Each year, Social Security Administration data on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) determines the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) that also applies to VA disability compensation, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), and some other VA benefits. This adjustment is required by law to keep pace with inflation and is calculated by comparing the average CPI-W for the third quarter (July, August, September) of the current year to the same quarter of the prior year. The percentage increase is rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent, as mandated by statute.
The COLA increase is applied automatically. Veterans do not need to file any paperwork, submit a request, or take any action to receive it. The adjustment is built directly into the monthly compensation rate tables that VA and SSA use, and your disability rating percentage itself does not change — only the dollar amount tied to that rating increases.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 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 |
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Analyze my claim free →The new rate typically takes effect for the December benefit payment, which veterans receive at the end of December or in early January, depending on the payment schedule. The exact dollar increase depends on your combined disability rating, whether you have a spouse or dependent children, whether you receive Special Monthly Compensation, and other individual factors, so the overall percentage increase does not translate to an identical dollar amount for every veteran.
This adjustment applies to all veterans currently receiving compensation, including those with pending claims who are later granted benefits retroactive to a date in the adjustment period — VA will apply the correct COLA-adjusted rate for each period covered by the retroactive award. It also applies to veterans already rated and receiving payments, regardless of when their claim was originally filed or decided.
If you want to confirm the updated amount for your specific rating and dependent status once the new rates are published, you can check the official VA compensation rate tables on the VA website or review your next payment statement through the VA.gov benefits portal; no action is required to receive the adjustment itself.
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