70 Percent VA Disability Benefits in 2026
A 70% VA disability rating pays $1,808.45 a month in 2026 for a veteran alone, $1,961.45 with a spouse, and $2,074.45 with a spouse and one child. 70% is also a threshold rating: it can open TDIU, which pays at the 100% rate, and it is the rating floor for the VA's family caregiver program. Here is everything 70% gets you and how veterans move up from here.
TL;DR
- 70% pays $1,808.45 a month alone, $1,961.45 with a spouse and $2,074.45 with a spouse and one child, effective December 1, 2025.
- A combined 70% with one condition at 40% or more meets the TDIU threshold (38 CFR 4.16(a)). TDIU pays $3,938.58 alone, $2,130.13 a month more than 70%.
- The VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers requires a rating of 70% or higher, plus a need for at least 6 months of continuous, in-person personal care.
- From 70% up, each additional child under 18 adds $76 a month and each child in school adds $246.
- You stay in Priority Group 1 and keep CRDP, the funding fee exemption, VR&E and federal hiring benefits.
How much does 70% VA disability pay in 2026?
These are the VA's 2026 rates at 70%, effective December 1, 2025, after a 2.8% cost-of-living increase.
| Family status at 70% | Monthly pay | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran alone | $1,808.45 | $21,701.40 |
| With spouse | $1,961.45 | $23,537.40 |
| With spouse and 1 child | $2,074.45 | $24,893.40 |
| With 1 child only | $1,910.45 | $22,925.40 |
| With spouse and 1 parent | $2,084.45 | $25,013.40 |
| With 1 parent only | $1,931.45 | $23,177.40 |
| Each additional child under 18 | +$76.00 | +$912.00 |
| Each additional child over 18 in school | +$246.00 | +$2,952.00 |
| Spouse receiving Aid and Attendance | +$141.00 | +$1,692.00 |
The VA's own example uses 70%: a veteran with a spouse and three children under 18, whose spouse receives Aid and Attendance, gets $2,074.45 + $76 + $76 + $141 = $2,367.45 a month. See every rating on the VA disability pay chart for 2026.
What benefits come with a 70% VA rating?
TDIU eligibility on the schedular route
Under 38 CFR 4.16(a), a veteran with two or more service-connected conditions meets the TDIU threshold with a combined 70% and at least one condition at 40% or more. A single condition at 60% also qualifies. If your service-connected conditions keep you from holding a steady job that supports you, TDIU pays at the 100% rate while your rating stays at 70%.
The rule also lets some conditions count as one when you are trying to reach that 40%, such as conditions of both legs, conditions from one accident, or conditions of one body system. Full details are in our TDIU guide.
Family caregiver program
The VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers requires the veteran to have a single or combined rating of 70% or higher and to need at least 6 months of continuous, in-person personal care services. There are other eligibility rules. The program is for veterans who truly need another person's help with daily life, not a benefit for every 70% rating.
Higher dependent amounts
The per-child amounts jump at 70%. Each additional child under 18 adds $76 a month, compared with $54 at 50% and $32 at 30%. A child over 18 in school adds $246, compared with $176 at 50%. File VA Form 21-686c, plus VA Form 21-674 for a school-age child 18 to 23.
Benefits carried over from lower ratings
- VA health care Priority Group 1, which the VA assigns at 50% or more.
- Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay for qualified military retirees rated 50% or more (10 U.S.C. 1414).
- No VA home loan funding fee while you receive VA compensation.
- VR&E (Chapter 31) with an employment handicap (38 CFR 21.40(a)).
- Federal hiring without competing under 5 U.S.C. 3112.
State benefits
Many states offer property tax relief, fee waivers or other programs to disabled veterans, and some tie the size of the benefit to your rating. Because each state sets its own rules, check with your state veterans agency and county assessor.
What conditions are commonly rated 70%?
Most 70% ratings are several conditions combined. The most common single condition at 70% is a mental health condition, such as PTSD or depression, rated for occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking or mood (38 CFR 4.130). See our PTSD rating guide.
If you are having thoughts of hurting yourself, call the Veterans Crisis Line now: dial 988, then press 1.
How do veterans move up from 70%?
From here, the math gets harder. Each new rating applies only to what is left of the whole person, and the final value rounds to the nearest 10 (38 CFR 4.25).
- 70% + 30%: 30% of 30 is 9. Combined value 79, which rounds to 80%.
- 70% + 50%: 50% of 30 is 15. Combined value 85, which rounds up to 90%.
- 70% + 70%: 70% of 30 is 21. Combined value 91, which rounds to 90%.
To reach a schedular 100%, your combined value has to hit 95 or higher, or one condition has to be rated 100%. That is why many veterans at 70% look at two paths at once:
- TDIU, if your conditions keep you from steady work. It pays the 100% rate now.
- Increases and secondary conditions that could reach a schedular 100% over time. Under 38 CFR 3.310, conditions caused or made worse by your rated conditions are also service connected. See PTSD secondary conditions and VA secondary conditions.
Our guide to how to get a 100% VA rating lays out every route. Run your own numbers in the VA disability calculator.
70% vs 80%, 90% and 100%: what changes at the next tier?
| 70% | 80% | 90% | 100% or TDIU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran alone | $1,808.45 | $2,102.15 | $2,362.30 | $3,938.58 |
| With spouse | $1,961.45 | $2,277.15 | $2,559.30 | $4,158.17 |
| With spouse and 1 child | $2,074.45 | $2,406.15 | $2,704.30 | $4,318.99 |
| More than 70% (alone) | n/a | +$293.70 | +$553.85 | +$2,130.13 |
80% and 90% raise your pay, but the benefit set stays about the same as 70%. The big change is at 100% or TDIU, and especially with a permanent and total finding, which can open Chapter 35 education and CHAMPVA for your family. See 100% VA disability benefits.
At 70% your family has the most to gain from getting the details right. Our Family Benefits Guide covers every dependent benefit by rating, the caregiver program, the forms, and the deadlines that cost families back pay.
Get the Family Benefits Guide ($37)
Sources
- VA: 2026 compensation rates
- 38 CFR 4.16, TDIU
- VA: Individual Unemployability
- VA: Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers
- VA: Priority groups
- 10 U.S.C. 1414, concurrent retirement and disability pay
- 38 CFR 4.130, mental disorders rating formula
- 38 CFR 4.25, combined ratings table
- 38 CFR 3.310, secondary service connection
Frequently asked questions
How much is 70% VA disability in 2026?
$1,808.45 a month for a veteran alone, $1,961.45 with a spouse, and $2,074.45 with a spouse and one child, effective December 1, 2025.
Can I get TDIU at 70%?
You meet the schedular threshold if at least one of your conditions is rated 40% or more (38 CFR 4.16(a)). You also have to show your service-connected conditions keep you from holding a steady job that supports you.
Does 70% qualify for the VA caregiver program?
It meets the rating requirement. The VA also requires that you need at least 6 months of continuous, in-person personal care services, along with other eligibility rules.
What does 70% plus 30% equal?
80%. The 30% applies to the 30 left after the 70, which adds 9, for a combined value of 79. That rounds to 80%.
Why is it so hard to get from 70% to 100%?
Because ratings combine instead of add. Each new rating only takes a share of what is left, and you need a combined value of 95 to round up to 100%. TDIU is often the faster route to 100% pay.
Is 70% VA disability taxable?
No. The IRS says not to include VA disability compensation in your gross income.