40% VA Disability Rating (2026): Monthly Pay, Dependents and TDIU

A 40% VA disability rating pays $795.84 a month to a veteran with no dependents, under VA's rates effective December 1, 2025, with more for a spouse, children or dependent parents. Under federal VA law, 40% also anchors the two-disability unemployability (TDIU) test in 38 CFR 4.16(a).

This page covers federal VA disability compensation under Title 38 of the U.S. Code and 38 CFR Part 4, plus the federal benefits tied to a 40% rating. It does not cover state veteran benefits, which vary by state. For every rating level, start at the VA disability ratings hub.

A 40% rating can be a single condition or several smaller ones combined, and the difference matters for TDIU. To see how your own ratings combine and what they pay with your dependents, run them through the free VA disability calculator.

What a 40% VA Disability Rating Pays

VA sets one monthly amount for each combined rating, then raises it for the dependents on the award. At 40%, a veteran with no dependents receives $795.84 a month, and a veteran with a spouse receives $882.84.

The figures below are VA's rates effective December 1, 2025, the table VA lists as current in November 2026. VA adjusts compensation each December 1 with the cost-of-living increase, so check VA's rate table for the newest figures.

40% rates with a spouse or parents, no children

40% rates with children

The 1-child rows already include the first child. The added amounts apply to each child after the first and to a spouse who receives Aid and Attendance, on top of the row that matches the household.

Dependent pay exists at 40% because 38 U.S.C. 1115 grants it to any veteran "whose disability is rated not less than 30 percent," in amounts proportional to the rating. That is why a spouse adds $87.00 at 40%, against $65.00 at 30%.

Where 40% sits on the rating ladder

How Veterans Reach a 40% Combined Rating

VA does not add percentages. Under 38 CFR 4.25, it arranges ratings from most to least severe, applies each one to the share of the person VA treats as still "efficient," and rounds once, at the end, to the nearest number divisible by 10. Combined values ending in 5 round up, so any raw combined value from 35 to 44 becomes a final 40%.

A few combinations, worked with the combined ratings table:

• 20% and 20%: 36, final rating 40%.
• 30% and 10%: 37, final rating 40%.
• 30% and 20%: 44, final rating 40%.
• 20%, 10% and 10%: 28, then 35, final rating 40% (the 5 rounds up).
• 40% and 10%: 46, final rating 50%.
• 40% and 20%: 52, final rating 50%. This is the regulation's own example.
• 40% and 30%: 58, final rating 60%.

The VA disability calculator runs this sequence for any set of ratings, including the bilateral factor in 38 CFR 4.26 for disabilities of both arms or both legs. For the full method, see how VA math works.

Conditions That Can Be Rated 40% on Their Own

A single condition can carry a 40% rating under its diagnostic code in 38 CFR Part 4, and that matters for TDIU, because the two-disability test needs one disability at 40% or more. Some examples from the current schedule:

The neck (cervical spine) and the lower and mid back (thoracolumbar spine) are rated separately under the spine formula, and for the back, 40% is the step after 20%.

No 40% step for mental health conditions

PTSD, depression, anxiety and most other mental health conditions are rated under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders in 38 CFR 4.130, whose levels are 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70% and 100%. A mental health condition is never rated 40%. A veteran with a 40% combined rating that includes a mental health condition has that condition at one of the formula's levels, combined with other ratings.

The same is true of migraine (DC 8100), which steps from 30% to 50%, and sleep apnea (DC 6847), which also steps from 30% to 50%. Those conditions contribute to a 40% combined rating only alongside other ratings.

40% and TDIU: The Anchor Disability

TDIU (total disability based on individual unemployability) pays at the 100% rate when service-connected disabilities prevent substantially gainful work. Under 38 CFR 4.16(a), the schedular test is met in one of two ways: one disability rated 60% or more, or a combined rating of 70% or more with at least one disability rated 40% or more.

A combined 40% rating meets neither test. What the 40% level does is supply the anchor for the second test: a veteran with one disability rated 40% meets the two-disability test once other ratings bring the combined rating to 70%. For example, ratings of 40%, 30% and 30% combine to 58% and then 71%, a final 70% with one disability at 40%, which meets the percentages.

For the 40% anchor, VA counts related disabilities as one. 38 CFR 4.16(a) lists disabilities of one or both arms, or of one or both legs (including the bilateral factor); disabilities from a common cause or a single accident; disabilities affecting a single body system; multiple combat injuries; and multiple disabilities incurred as a prisoner of war. A veteran who misses the percentages but cannot work because of service-connected disabilities can still be considered under 38 CFR 4.16(b). TDIU and individual unemployability covers the evidence and the process.

What Else Applies at 40%

VA health care: still Priority Group 2

VA places veterans with a single or combined service-connected rating of 30% or 40% in Priority Group 2 (38 CFR 17.36(b)(2)). At any rating of 10% or more, VA's copay rules say there is no copay for outpatient or inpatient care.

The line at 50% is medication copays. Priority Groups 2 through 8 may owe a copay for medications prescribed for conditions that are not service-connected, up to $700 in a calendar year; Priority Group 1, which starts at a 50% rating, pays none. In Priority Groups 1 through 5, urgent care has no copay for the first 3 visits in each calendar year and a $30 copay for each visit after that. Care for the rated service-connected condition itself is exempt at any rating.

Federal jobs and job training

A 40% rating is in OPM's "CPS" preference group (30% or more), which earns 10 points, the same as any lower disability rating (5 U.S.C. 3309). Like 30%, it also allows an agency to use the noncompetitive appointment authority in 5 U.S.C. 3112 for a veteran with "a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more"; the agency decides whether to use it.

