50% VA Disability Rating: $1,132.90/mo (2026)

2026 monthly compensation at 50%

A 50% VA disability rating provides over $1,100 per month in tax-free compensation. All VA disability payments are tax-free at both the federal and state level.

For the complete rate tables at every rating level, see our 2026 VA disability pay rates page. To calculate your specific payment with your exact combination of dependents, use our VA disability calculator.

What benefits are available at 50%

Compensation

• Monthly tax-free payment of $1,132.90+ depending on dependents
• Dependent additions for spouse, children, and dependent parents
• Annual COLA increases — rates are adjusted each year for cost of living

Healthcare

• VA healthcare with priority enrollment (Priority Group 1)
• No copays — Priority Group 1 veterans don’t pay VA outpatient, inpatient, or medication copays, including for non-service-connected care
• Mental health services including counseling and medication management

Dependent benefits

• Additional monthly compensation for spouse, children, and dependent parents
• CHAMPVA — Healthcare coverage for your spouse and dependents not eligible for TRICARE (only if VA later rates you permanently and totally disabled — see our 100% rating guide)
• Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA, Chapter 35) — Education benefits for eligible dependents (only if VA later rates you permanently and totally disabled — see our 100% rating guide)

Employment and education

• Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31) — Career counseling, training, education, and job placement assistance
• 10-point veterans’ preference (CPS) and the 30% or more disabled veteran noncompetitive appointment authority (5 U.S.C. § 3112) in federal hiring

Other benefits

• Commissary and exchange privileges — Available at any service-connected rating (including 0%) since January 1, 2020, not only at this level
• State benefits — Some states tie property tax relief, vehicle registration waivers, park passes, or other benefits to specific rating levels, and the thresholds and rules differ from state to state. Check your state guide for details

Common conditions rated at 50%

Several conditions have a 50% level in their rating criteria:

Sleep apnea (50%)

Obstructive sleep apnea requiring the use of a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine is rated at 50% under Diagnostic Code 6847. See our sleep apnea guide for details.

PTSD (50%)

PTSD rated at 50% involves occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as flattened affect, circumstantial speech, panic attacks more than once a week, difficulty understanding complex commands, impaired judgment, and difficulty maintaining effective work and social relationships. See our PTSD guide.

Migraine headaches (50%)

Very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability are rated at 50% — the maximum for migraines under Diagnostic Code 8100. See our migraines guide.

Common condition combinations that result in 50%

These examples use separate individual ratings without a bilateral factor. Combine in descending order using the whole-number value from Table I at each step, then round the final value to the nearest 10%. Recalculate from every individual rating when adding a condition; the displayed rounded tier is not an individual disability rating.

Example 1: Two conditions

• PTSD at 30% + Migraines at 30% = 51% → rounds to 50%

VA math: Start with 30%. Remaining ability = 70%. Apply 30%: 30% x 70% = 21%. Combined = 51%. Rounds to 50%.

Example 2: Three conditions

• PTSD at 30% + Knee condition at 20% + Tinnitus at 10% = 50% → rounds to 50%

Table I: 30% and 20% combine to 44%; 44% and 10% combine to 50%, giving a final 50% rating.

Example 3: One condition at 50%

• Sleep apnea at 50% = 50% combined

A single sleep apnea rating with CPAP use gets you directly to 50%.

Use our calculator to check how your specific conditions combine.

How to get from 40% to 50%

If you’re currently at 40% and want to reach 50%, here are strategies:

File for secondary conditions

Review your existing service-connected conditions for secondary conditions you haven’t claimed:

• PTSD or chronic pain → sleep apnea — A secondary award requires individual medical evidence of causation or aggravation; association and sleep fragmentation alone do not establish a nexus. A supported medication/obesity pathway may be relevant. If sleep apnea is service connected and requires CPAP, the schedule provides a 50% evaluation
• Back condition → radiculopathy — Nerve pain radiating from a back injury is separately ratable, typically at 10-20%
• PTSD → migraines — Stress and trauma-related migraines are a recognized secondary connection
• Any condition → depression/anxiety — Chronic pain and disability commonly cause mental health conditions

Request a rating increase

If a condition has worsened since your last evaluation:

1. Get current medical records documenting the worsening
2. Consider getting an updated Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) from your doctor
3. File a claim for increased disability compensation online or using VA Form 21-526EZ, with current evidence

A Supplemental Claim instead challenges a prior decision with new and relevant evidence. Use the increase-claim process for a newly worsened service-connected condition.

Claim overlooked conditions

Common conditions veterans forget to claim:

• Tinnitus — Recurrent tinnitus is rated at 10% under DC 6260, but noise exposure alone does not establish an award. Evidence must establish current tinnitus and its relationship to service; applicable presumptive or continuity rules may also support service connection.
• Scars (10%+) — Painful or unstable scars from injuries or surgeries
• Hearing loss — Separately ratable from tinnitus
• Limited motion in joints you haven’t claimed

The math from 40% to 50%

A final Table I value of 45% through 54% rounds to 50%. The table below starts with one individual disability rated 40%, with no other existing ratings or bilateral factor. It does not apply to every veteran whose displayed combined rating is 40%.

In that single-40% example, an additional 10% reaches 46% and rounds to 50%. But two separate 20% ratings combine to 36% (rounded to 40%); adding 10% gives 42%, still rounded to 40%. Recalculate all your original individual ratings and the new rating rather than combining with the displayed 40% tier.

Can you work at 50%?

Yes — a schedular 50% rating by itself imposes no earnings cap. If you are paid at the 100% rate through TDIU, separate employment rules apply.

Your VA disability compensation is tax-free, does not count as earned income, and is paid in addition to any salary you earn. It has no impact on your ability to work or your tax obligations on employment income.

If your service-connected disabilities prevent substantially gainful employment, you may qualify for TDIU. The schedular route generally requires one disability at 60%+, or a combined 70%+ with one at 40%+ (including qualifying groups treated as one under 38 CFR § 4.16(a)). Below those percentages, VA can refer your case for extraschedular consideration under § 4.16(b).

Next steps

• Calculate your combined rating with our free VA disability calculator
• See all 2026 pay rates including dependent additions at every level
• Learn how VA math works to understand rating combinations
• Browse condition guides for rating criteria on specific conditions
• File a claim for unrated conditions to increase your rating

Correction — October 21, 2026: Corrected the combined-rating math to use Table I whole-number values, the increase-claim process for worsened conditions, and the tinnitus and sleep apnea guidance. Also clarified the schedular and extraschedular TDIU routes.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. For personalized guidance on your VA disability claim, consult a VA-accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO), attorney, or claims agent. You can find accredited representatives at VA.gov.

Correction — October 31, 2026: Clarified that schedular compensation has no earnings cap by itself; separate employment rules apply to TDIU. Corrected the condition label in a 30% example to match an available rating tier.