At 70%, alone with no dependents, the VA pays $1,808.45 a month. At 100%, alone, that becomes $3,938.58 a month.

That's $2,130.13 more a month, or $25,561.56 more a year.

These are the alone rates; the exact amount changes with a spouse, children, or dependent parents. Rates effective December 1, 2025, source VA.gov compensation rates. See the full 2026 pay chart for every rating and dependent status.

This is an unofficial estimate for information only. It is not legal, financial, or benefits advice, and your actual VA rating and payment are determined solely by the VA. Consider consulting an accredited Veterans Service Officer (free) or a VA-accredited attorney or claims agent about your specific claim.

The VA doesn't just check whether your ratings add up to 100. It combines them, then rounds the result to the nearest 10. To land on an official 100% rating, your combined ratings need to reach a raw value of 95 or higher, since anything from 95 through 99 rounds up to 100.

From 70%, that can happen either way: a single new or increased rating high enough on its own to push the combination past that line, or a few smaller ratings that add up to the same place once combined.

For example, combined with your existing 70%, a single new rating of 90% or higher would be enough to cross that threshold on its own.

See how VA disability ratings are calculated for the full formula, the bilateral factor, and a complete worked example.

Reaching a higher combined rating generally means one of a few things: submitting new medical evidence for a condition that's worsened, filing a claim for an increase on an existing rating, or filing for a secondary condition connected to one you're already rated for. Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is a separate path that can pay at the 100% rate for veterans whose service-connected conditions prevent substantially gainful employment, even when their combined schedular rating is below 100%.

None of this is something to navigate alone. An accredited Veterans Service Officer (free) or a VA-accredited attorney or claims agent can review your specific record and evidence and advise on the actual strategy for your claim, which this page can't responsibly do.