VA disability ratings determine the severity of your disability based on the evidence you submit as part of your claim. This rating is used to determine how much disability compensation you’ll receive each month, as well as your eligibility for other VA benefits. The VA Combined Ratings Table is a tool used to calculate a veteran’s total impairment percentage when they have more than one disabling service-connected condition. Calculating your combined disability rating involves more than adding up your individual ratings. That’s why your combined rating may be different from the sum of your individual ratings. In this blog, we will be going over how the Combined Ratings Table is used and how it affects your disability rating.
What is the Combined Ratings Table?
Instead of simply adding individual disability ratings together, the Combined Ratings Table uses a specific formula to reflect the combined effect of multiple disabilities on a veteran’s overall health and ability to work.
When dealing with multiple disabilities, many assume that the ratings are added together directly. However, the Combined Ratings Table is designed so a veteran cannot be more than 100% disabled. For instance, if a veteran has one disability rated at 50% and another at 30%, the combined rating is not 80%. Instead, the VA uses the Combined Ratings Table to calculate a combined rating, which would be lower than the simple sum of the individual ratings. This method reflects the overall impact on the veteran’s health and functionality.
READ MORE: How Often Are VA Disability Ratings Reevaluated?
How the Combined Ratings Table Works
The Combined Ratings Table determines a veteran’s overall disability rating by considering each disability rating in sequence, starting with the highest. Here’s a breakdown:
- Start with the Highest Rating: Begin with the highest disability rating.
- Apply Each Rating Sequentially: Subtract each rating from 100% to determine the remaining efficiency. Apply the next rating to this remaining efficiency.
- Round to the Nearest 10%: After applying all ratings, round the final combined rating to the nearest 10%.
Example:
- Ratings: 50% and 30%
- Start with 50%, then apply 30% to the remaining 50%.
- Result: Combined rating is 70%.
Impact of the Combined Ratings Table on Benefits
The Combined Ratings Table plays an important role in determining a veteran’s total disability rating, which impacts the level of compensation they receive from the VA. Here’s how it works:
- Determining Total Disability Rating: The table combines individual disability ratings to calculate an overall percentage, reflecting the veteran’s total level of impairment.
- Impact on Compensation: Higher combined ratings result in higher monthly disability compensation payments from the VA. For instance, a combined rating of 70% may provide more benefits than separate ratings totaling 70% due to the VA’s rounding rules.
- Additional Benefits: Veterans rated at 100% total disability are eligible for additional benefits, such as:
- Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU): Provides compensation at the 100% rate if the veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to service-connected disabilities.
- Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA): Offers education and training opportunities for dependents of veterans with permanent and total service-connected disabilities.
READ MORE: How Hard is it to Get a 100 Percent Disability Rating?
Contact Your Cincinnati Veterans Law Attorney for Additional Help
Working with a lawyer who is familiar with the VA claims and appeals process can also help you get the rating you deserve. At Veterans Law Attorneys, we can review your case and help you appeal an unfavorable rating you might have received. If you deserve a 100 percent rating, we will fight to get you there.
Get started by calling Veterans Law Attorneys at 833-753-5168 or by contacting us online.
