50% VA Disability Rating Explained

If you’re considering pursuing VA disability benefits, you probably know that if you are found to have a service-connected disability, you will be assigned a disability rating. But, you may not know what the various disability ratings mean in terms of the benefits you can expect to receive. 

How Do VA Disability Ratings Work? 

The VA assesses your medical condition and assigns a percentage of disability based on that condition. For many conditions, the Code of Federal Regulations sets forth the criteria for each possible rating. 

If you believe your VA disability rating is too low, you can appeal your rating. If you have additional conditions you believe may be service-connected or secondarily connected through one of your established conditions, you may file for those additional conditions. But, “combined” doesn’t mean added together. After all, you can’t be more than 100% disabled. 

When a second condition is added into the mix, the percentage of disability is applied to the non-disabled percentage. For instance, if you have a 60% rating for one condition and then get a 50% rating for another condition, the VA doesn’t add 60% and 50%. Instead, the 50% is applied to the 40% not covered by the first disability, and the resulting 20% is added to the original 60% for a combined rating of 80%. 

Benefits for a 50% Disability Rating

Any rating below 100% results in a decreased monthly benefit amount–unless you qualify for total disability due to individual unemployability. The reduction is not in proportion to the rating. In 2023, the monthly disability benefit for a veteran with no dependents and a 100% disability rating is $3,621.95. A veteran with a 50% disability rating and no dependents would receive $1,041.82. 

The monthly VA disability payment isn’t the only benefit offered to disabled veterans. The 50% disability rating is the first level that entitles veterans to no-cost healthcare and prescription drugs beyond treatment for service-connected conditions.

Other benefits include: 

• Travel allowance for VA medical care
• Waiver of VA funding fee for a home loan
• 10-point preference for federal hiring
• Vocational rehab
• Compensation for eligible dependents
• Concurrent receipt of military retired pay
• Burial and plot allowance 
• Commissary and exchange privileges

Veterans Help Group is Here for You

Whether you’re just applying for VA disability benefits, are appealing a denial of veterans disability benefits, or believe that your disability rating is too low, we’re here to help. To learn more, call 855-855-8992 or contact us here.