Question 1

What is 50 and 30 and 20% VA disability combined?

Accepted Answer

50 and 30 and 20% combines to a 70% VA disability rating (72% before rounding to the nearest 10%), not 100%. The VA uses whole-person math: each rating only applies to the portion still healthy after the previous one. A 70% rating pays $1,808/month in 2026 for a veteran alone.

Question 2

Why isn't 50 and 30 and 20 equal to 100%?

Accepted Answer

Because the VA never adds ratings. After a 50% rating, only 50% of the "whole person" is left, so the next rating applies to that smaller amount. This always yields less than the simple sum, capped at 100%.

Rating	Healthy before	Adds	Running total
50%	100%	+50	50%
30%	50%	+15	65%
20%	35%	+7	72%
Combined (72%, rounded to nearest 10%)			70%

50 and 30 and 20% VA Disability = 70%

Other common combinations

Get the 70% VA rate when it changes