A rating of 30% or more also carries three statutory protections. An agency that proposes to pass you over on a certificate to select a non-preference eligible must notify you, and you have 15 days to respond to OPM (5 U.S.C. 3318(c)). In a reduction in force, a preference eligible rated 30% or more whose performance has not been rated unacceptable is retained ahead of other preference eligibles (5 U.S.C. 3502(b)). A federal employee rated 30% or more can use up to 104 hours of disabled veteran leave in the first 12 months of employment for treatment of the service-connected disability (5 U.S.C. 6329).

For Veteran Readiness and Employment, 38 U.S.C. 3102 entitles a veteran rated 20% or more who needs rehabilitation because of an employment handicap. A vocational rehabilitation counselor makes that finding, and VA's VR&E eligibility page says there is no time limit for veterans discharged on or after January 1, 2013.

What a 40% Rating Does Not Change

• Concurrent retirement and disability pay (CRDP). CRDP requires a rating "not less than 50 percent disabling" (10 U.S.C. 1414), so it is not available at 40%. Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) can apply from a 10% rating for a combat-related disability (10 U.S.C. 1413a). DFAS lists the requirements as entitlement to military retired pay, a VA rating of at least 10%, a waiver of retired pay in the amount of VA disability compensation (the VA waiver) and an application filed with the branch of service.
• The VA home loan funding fee. VA waives the fee for any veteran receiving compensation for a service-connected disability (38 U.S.C. 3729(c)), so the waiver starts at 10%, not 40%.
• Comprehensive dental care. Class IV, "any needed dental treatment," requires a 100% schedular rating or TDIU paid at the 100% rate (38 CFR 17.161). At 40%, dental care depends on the dental condition or another dental class.
• Commissary, exchange and MWR access. 10 U.S.C. 1065(d) opened these to veterans with a service-connected disability on January 1, 2020, with no rating threshold in the statute.

How to Seek a Higher Rating From 40%

A veteran whose rated condition has worsened can file a claim for increased compensation, and a new condition caused by a service-connected one can be filed as a secondary claim. Where the 40% is a single rating, one more 10% produces 46%, which rounds to 50% and moves a veteran into Priority Group 1. Where the 40% is already a combination, the result depends on the raw value: a 30% and a 20% plus a 10% reach 50%, but a 20% and a 20% plus a 10% reach only 42%, still a final 40%. Run any new rating through the calculator before counting on a change.

If VA denies a claim or assigns a rating you believe the evidence does not support, you can ask for a decision review rather than starting over. A Supplemental Claim fits when you have new and relevant evidence; how to appeal a VA rating compares the three review lanes, and VA disability back pay explains how an increase is paid retroactively.

This article provides general information about federal VA disability compensation and is not legal advice. RecordingLaw.com is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Filing a claim with VA is free at VA.gov, and the services an accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representative provides on a VA claim are always free. Rates and rules on this page were checked against VA.gov, the eCFR and the U.S. Code in November 2026 and are subject to change.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a 40% VA disability rating pay per month?

Under VA's rates effective December 1, 2025, a 40% rating pays $795.84 a month to a veteran with no dependents, $882.84 with a spouse, and $947.84 with a spouse and one child. VA adjusts the rates each December 1 with the cost-of-living increase, so check the VA rate table for the current figures.

How much does a spouse add at 40%?

At 40%, a spouse raises the monthly amount from $795.84 to $882.84, an increase of $87.00. If the spouse receives Aid and Attendance, VA adds another $81.00. Under 38 U.S.C. 1115 the dependent amounts at partial ratings are proportional to the rating, so they grow at each level from 30% up.

Can I get TDIU with a 40% rating?

Not with a combined 40% under the schedular test. 38 CFR 4.16(a) requires one disability rated 60% or more, or a combined 70% or more with at least one disability rated 40% or more. A single 40% disability counts as that anchor once other ratings bring the combined rating to 70%. A veteran who misses the percentages but cannot work because of service-connected disabilities can still be considered under 38 CFR 4.16(b).

Is there a 40% VA rating for PTSD or depression?

No. The General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders in 38 CFR 4.130 has levels of 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70% and 100%. A veteran rated 40% overall with a mental health condition has that condition rated at one of those levels, combined with other ratings.

What two ratings make 40%?

Under the combined ratings table in 38 CFR 4.25, 20% and 20% combine to 36%, 30% and 10% combine to 37%, and 30% and 20% combine to 44%; all three round to 40%. A 20% and two 10% ratings combine to 35%, which rounds up to 40% because values ending in 5 round up.

What changes if my 40% rating goes to 50%?

At 50%, VA places a veteran in Priority Group 1, which pays no medication copays. A combined 50% also reaches the threshold for concurrent retirement and disability pay (CRDP) under 10 U.S.C. 1414 for an otherwise eligible military retiree. A single 40% rating and a 10% combine to 46%, which rounds to 50%; if your 40% is already a combination of smaller ratings, an added 10% may not move it.

What VA health care priority group is a 40% rating?

Priority Group 2, which covers a single or combined service-connected rating of 30% or 40% (38 CFR 17.36). There is no copay for outpatient or inpatient care at any rating of 10% or more, but Priority Group 2 can owe medication copays for conditions that are not service-connected, capped at $700 in a calendar year. Urgent care has no copay for the first 3 visits in each calendar year and a $30 copay for each visit after that.