When applying for veterans’ disability benefits, veterans receive a rating for the percentage of disability each injury causes.
According to the VA Benefits page, the percentages can range from 0.0% disabled to 100%. Disabilities can be combined with a 20% disabled right arm and a 20% disabled right leg. The percentage of your disability provides a supplement to your income, and you can continue in your military duties or take outside work.
Additional Income
Sometimes, your disabilities might be so severe that you receive extra income – such as loss of limbs of quadriplegia. You also receive more money if you have a spouse, children, or dependent parents. Your benefits will also increase if your spouse is also disabled. Routine cost-of-living adjustments, known as COLA, keep your income steady against inflation.
Combined Rating Calculations
The military has strict rules for combining disability percentages, and they’re not just added together. The military assumes that subsequent disabilities are based on the percentage of your abilities. If you are 20% disabled and become 20% more disabled, the government doesn’t just add 20+20 to get 40. The second disability is calculated as 20% of a veteran who is already 20% disabled remaining ability. This means that your total disabilities might amount to more than 100%.
You can consult a table to see your combined disability rating or try the CCK Law VA disability calculator to see exactly what you will earn in monthly benefits. If you consider that the VA does not pay you the benefits you deserve, consulting with a specialized attorney in such matters might prove crucial for your future income and quality of life.
Difficulties Earning a 100% Disabled Rating
The unusual method of calculating subsequent disabilities makes it difficult to earn a 100% disability rating. However, it’s possible to earn a 100% disability rating if you apply to the program known as Total Disability for Individual Unemployability. The program is designed for those veterans who can’t maintain any kind of gainful employment. You need to have one disability rating of 60% or higher, another rating of 40% or higher, and a combined rating of 70% or higher. Occasionally, the VA grants TDIU disability to veterans who don’t meet the specific disability rating requirements.
How to Increase Your Disability Rating
Over time, you often discover that your condition grows steadily worse. According to experts, you can request a review of your condition at any time to increase your disability rating. If your claim is denied, you can appeal your case with the help of a skilled VA benefits lawyer.
2022 Monthly Benefits
Here are the monthly benefits paid for various disability benefit ratings:
10% rating: $152.64
20% rating: $301.74
30% rating: $467.39
40% rating: $673.28
50% rating: $958.44
60% rating: $1,214.03
70% rating: $1,615.95
80% rating: $1,877.43
90% rating: $2,109.52
100% rating: $3,456.30
You receive extra pay for dependent parents, a spouse, and each child. Those with a 10% to 20% disability rating receive no extra pay for a spouse, child, or dependent parent. As you can see, total disability results in a substantial increase in monthly benefits, so it’s worth pursuing if you think you qualify.
Examples of VA benefits for a service member with a spouse and three children with a 70% disability rating would be $1,754.95 + $64 + 64 + $64 for the children + $119 for the spouse for a total of $2001.95.
A veteran with no spouse and four children under the age of 18 rated at the 100% disability level would receive $3,456.30 + $64 + $64 + 64 + 64 for a monthly benefit of $3,712.30.
You Are Not Alone
You should consider legal help for any issues with your current rating, claim denial, or rating increases. Get an experienced VA benefits lawyer to help you pursue your disability case and receive the benefits you deserve.
Author
Crystal A. Davis was born into a family of attorneys and was raised with a strong sense of justice. During her high school years, she developed a passion for journalism and decided to combine this with her knowledge of the law. She realized that she could make her voice heard to the masses through legal journalism. Crystal is honored to follow and report on any legal case. She shares her analysis in reader-friendly articles. However, over the years, she has become a strong advocate for VA rights and made it her mission to help veterans seek justice.
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