SERVING
Those That
SERVED
Questions & Answers
INSTRUCTIONS: Please read each question carefully. If you are able to answer question appropriately use the form below the question to respond. Your name will not appear on the public answer page. Only your initials and date of your response will be visible.
Q475: I am rated for PTSD at 50% and another disability at 60%, the combined total would seem to be 110%. However, the VA uses a complicated method of calculation in which they divide the 60% by half and rate me at a combined total of 80% and compensate me at 100% based on I.U. Can anyone explain why they do this? I have been asking this question for 14 years and have never received a satisfactory explanation from anyone at the VA. In my mind 60 plus 50 equals 110; why should I live in fear of being reduced to 80% when my combined total is 110%? Thank you.
If you have a question about benefits, compensation, pension or VA related issues please submit here.
Use Form Below To Respond
A1: What happens is the VA takes the largest rating and then makes the remaining amount the new 100. So you have 60% which leaves 40% left. The 40 is now the new 100. You have a 50% rating that basically divides the 40 in half therefore giving you an 80% overall rating. If a Veteran has a 90% rating it takes them another 50% rating to get to 100. Always highest rating first then, take what is left and divide the additional percentages always using higher rating amounts first. (JH) 7/24/20
A2: VA math is very complicated. Go to YouTube and there are many good videos that explain the math. I'm the same way. Mine total 110 and I'm 70 percent. (MH) 7/24/20
A3: The VA has a particular math that is used to "combine", not "add" individual ratings. The first, usually highest, rating is deducted from 100%. That leaves a percent less than 100%, which is used for the next rating. In your case, you have a 60% disability rating, that leaves 40% to work with. The PTSD (50%), is calculated by multiply 50% by what's left, 40%. This results in 20%. Add that to the 60%, and the resulting total disability rating is 80%. This link, http://www.militarydisabilitymadeeasy.com/vamath.html, explains the process. I hope this helps. (PS) 7/24/20
A4: The answer is that they apply your disabilities one by one against your remaining "ability." In your case, withe a 50% and 60% disability, the first 60% disability is deducted from 100% ability, leaving 40%. Then, your 50% disability is applied to the remaining 40% ability, which is 20%. Add that to your first 60% and you get 80%. If you had another 50% disability, they apply that 50% against your remaining 20%, which would yield 10% to be added to your 80%, thereby totaling 90% disability and 10% "ability." If you had another 20% disability, they would apply that to the remaining 10%, yielding an additional 2% disability, or 92% disability And 8% remaining "ability," and so on. Note that the VA rounds to the nearest 10%, up or down. Note also that it makes no difference what order you apply the disabilities, it comes out the same. (MC) 7/24/20
A5: VA math: First disability rating for PTSD is 50%, leaving a remaining 50%. Secondary rating of 60% only applies to the remains balance of 50% which equals 30%. PTSD of 50% plus secondary of 30% equals 80%. Don't shoot the messenger. Glad you got 100%, as that is the maximum. I'm at 100% too with individual ratings adding up to 210% and I haven't even applied for a few others. (AD) 7/24/20
A6: You start the claims process with 100% available to you. You have 2 ratings. one at 60% and one at 50%. The VA takes the higher rating as the starting point. You are awarded 60%. Now you have 40% left to apply to other ratings. So for your second rating They apply the 50% to your remaining 40%. 50% of 40% = 20%. So 60%+ 20% = 80%. That's how you got to where you are now. You used up half of the 40% to get to your rating of 80% so now you have 20% left to use if you have future claims. If you have another award of 10% disability , you will have a "point total" of 82 and because the VA uses rounding and 2 is less than 5 your monetary award will not change.. If the third disability had an award of 30% you would be awarded 30% of your remaining 20% . That equals 6. So 80 + 6 + 86 which is rounded up because it is 5 or greater. Your new Dollar benefit would be in the 90% column. I am pretty sure It is impossible to get to 100 using this method but once the combined total is 95 you get paid for 100.
