VA math is confusing. You might think a 50% rating plus a 30% rating equals 80%—but it doesn’t. Let’s break it down in a way that actually makes sense.
Think of it like a jar filled with 100 marbles—each one represents your total health. If the VA gives you a 60% disability rating, they take out 60 marbles, leaving you with 40.
Now, let’s say you get another 50% rating for a different condition. That doesn’t mean 60% + 50% = 110%. Instead, the VA takes 50% of what’s left—so, 50% of 40 marbles is 20.
Now you have 20 marbles left, meaning your total disability percentage is 100 – 20 = 80% VA rating.
The more ratings you have, the more complicated it gets—but VA math always works the same way: each new rating is a percentage of what’s left.
Still not sure what your rating should be? Visit our website today and use our free VA disability calculator to see what your rating could be.
