How to Calculate VA Disability Percentages

By Michael Butler

Members of the United States military who suffer from service-related injuries can receive disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The amount paid depends on the condition and the number of dependents the veteran has. VA doctors will make a determination as to how much a particular condition disables the veteran. For example, it could be determined a knee problem is 50 percent disabling. The VA will pay the 50 percent compensation rate. If the veteran has more than one disabling condition, things can get more complicated, as the VA does not just add the rates together to reach an overall disability percentage.

Ask the VA doctors what the disability percentage is for each disabling condition, if not already known.

Subtract each disabling percentage from 100. For example, if one condition is 30 percent disabling, subtract 30 from 100 to get 70 percent. This is the efficiency rating.

Multiply the lowest efficiency rating by the next highest. Take that number and multiply by the next highest. Continue in this manner until you reach the last rating. For example, if you have efficiency ratings of 50, 60 and 90 percent, multiply .5 by .6 to get .3. Now, multiply .3 by .9 to get .27. This is the total efficiency rating.

Convert the rating back to disability by subtracting from 100 again. In the example, 100 minus 27 is 73. The disability rating is thus 73 percent.

Round to the nearest 10. The VA rounds everything either up or down to the nearest number divisible by 10. A veteran with a 73 percent rating will receive the 70 percent disability compensation rate. A veteran with a 75 percent rating will receive the 80 percent compensation rate.

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