Why your VA ratings don’t add up (§4.25)

A 50% and a 30% rating is not 80%. The VA combines ratings under 38 CFR §4.25 — each new disability only applies to the efficiency you have left, not the whole 100%.

How the combined-ratings rule works

Ratings are combined highest-to-lowest. Each disability is applied to the remaining non-disabled efficiency, then the final value is rounded to the nearest 10%.

Worked example

Take ratings of 50%, 30%, 20%:

• Start at 50% efficiency lost.
• The 30% applies to the remaining 50%, then the 20% applies to what’s left.
• That gives 72% before rounding, which rounds to 70% — not 100%.

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Informational only and not a guarantee of any rating or payment. All figures are estimates; the VA makes the final decision. This is not medical, legal, or financial advice.