Veterans ask one question more than almost any other: what does my rating actually get me? This guide maps the answer, threshold by threshold, from a 0 percent service connection up to 100 percent and Permanent and Total. Every dollar figure and every unlock below is tied to a VA or federal source, shown in the Source column, so you are reading facts and not folklore.
First, the money ladder
Your monthly compensation is set by your rating. Here is the veteran-alone ladder, effective December 1, 2025:
| Rating | Monthly (veteran alone) |
|---|---|
| 0% | $0 (non-compensable) |
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
Source for the full ladder: the VA veterans compensation rates page, effective December 1, 2025. These amounts change over time, because, in the VA's words, "We're required by law to match the percentage of cost-of-living adjustments made to Social Security benefits." If you have dependents, amounts rise at 30 percent and above; a 100 percent veteran with a spouse, for example, is listed at $4,158.17.
What each threshold unlocks
Dollars are only part of the story. Certain doors open at certain ratings. This table pins each unlock to its source:
| Threshold | What it can open | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 0% service-connected | VA health care, travel reimbursement, dental care, vision care, and VALife eligibility | va.gov non-compensable disability |
| At least 10% | Monthly compensation begins; first payment within 15 days | va.gov veteran rates and after-you-get-a-rating |
| 10% to 20% | Compensation, but no added amount for a dependent spouse, child, or parent | va.gov veteran rates |
| At least 30% (combined) | Dependents can be added to your compensation; travel reimbursement | va.gov after-you-get-a-rating and travel pay |
| 100% | Dental care and access to commissaries and exchanges | va.gov after-you-get-a-rating |
The 0 percent rating is not nothing
A 0 percent rating confuses people, so it is worth its own section. In the VA's words: "If you receive a 0% disability rating for a service-connected condition, we call this a non-compensable disability. It means you can't get disability compensation (payments) for this condition." But the same page adds, "you may be eligible for other VA benefits," and lists VA health care, travel pay reimbursement through the Beneficiary Travel program, VA dental care, VA vision care, and VALife. Separately, the VA states, "If you have a service-connected disability rating (even if it's 0%), you may be eligible for Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife)." The service connection is on the record, which is the door that matters for a future increase.
The 30 percent line: dependents
At a combined 30 percent, your family can be added to your compensation. The VA puts it this way: "If you have a combined disability rating of at least 30% and you're eligible for VA disability compensation, you may be able to get financial support and benefits for your qualified dependents." Below that line, the VA is equally clear: "If you have a 10% to 20% disability rating, you won't receive a higher rate even if you have a dependent spouse, child, or parent." If you are near the line, our combined rating calculator shows how separate ratings stack under VA math.
Travel reimbursement: not a 100 percent perk
Travel pay is often misfiled as a top-rating benefit. It is not. The VA lists several ways to qualify, including "You have a VA disability rating of 30% or higher" and, at any rating, "You're traveling for treatment of a service-connected condition, even if your VA disability rating is less than 30%." So a 10 percent veteran traveling for a service-connected appointment can still qualify.
100 percent and Permanent and Total
At 100 percent, the VA says "you may be able to get dental care and access to commissaries and exchanges." Permanent and Total is a related but distinct status. That difference, and what P&T opens for family health care and survivor education, is covered in our Permanent and Total status guide and our CHAMPVA and DEA guide. Federal student loan discharge has its own student loan forgiveness guide, and our SSDI and VA disability guide covers how the two systems interact.
What this does not mean
A rating map is not a promise that a door will open for you automatically, and it does not mean a lower rating is worthless. A 0 percent rating pays nothing but keeps a service connection on the record, which is what a later increase is built on. It also does not mean every benefit keys off your combined rating the same way: dependents attach at a combined 30 percent, but travel reimbursement can apply at any rating for a service-connected appointment. And 100 percent and Permanent and Total are not the same words. Check the specific program's own rules, or the guides linked here, before you count on any single unlock.
Hypothetical example. A veteran we will call Priya is rated 20 percent and just had a second condition service-connected, pushing her combined rating to 30 percent. Below 30 percent she received the flat 20 percent rate with no dependent amount. At a combined 30 percent, she may now add her spouse to her compensation, because the VA allows dependents at a combined rating of at least 30 percent. This is an illustration of how the threshold works, not a promise about any real award, which the VA calculates on your record.
Where to go next
To see how the individual programs stack up in plain rankings, read our VA benefits tier list. To understand how separate ratings combine into one number, use the combined rating calculator and see the VA ratings page. Check current amounts on the compensation page, and look up any term in the glossary. VeteranHQ explains what your rating unlocks and helps you organize your records. We do not prepare or file your VA claims.