I know this to be factual because my two ratings were 70% and 10% and I am being paid at the 70% rate. (AR) 7/24/20
A7: https://militarybenefits.info/va-disability-calculator/ (LW) 7/24/20
A8: VA math is different from regular math. (PD) 7/24/20
A9: I'm at the same. Total 130%,however, VA has me at 80%, 20% IU. If they ever changed this to 80% I'm in big trouble. I wish I could get this to 100%. I'm 79 years and can't go back to work. Please, let me know if anyone has a answer. (MH) 7/24/20
A10: Initially I was rated 40%. I was rated 10% for a pin my ankle. 10% for a dislocated knee and 30% for a detached retina. To me that was 50%. I called and a lady, very nice explained this to me. Sir, initially you are rated as a 100% whole man. Then you received 30% for your eye so now you are a 70% whole man. 10% for your knee of 70% is 7% for now you have 37% disability but you are a 60% whole man and 10% for your ankle give you another 6% so you are a 43% disability and since it is less then 45% you are rated at 40%. It is new math that they teach in school for the past 8 years I guess. (GB) 7/24/20
A11: The overall rating comes from 38 CFR combined rating schedule. This rating schedule is a little daunting. The schedule works on the fact that the overall rating is based on the % good. In other words, You are 60% for one disability, which leaves you at 40% good (100-60) on that one. The 50% for PTSD leaves you with 50% good. Then you calculate the % goods. Take the 40% x 50% (.4 x .5) = 20%. Then you subtract it from 100% and that leaves you with 80% overall. Don't worry about getting reduced to 80%. The VA will not mess with you unless you mess with them. Our policy is that we do NOT reopen claims on veterans that are IU unless the disability is something that might kill you. In that case, we file in the event the veteran has a spouse. If you die of something service connected then the spouse will receive DIC plus $2K for the burial benefit. (DS) 7/24/20
A12: The VA continues to use an antiquated system that provides approved disability issues as percentages of 100% (the healthy body) and reducing the remaining 50% per the determined percentages of further claims submitted. It is a very confusing but protected system of controlling allotted disabilities and their appropriate compensation which contributes immensely to the lengthy time in settling claims and potential appeals. (RF) 7/24/20
A13: There is no such rating as 110% on the annual fixed benefit calculator. Those missing limbs, or eyesight, receive roughly $800.00 more a month above 100% fixed rating of around $3100.00 monthly for single with no dependents like I receive since 2010. (KB) 7/24/20
A14: Standard VA math: 60% is subtracted from 100% to give 40%. 50% of 40% is 20%. Add 60+20 = 80%. (AZ) 7/24/20
A15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VdeHbRjT6E
Please check out this video from a gentleman I used to work with, he explains VA Math very clearly. Let me know if you have further questions. (TH) 7/24/20
A16: The simplest answer to your question is, "Congress Wrote the Law" that directs this form of "VA MATH". It is their belief that you can never be paid more than 100%. Therefore, they take your first disability and subtract it from 100. Your next disability is then subtracted from the remainder. They do this with each disability until you reach 95% which will round up to 100. (RJ) 7/24/20
A17: VA Combined Disability Rating math really is quite simple. Start with your highest individual disability rating of 60%. Subtract that from 100% and the remainder is 40%. Now take your next highest individual disability rating of 50% and apply it to the 40% remainder. 50% of 40% = 20%. Add this 20% to the initial 60% to arrive at 80%. To be awarded a 100% IU normally (but not always) requires a combined rating of at least 80% with at least 1 individual rating of 40% or more. In your example, assume you did not have the 100% IU rating but were awarded another individual rating of 10%. Since your combined rating was 80%, then the 10% would be applied to the remaining 20% (100% - 80%) resulting in 2% being added to the 80%. A combined rating of 82% would be rounded down to 80% so your benefit would not change. However, if your 3rd individual rating were 40%, then 40% of the remaining 20% would equal 8%. When added to the combined rating of 80%, the result of 88% would be rounded up to 90%. Pay attention to the terms "individual rating" and "combined rating." (DL) 7/24/20
A18: Check with your State (NSO) National Service Officer. (SB) 7/24/20
A19: Depending on which rating you were awarded first determines the calculations. I mean that for example if you were awarded 50% for ptsd then the equation goes like this:
100-50=50
Then the remaining balance of that 100 which in this case is 50 is then multiples by the second rating which in your case is 60%. So the equation is then:
50 x .60= 30
And then they add that 30 to the rating you have which puts you at a total rating of 80% with a remaining 20% left over.
If you get another rating let's say for hearing loss at 30% that 30% is multiplied by the remaining 20. Like this:
20 x .30= 6
That 6 is added to the 80 making it 86. But the Va doesn?t rate anything that isn?t a whole number so they round up or down. Meaning that 86% actually puts you at 90%.
