The VA doesn't add your disability ratings together — it combines them with its own math, so your numbers almost never total what you'd expect. Enter your ratings below to see your real combined rating, the step-by-step of how the VA gets there, and where to get free, accredited help.
Start with your highest rating. A 50% rating means the VA considers you 50% disabled — and 50% able. The next rating, say 30%, applies only to that remaining 50%, not to the whole person — so it adds 15 points, not 30, giving 65%. The VA then rounds to the nearest 10%, so 65% becomes a 70% combined rating. Stack several conditions and the gap between "adding them up" and the real number grows fast. The calculator above does exactly this, in order, including the bilateral factor for paired limbs and the final rounding.
You should not have to pay anyone just to file a VA claim. Accredited Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) — such as the DAV, VFW, American Legion, and your county or state veterans office — help you prepare and file claims for free. Only VA-accredited representatives may assist with claims, and charging a fee for preparing an initial claim is generally prohibited. Be wary of "claim sharks" who advertise guaranteed results for a cut of your back pay. This tool, and the Playbook, exist to help you understand the system — not to file for a fee.
The whole path in plain English: service connection and the PACT Act presumptives, building your evidence, the C&P exam, the combined-rating math, lawful ways to seek the rating you've earned (secondaries, TDIU, SMC), the appeal lanes and deadlines — and a directory of free, accredited help. Get the rating chapter and the launch notice.