30% VA Disability Rating: Benefits and 2026 Pay
At 30%, 8 of the 16 benefits on this list apply directly and 1 applies only under extra conditions. VA's 2026 table pays $552.47 a month to a veteran alone.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Eligibility rules checked against VA, OPM and statute text October 26, 2026 · Methodology & sources
What is different at 30%
A 30% rating is the first level with added compensation for dependents, the first with travel pay for any VA-approved care, the first in the CPS hiring preference group and the first with noncompetitive federal appointment authority. Health care moves to priority group 2.
Ratings here are combined ratings, which VA rounds to the nearest 10. See the combined ratings table or the VA disability calculator.
Benefits that apply at 30%
Apply directly at this rating
VA health care enrollment (priority group)
VA assigns an enrollment priority group from the service-connected rating, and the group can affect what, if anything, you pay toward care.
Assigned to priority group 2 (service-connected disability rated 30% or 40%).
We may assign you to priority group 2 if you have a service-connected disability that we've rated as 30% or 40% disabling.
VA beneficiary travel pay
Reimbursement for travel to VA or VA-approved care. At 30% or more the rating itself is enough; below 30% the trip must be for a service-connected condition (or meet another listed reason).
You have a VA disability rating of 30% or higher, or
VA home loan funding fee waiver
Unchanged since 10%: the summary and threshold quote are on the 10% page. Source: 38 U.S.C. 3729 (loan fee).
Additional compensation for dependents
A combined rating of at least 30% makes a veteran eligible for added monthly compensation for a spouse, children and dependent parents. The amounts are in the pay table.
Have a combined disability rating of at least 30%
Commissary, exchange and MWR privileges
Unchanged since 0%: the summary and threshold quote are on the 0% page. Source: VA: commissary and exchange privileges for Veterans.
VALife life insurance
Unchanged since 0%: the summary and threshold quote are on the 0% page. Source: VA: Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife).
Federal hiring preference (10 points)
A veteran with a service-connected disability gets 10 preference points in federal hiring. OPM labels the group by rating: XP below 10%, CP from 10% to under 30%, CPS from 30%.
Group CPS: a compensable service-connected disability rating of 30% or more, 10 points.
CPS - Disability rating of 30% or more (10 points)
Noncompetitive federal appointment (30% or more)
OPM lets an agency make a noncompetitive temporary (over 60 days) or term appointment of a veteran VA rates as having a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more. VA's matrix also lists direct hire authority from 30%.
rated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) since 1991 or later to include disability determinations from a branch of the Armed Forces at any time, as having a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more.
Apply only if extra conditions are met
The percentage alone is not enough for these. Each one says what else VA or DoD looks at, such as a permanent and total rating, TDIU or a VA finding.
Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)Conditions apply
Employment support and training. The statute sets entitlement at a 20% rating with an employment handicap, or a 10% rating with a serious employment handicap; a VA counselor decides the handicap.
From 20% the statute requires VA to determine that the veteran needs rehabilitation because of an employment handicap (not necessarily a serious one). A counselor makes that decision.
Also depends on: a VA finding of an employment handicap.
a veteran who has a service-connected disability rated at 20 percent or more which was incurred or aggravated in service on or after September 16, 1940; or
Not available at this rating
These need a higher rating or a different kind of rating: VA dental care (Class IV); CHAMPVA health coverage for a spouse and children; Chapter 35 education benefits for a spouse and children (DEA); Space-A (space-available) military flights; Concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA compensation (CRDP); Statutory housebound rate (SMC-S); Individual unemployability (TDIU): the 100% rate.
Property tax relief and other state or local benefits for disabled veterans vary by state and are not covered here. Check your state veterans agency.
What 30% adds over 20%
- Health care moves to priority group 2
- Travel pay for any VA-approved care
- Added pay for a spouse, children or parents
- Federal hiring preference group CPS
- Noncompetitive federal appointment
What changes at 40%
Nothing on this list changes at 40%. Pay for a veteran alone rises by $243.37 a month.
