SMC-M 1/2 | $5,780.00 | Intermediate rate between M and N |
| SMC-N | $6,152.64 | More severe losses (for example, both elbows, or the physical loss of both eyes) |
| SMC-N 1/2 | $6,514.00 | Intermediate rate between N and O |
| SMC-O/P | $6,877.12 | The most severe losses and combinations of losses |
| SMC-R.1 | $9,826.88 | Aid and attendance at a higher level |
| SMC-R.2/T | $11,271.67 | A higher level of care; SMC-T covers severe traumatic brain injury requiring that level of care |
| SMC-S | $4,408.53 | Housebound (statutory or factual) |
Dependent additions apply on top of SMC basic rates: a spouse receiving Aid and Attendance adds $201.41, each additional child under 18 adds $109.11, and each child over 18 in a qualifying school program adds $352.45. SMC-K is added to all basic and SMC rates except SMC-O, SMC-Q, and SMC-R.
2026 VA disability payment dates
VA pays disability compensation in arrears: your payment for a given month arrives on the first business day of the following month. When the 1st falls on a weekend or federal holiday, VA pays on the last business day before it. Here is the full 2026 schedule:
| Benefit month | Payment date |
|---|---|
| December 2025 | Wednesday, December 31, 2025 (first payment at 2026 rates) |
| January 2026 | Friday, January 30, 2026 |
| February 2026 | Friday, February 27, 2026 |
| March 2026 | Wednesday, April 1, 2026 |
| April 2026 | Friday, May 1, 2026 |
| May 2026 | Monday, June 1, 2026 |
| June 2026 | Wednesday, July 1, 2026 |
| July 2026 | Friday, July 31, 2026 |
| August 2026 | Tuesday, September 1, 2026 |
| September 2026 | Thursday, October 1, 2026 |
| October 2026 | Friday, October 30, 2026 |
| November 2026 | Tuesday, December 1, 2026 |
| December 2026 | Thursday, December 31, 2026 (first payment at 2027 rates) |
How to estimate your new monthly payment
The charts above give the exact 2026 amounts by rating and dependent status. If your payment includes added amounts (additional children, a spouse receiving Aid and Attendance, or SMC-K), you can also check your new total by multiplying your 2025 monthly payment by 1.028.
Example: If you were paid $3,831.30 at 100% in 2025, multiply by 1.028 to get $3,938.58 for 2026 (before any SMC or dependents). That’s an increase of $107.28 per month.
If your rate doesn’t look right
If your payments don’t reflect the 2.8% increase, or your dependent status changed and your payment didn’t, double-check your award letter against the charts above. If something’s off, we can help review your record and address underpayments, missed dependent additions, or rating errors. And if the underlying rating itself is too low, here’s how to appeal a low VA disability rating.
Need help? At After Service, we represent veterans nationwide in appeals and VA disability benefits cases. Schedule a free consultation and let’s make sure you’re paid at the correct rate.
