VA Disability
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Last reviewed: May 1, 2026 by William Bacharach · Colorado Bar #59714

How the VA Combined Ratings Table Works

Veterans are often surprised that two ratings of 50% and 30% do not produce an 80% combined rating. That is because VA math is based on the idea of remaining efficiency: each additional disability applies only to the portion of you the VA considers not yet disabled.

Here is the 50% + 30% example, step by step. The VA starts with your highest rating — 50% — which leaves 50% remaining efficiency. The next rating, 30%, applies to that remaining 50%: thirty percent of fifty is fifteen. Add that to the first rating and the combined value is 65%. Finally, the VA rounds the combined value to the nearest 10% — 65% rounds up to a 70% combined rating. That 70% is the number your monthly compensation is based on.

With three or more ratings, the same process repeats: ratings are taken from highest to lowest, and each successive rating applies only to the efficiency that remains after the previous ones. This is why each added condition moves the combined rating less than the one before it — and why getting from 80% to 100% on the schedule is so much harder than veterans expect.

Why Your Combined Rating Matters

Certain thresholds carry consequences beyond the monthly amount:

TDIU: Getting Paid at the 100% Rate Without a 100% Rating

Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU, 38 C.F.R. § 4.16) pays compensation at the 100% rate even when your schedular combined rating is below 100%, if your service-connected conditions prevent you from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

Under § 4.16(a), the schedular thresholds are: one disability rated 60% or higher, or a combined rating of 70% or higher with at least one disability rated 40% or higher. Veterans who do not meet those thresholds but still cannot work because of service-connected conditions can pursue extraschedular TDIU under § 4.16(b). If the calculator above flags TDIU, it is worth a conversation — the difference between a 70% rating and the 100% rate is substantial, every month, for life.

Criminal Charges and Your VA Rating

A criminal conviction does not, by itself, reduce your VA disability compensation. Under 38 U.S.C. § 5313, compensation is reduced only after a veteran has been incarcerated for more than 60 days following a felony conviction — and even then, the reduction can be apportioned to your dependents. As both a criminal defense attorney and a VA-accredited attorney, William Bacharach handles both sides of that problem. Read the full guide: Will a criminal conviction affect my VA benefits?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn’t 50% + 30% equal 80%?

Because the VA combines ratings against your remaining efficiency instead of adding them. The second rating applies only to the percentage of you the VA considers not yet disabled: 30% of the remaining 50% is 15%, so 50% + 30% combines to 65%, which rounds to a 70% combined rating.

How does the VA round combined ratings?

After all ratings are combined under the § 4.25 table, the final combined value is rounded to the nearest 10%. A combined value of 65% rounds up to 70%; a combined value of 64% rounds down to 60%.

What is TDIU and do I qualify?

TDIU (38 C.F.R. § 4.16) pays at the 100% rate when service-connected conditions prevent substantially gainful employment. The § 4.16(a) schedular thresholds are one rating of 60%+, or a 70%+ combined rating with at least one rating of 40%+. Veterans below those thresholds can pursue extraschedular TDIU under § 4.16(b).

Will a criminal conviction reduce my VA disability rating?

A conviction alone does not reduce compensation. Under 38 U.S.C. § 5313, compensation is reduced only after more than 60 days of incarceration for a felony conviction, and dependents may receive the withheld amount through apportionment. If you are a veteran facing criminal charges in Colorado, both issues can be handled together.