Hope that makes sense. (LM) 7/24/20
A20: I totally agree. My husband is well over 100% if you use the actual numbers they give you. It took close to 20 plus years to get 100%. I don't have an answer for you but I feel it's because then they don't have to pay the higher benefit. Maybe if you ask a CVSO (County Vet. Service Officer) they might have a better answer. I once found a website explaining how they calculate the compensation but not sure it explained why. Thank you for your Service. Don't give up. Be safe. (DE) 7/24/20
A21: VA gave me this answer. They call it VA Math. Your body is 100% before and awards. They award 60% which leaves 40% that has not been awarded any compensation. You get 50% more and they take 50% of the 40% part of your body you had not been compensated for. So 80+20 is 100%. Each new award you get is multiplied on any % of your body that has not been compensated for. My total awards do go over 100% but you will never get over 100%. Hope this helps. You need to get another award. (BS) 7/24/20
A22: As I understand it: you get full credit for the highest disability percentage, 60, then you get the next highest (50) times the remaining percent (40), or 20 in this case. As you may notice this make it impossible to get 100% from multiple disabilities, if none are 100%. However, I think thy roun the final calculation. So if alll the math results in 95% or more, yo rated 100%. (MS) 7/24/20
A23: I fully agree that "VA Math" is hard to explain. I would recommend you see your local VSO or DAV and have them explain it to you. More times than not, even after an explanation, it may still leave you scratching your head...it did mine until I actually sat down and read and learned it myself. I had over 200% but VA math gave me 90%. Eventually a couple disabilities got upgraded (I had to put a claim in for that) and I got the 100%. Fortunately you are getting UI so you get the 100%. (RC) 7/24/20
A24: It really is not complicated. Your first claim is for 50%. That means you have 50% of your body left. Your second claim rated at 60% is taken against the remaining 50% of your body. 60% of 50 is 30, giving you a total rating of 80% with 20% of your whole body left over. Any future rating would be applied against that remaining 20%. You can receive ratings that total more than one body, so 100% would be the maximum. Since you are receiving IU and are at 100%, you are already at the maximum allowable for ONE body. There is no way you can be compensated for more than one body (110% or 1.1 of a body). (JD) 7/24/20
A25: It's not compensation for your disability, it's compensation for your unemployability because fo your disability and that's the way it's calculated. (JB) 7/24/20
A26: OK so VA math... you have a higher rating of 60% ( from 100% that leaves you with 40% not rated , not disabled) now you also have a rating of 50%. That is figured as 50% of the 40% that is non -disabled, so 50% of 40 is 20%. That is now added to your original 60% to give you 80% ! You are probably receiving IU at 100% because anything over 70% can be applied to IU at 100% ! 100% is the max amount you can receive, so you are wt max compensation. (BS) 7/24/20
A27: Not an answer, but i have also been for a long time trying to figure out how the VA calculate those disabilities numbers. (JL) 7/24/20
A28: This started in 1934 when the VA came into existence. You take 100% subtract 60% leaves 40% you then take 50% of 40 and you get 20, ad the two together and you get 80%. They gave you the TDIU as you are unemployable so they pay you at the 100% rate, why do you fear they will take anything from you, did you file something fraudulent? If no you have no fears. (AH) 7/25/20
A29: It is something they came up with a long time ago. Even though you are 80% disabled, you are still getting paid at 100%. 100% is 100%. Like they say, let sleeping dogs lie. (EA) 7/25/20
A30: when the rating process starts, your body is rated at 100%. starting with the highest rating, each rating takes tgat % away. 60% leaves you with 40% then 50% leaves 10% of your body left. It would then take 5 10% rating to get to 100%. Thus I/U is the means to get you 100%. (TO) 7/25/20
A31: The way that the VA does that is if you were initially rated at 50% then receive 60% for something else, then from the original rating of 50 you had 50 left to get to 100, They take the remaining 50% and multiply it by the 60% to get 30 then your new rating is 80%. This will leave you with 20% to get to 100 then and the next rating they do the same thing 20 times the new rating then added to your existing rating will give you the next new rating, you may have to get over 300% before you get your 100% rating. I agree that this is a screwed up way to do it but thats how they do it. (BN) 9/17/20
A32: The VA math works this way, 50% for PTSD, now you are 50% disabled, 50% whole, now 60% of the 50% equals 30% added to the 50% equals 80% with the last 20% with IU to make 100% money. (GR) 5/14/22