40% VA Disability Rating: Benefits and 2026 Pay
At 40%, 8 of the 16 benefits on this list apply directly and 1 applies only under extra conditions. VA's 2026 table pays $795.84 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 40%
A 40% rating keeps everything listed at 30%: same health care priority group, same dependents rule. The only difference is pay. A combined 40% cannot meet the TDIU percentage standard (a single 60% disability or a combined 70%).
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 40%
Apply directly at this rating
VA health care enrollment (priority group)
Assigned to priority group 2 (service-connected disability rated 30% or 40%).
Unchanged since 30%: the summary and threshold quote are on the 30% page. Source: VA: priority groups for health care.
VA beneficiary travel pay
Unchanged since 30%: the summary and threshold quote are on the 30% page. Source: VA: get reimbursed for travel pay.
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
Unchanged since 30%: the summary and threshold quote are on the 30% page. Source: VA: add or remove a dependent on VA disability benefits.
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)
Group CPS: a compensable service-connected disability rating of 30% or more, 10 points.
Unchanged since 30%: the summary and threshold quote are on the 30% page. Source: OPM: veterans preference groups.
Noncompetitive federal appointment (30% or more)
Unchanged since 30%: the summary and threshold quote are on the 30% page. Source: OPM: Vet Guide for HR Professionals.
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 40% adds over 30%
This level adds no new benefit over 30%: every benefit listed above also applies at 30% with the same conditions. The difference is pay: a veteran alone receives $243.37 more a month at 40% in 2026.
What changes at 50%
- Health care moves to priority group 1
- Concurrent receipt of retired pay (CRDP) for military retirees
Pay for a veteran alone rises by $337.06 a month at 50%.
2026 VA pay at 40%
| Household | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Veteran alone | $795.84 |
| With spouse | $882.84 |
| With spouse and one child under 18 | $947.84 |
| With one child under 18, no spouse | $853.84 |
| With one dependent parent, no spouse or child | $865.84 |
| With spouse and one dependent parent | $952.84 |
| Each additional child under 18 (added) | $43.00 |
| Each child 18 to 23 in school (added) | $140.00 |
| Spouse needing aid and attendance (added) | $81.00 |
| Veteran alone, per year | $9,550.08 |
| With spouse, per year | $10,594.08 |
That is $243.37 more a month than 30%. The next level up pays $337.06 more.
Basic compensation only: it leaves out special monthly compensation, TDIU and offsets. See the full pay chart.
Pay steps around 40%
Monthly and yearly change for a veteran alone, from VA's 2026 table.
- From 30% to 40%: +$243.37 a month, +$2,920.44 a year.
- From 40% to 50%: +$337.06 a month, +$4,044.72 a year.
Worked examples: ratings that combine to 40%
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 40%.
- 20% + 20% combine to 36 (20 under 20 = 36), which rounds to 40%.
- 30% + 10% combine to 37 (30 under 10 = 37), which rounds to 40%.
- 30% + 20% combine to 44 (30 under 20 = 44), which rounds to 40%.
- 20% + 10% + 10% combine to 35 (20 under 10 = 28; 28 under 10 = 35), which rounds to 40%.
- 20% + 20% + 10% combine to 42 (20 under 20 = 36; 36 under 10 = 42), which rounds to 40%.
Compare other ratings
Level below: 30%. Level above: 50%. All ratings side by side.
Questions about the 40% rating
What benefits come with a 40% VA disability rating?
At 40%, 8 of the 16 listed benefits apply directly and 1 applies only if extra conditions are met. Nothing is new compared with 30%. Each threshold quote and source is on this page or the page for the level where it last changed.
How much does a 40% VA disability rating pay in 2026?
In 2026, 40% pays $795.84 a month ($9,550.08 a year) to a veteran alone, using VA's rates in effect since December 1, 2025. With a spouse it is $882.84, and with a spouse and one child $947.84.
Does 40% qualify for CHAMPVA, Chapter 35 or Space-A?
At 40%, 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 40% and 50%?
Going from 40% to 50% adds or changes: VA health care enrollment (priority group) and Concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA compensation (CRDP). Pay for a veteran alone rises by $337.06 a month in 2026.
How much more does 40% pay than 30% in 2026?
A veteran alone gets $243.37 more a month ($2,920.44 a year) at 40% than at 30%, and a veteran with a spouse gets $265.37 more a month. The benefits on this list do not change between the two levels.
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