2026 VA pay at 30%
| Household | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Veteran alone | $552.47 |
| With spouse | $617.47 |
| With spouse and one child under 18 | $666.47 |
| With one child under 18, no spouse | $596.47 |
| With one dependent parent, no spouse or child | $604.47 |
| With spouse and one dependent parent | $669.47 |
| Each additional child under 18 (added) | $32.00 |
| Each child 18 to 23 in school (added) | $105.00 |
| Spouse needing aid and attendance (added) | $61.00 |
| Veteran alone, per year | $6,629.64 |
| With spouse, per year | $7,409.64 |
That is $195.81 more a month than 20%. The next level up pays $243.37 more.
Basic compensation only: it leaves out special monthly compensation, TDIU and offsets. See the full pay chart.
Pay steps around 30%
Monthly and yearly change for a veteran alone, from VA's 2026 table.
- From 20% to 30%: +$195.81 a month, +$2,349.72 a year.
- From 30% to 40%: +$243.37 a month, +$2,920.44 a year.
Worked examples: ratings that combine to 30%
VA does not add ratings; it combines them with Table I of 38 CFR 4.25 and rounds to the nearest 10. These examples are computed with the combined ratings table and are illustrations, not a prediction of any rating.
- A single service-connected disability rated 30%.
- 20% + 10% combine to 28 (20 under 10 = 28), which rounds to 30%.
- 10% + 10% + 10% combine to 27 (10 combined with 10 is 19 (Table I headnote); 19 under 10 = 27), which rounds to 30%.
Compare other ratings
Level below: 20%. Level above: 40%. All ratings side by side.
Questions about the 30% rating
What benefits come with a 30% VA disability rating?
At 30%, 8 of the 16 listed benefits apply directly and 1 applies only if extra conditions are met. New or changed compared with 20%: VA health care enrollment (priority group); VA beneficiary travel pay; Additional compensation for dependents; Federal hiring preference (10 points); and Noncompetitive federal appointment (30% or more). Each threshold quote and source is on this page or the page for the level where it last changed.
How much does a 30% VA disability rating pay in 2026?
In 2026, 30% pays $552.47 a month ($6,629.64 a year) to a veteran alone, using VA's rates in effect since December 1, 2025. With a spouse it is $617.47, and with a spouse and one child $666.47.
Does 30% qualify for CHAMPVA, Chapter 35 or Space-A?
At 30%, VA's matrix does not list them below 60%: CHAMPVA, Chapter 35 and Space-A depend on a permanent and total rating, which the matrix lists at 100%, or at 60% to 90% only through a permanent TDIU rating. Separately, 38 CFR 4.16(b) tells rating boards to submit "all cases of veterans who are unemployable by reason of service-connected disabilities, but who fail to meet the percentage standards set forth in paragraph (a) of this section" for extra-schedular consideration, so TDIU can be considered below the 4.16(a) thresholds. This page does not predict whether it is granted.
What changes between 30% and 40%?
Nothing on this list changes between 30% and 40%. The difference is pay: a veteran alone receives $243.37 more a month at 40% in 2026.
Does a 30% VA disability rating add pay for a spouse or children?
At 30%: A combined rating of at least 30% makes a veteran eligible for added monthly compensation for a spouse, children and dependent parents. The amounts are in the pay table. In 2026 the monthly amount at 30% is $552.47 alone, $617.47 with a spouse and $666.47 with a spouse and one child.
Sources: VA Benefit Eligibility Matrix: Service Connected Matrix (benefits.va.gov) · VA: priority groups for health care · VA: eligibility for Veteran Readiness and Employment · 38 U.S.C. 3102 (basic entitlement, VR&E) · VA: commissary and exchange privileges for Veterans · VA: funding fee and closing costs · 38 U.S.C. 3729 (loan fee) · VA: add or remove a dependent on VA disability benefits · 38 U.S.C. 1115 (additional compensation for dependents) · VA: get reimbursed for travel pay · VA: Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) · OPM: veterans preference groups · OPM: Vet Guide for HR Professionals · VA disability compensation rates