Calculate your
VA rating.

There is no published numeric maximum. Federal law describes a Veteran with “one or more children” and provides additional compensation for each child beyond the first. It does not stop at 3, 5, 10, 20, or another fixed number.

VA Form 21-686c includes an Additional Child(ren) addendum and tells claimants to make additional copies when more space is needed.

38 U.S.C. §1115 ↗ · VA Form 21-686c ↗

No. Those are mutually exclusive status buckets for an individual child. If your family has 3 children under 18 and 2 different children age 18–23 in qualifying school programs, enter 3 and 2. Your total is 5 children, not 10.

When a child turns 18, VA generally stops the ordinary child addition unless school attendance or another qualifying status is established.

VA generally recognizes an unmarried biological child, adopted child, or qualifying stepchild who is under 18; is age 18–23 and attending a qualifying school program; or became permanently incapable of self-support before turning 18.

The federal definition appears in 38 U.S.C. §101(4), with VA's regulatory definition in 38 C.F.R. §3.57.

VA tracks age from the date of birth reported on the dependency claim. At 18, VA normally stops the ordinary dependent-child addition unless VA has information establishing another qualifying status.

For an unmarried child age 18–23 attending school, VA uses school-attendance information, including VA Form 21-674.

The 2026 rate table lists a separate added amount for each child over 18 in a qualifying school program. That amount differs from the amount listed for an additional child under 18.

This is why the calculator keeps school-age dependents in their own status bucket.

VA can continue to recognize an unmarried child after age 18 if evidence establishes that the child became permanently incapable of self-support before turning 18. VA may require medical records and a physician statement.

This calculator does not decide that eligibility question because it requires an individualized VA determination.

Standard additional compensation for a spouse, child, or dependent parent generally begins at a combined service-connected rating of 30%. At 10% and 20%, VA's standard rate does not increase because of dependents.

The public rate table starts with the applicable basic family rate. When there are children under 18, the basic “with child” rate covers the first standard child, then VA lists an added amount for each additional child under 18. School children over 18 use their separately listed added amount.

VA's own 2026 example for a Veteran rated 70% with a spouse and 3 children under 18 starts with the spouse-plus-1-child rate and adds the under-18 amount twice.

VA Form 21-686c is used to add or remove dependents. For a child age 18–23 attending school, VA also uses VA Form 21-674, Request for Approval of School Attendance. VA provides an online dependency claim process as well.

No. The Additional Child(ren) addendum explicitly says to make additional copies if more space is needed. The printed form layout is an administrative convenience, not a benefits maximum.

Yes, when the relationship and other VA dependency requirements are met. Current VA guidance includes adopted children and stepchildren in the dependent-child framework.

VA's definition of “child” for these dependency purposes requires the child to be unmarried. A dependent child's marriage should be reported to VA.

Current VA guidance says that when both spouses are Veterans with combined disability ratings of at least 30%, both may generally receive additional disability compensation for each other and their qualifying children.

The standard disability compensation tables provide configurations for zero, one, or two dependent parents. Parent dependency has separate financial/support rules and generally uses VA Form 21P-509.

The rates on this page are effective December 1, 2025 and are the rates VA identifies for 2026. Payment depends on the final combined rating and, at 30% or higher, recognized dependents.

The 2026 Veteran-alone 100% rate is $3,938.58 per month before qualifying dependent additions or special compensation.

VA uses a whole-person approach. Each later disability is applied to the remaining efficiency after the earlier disability. The final combined value is then rounded to the nearest 10% for the compensation rating.

Yes, for common situations. When you identify compensable ratings on both upper extremities, both lower extremities, or the same paired skeletal muscle on both sides, the calculator combines the bilateral ratings first, adds 10% of that bilateral combined value, and then combines the adjusted bilateral group with the other ratings.

The calculator also checks the current 38 C.F.R. §4.26(d) exception and will leave one or more ratings out of the bilateral group when doing so produces the more favorable combined evaluation. Complex paired-muscle classifications should still be checked against the actual rating decision or with an accredited representative.

Read 38 C.F.R. §4.26 ↗

The calculator does not calculate SMC and it does not award or determine TDIU. It now includes an optional TDIU screening question and checks the basic schedular percentage pattern published by VA: at least one disability rated 60% or more, or a combined rating of at least 70% with at least one disability rated 40% or more.

VA regulations contain additional ways certain disabilities may be treated as one disability for the percentage threshold, and VA can consider some cases below the standard percentage thresholds. The screening result is therefore informational only.

VA Individual Unemployability guidance ↗

Differences can result from effective dates, dependency effective dates, military retired-pay interactions, withheld amounts, apportionment, SMC, TDIU, school-status changes, helpless-child determinations, complex paired-muscle classifications, or other facts not represented by the calculator.

Report changes promptly. Birth, adoption, marriage, divorce, a child's 18th birthday, school attendance, graduation, a dependent child's marriage, death, or a qualifying permanent disability can change entitlement. Delays can affect retroactive payments or create overpayment debt.