How VA Disability Ratings Work
The VA rates service-connected disabilities on a scale from 0% to 100% in increments of 10. Your rating determines your monthly compensation amount. When you have multiple rated conditions, the VA uses "combined ratings math" — not simple addition — to calculate your overall rating.
Combined Ratings Math
VA combined ratings use a whole-person method: each additional disability is applied to your remaining "healthy" percentage. For example, a 50% and a 30% rating doesn't equal 80% — it equals 65%. Understanding this math helps you predict your combined rating and compensation.
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tdiu">Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU)
If your service-connected disabilities prevent you from maintaining substantially gainful employment, you may qualify for TDIU — which pays at the 100% rate even if your combined rating is lower. You generally need one condition rated at 60% or more, or a combined rating of 70% with one condition at 40%.
Conditions Rated by the VA
The VA rates hundreds of conditions across every body system — from musculoskeletal (back, knee, shoulder) to mental health (PTSD, anxiety, depression) to respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological conditions. Each condition has specific rating criteria defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (38 CFR Part 4). Select a condition above to see how the VA rates it.
Effective Dates
Your effective date determines when your benefits start and how much back pay you receive. For original claims, the effective date is typically the date VA received your claim. For claims for increase, it may be up to one year before the filing date if medical evidence shows the condition worsened during that period.
How the VA rates mental health conditions
All service-connected mental health conditions are rated under one set of rules: the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders in 38 CFR § 4.130. Instead of a separate scale per diagnosis, the VA assigns VA mental health ratings based on how much the condition impairs your work and social life.
- 0% — diagnosed, but symptoms don't impair function.
- 10% — mild symptoms with occasional impact.
- 30% — occasional decrease in work efficiency.
- 50% — reduced reliability and productivity.
- 70% — deficiencies in most areas of life.
- 100% — total occupational and social impairment.
The same formula applies to PTSD, depression, and anxiety — so it is the symptoms and impairment, not the label, that set your rating.
Mental Health VA Ratings: What Conditions Qualify
The VA rates mental health conditions under 38 CFR Part 4, Schedule for Rating Disabilities, using Diagnostic Codes 9201–9440 — a range that covers virtually every DSM-5 psychiatric diagnosis that can be service-connected.
Covered Diagnoses and Their Diagnostic Codes
The following mental health conditions are ratable under VA regulations:
- PTSD (DC 9411) — the most commonly claimed mental health condition; can be connected to combat, MST, accidents, or any in-service trauma
- Major depressive disorder (DC 9434) — rated on occupational and social impairment; frequently secondary to chronic pain or PTSD
- Generalized anxiety and anxiety disorders (DC 9400–9440) — includes panic disorder, social anxiety, and adjustment disorder
- Bipolar disorder (DC 9432) — rated on frequency and severity of manic and depressive episodes
- Schizophrenia spectrum (DC 9203–9210) — rated on positive and negative symptom burden
- OCD (DC 9404) — obsessive-compulsive disorder; often secondary to anxiety or trauma history
- Eating disorders — anorexia and bulimia nervosa are ratable when service-connected
Mental Health Rating Percentages
Mental health ratings follow a six-tier scale — 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100% — based on the level of occupational and social impairment documented in a C&P exam. A 70% rating reflects "deficiencies in most areas" including work, school, family relations, and judgment. A 100% rating reflects total occupational and social impairment.
The Pyramiding Rule and Combined Mental Health Ratings
Veterans sometimes receive diagnoses of both PTSD and major depression. The pyramiding rule (38 CFR 4.14) prohibits the VA from rating multiple mental health conditions separately when they share overlapping symptoms. In practice, the VA typically assigns one combined mental health rating that accounts for the full symptom picture across all diagnosed conditions. Veterans should ensure their C&P exam documents all symptoms regardless of which diagnosis they are attributed to.
The 2026 Update and Mental Health Claims
The 2026 rating-by-function-while-medicated rule particularly benefits mental health veterans. If your symptoms are managed by medication but you still experience functional impairment — difficulty maintaining employment, relationship strain, sleep disruption, or cognitive side effects from psychiatric medications — those factors must now be weighed in your rating. Veterans with existing PTSD ratings, anxiety ratings, or depression ratings below 50% should review whether a Supplemental Claim is warranted under the updated standard.