A 70 percent VA disability rating pays $1,808.45 a month tax-free in 2026, and the benefits for 70 percent disabled veterans extend well past the check: no-copay VA healthcare, a VA home loan funding fee waiver, paid vocational rehabilitation, 10-point federal hiring preference, and — for veterans who can no longer work — a route to compensation at the 100 percent rate through Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability.
Monthly Compensation at 70 Percent
A single veteran with no dependents receives $1,808.45 per month as of December 1, 2025, the rate that applies throughout 2026.1Veterans Affairs. Current Veterans Disability Compensation Rates The payment is exempt from federal income tax and from tax in most states, so nothing is reported as gross income.2Internal Revenue Service. Veterans Tax Information and Services Deposits typically hit on the first business day of the month.
Rates rise each year with the same cost-of-living adjustment Social Security uses. For 2026 that was 2.8 percent.3Social Security Administration. Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information
Extra for Dependents
Any rating of 30 percent or higher adds monthly compensation for qualifying dependents. At 70 percent in 2026:1Veterans Affairs. Current Veterans Disability Compensation Rates
- Veteran with spouse, no children: $1,961.45
- Veteran with spouse and one child: $2,074.45
Each additional child raises the payment further. Qualifying dependents include a legal spouse (including same-sex and common-law marriages), unmarried children under 18, children age 18 to 23 enrolled in school, children permanently disabled before turning 18, and dependent parents whose income and net worth fall below a set threshold. The VA wants marriage certificates and birth records before it will add anyone to your award.4Veterans Affairs. Manage Dependents for Disability, Pension, or DIC Benefits
The Path to 100 Percent Pay Without a 100 Percent Rating
This is the most consequential feature of the 70 percent tier. A veteran who can’t hold steady work because of service-connected disabilities can apply for Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability. TDIU pays at the 100 percent rate — $3,938.58 a month with no dependents in 2026 — while the underlying schedular rating stays at 70 percent.1Veterans Affairs. Current Veterans Disability Compensation Rates
Eligibility requires at least one service-connected disability rated 60 percent or higher, which a single 70 percent rating satisfies on its own. You must also show that service-connected conditions prevent substantially gainful employment. Occasional odd jobs and marginal income don’t disqualify you.5Veterans Affairs. Individual Unemployability if You Can’t Work
TDIU can also establish permanent and total disability, which unlocks benefits families otherwise can’t reach at 70 percent: Chapter 35 educational assistance for spouses and children,6Veterans Affairs. Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance and CHAMPVA healthcare coverage for dependents.7Veterans Affairs. CHAMPVA Guidebook
Healthcare With No Co-Pays
A rating of 50 percent or higher places you in Priority Group 1, the top tier for VA healthcare enrollment.8Veterans Affairs. VA Priority Groups At 70 percent you pay nothing for inpatient care, outpatient visits including specialty care, or prescription medications — for any condition, whether service-connected or not.9Veterans Affairs. Current VA Health Care Copay Rates
Covered care includes diagnostic imaging, surgery, preventive screenings, and mental health treatment such as therapy for PTSD and depression. Treatment can happen at VA medical centers, community-based outpatient clinics, or non-VA facilities authorized through the Community Care program when wait times or distance make VA care impractical.
Dental Is the Exception
A 70 percent rating by itself does not include comprehensive dental care. Full dental is reserved for veterans with a service-connected dental condition (Class I) or those rated 100 percent or receiving TDIU (Class IV).10Veterans Affairs. VA Dental Care Without a qualifying dental condition, you can still receive one-time dental treatment tied to a service-connected issue, or enroll in the VA Dental Insurance Program (VADIP) for discounted private coverage. Reaching the 100 percent pay rate through TDIU is one of the ways to open full dental eligibility.
VA Home Loan Funding Fee Waiver
Anyone receiving VA disability compensation is exempt from the VA home loan funding fee, a one-time closing charge that can run into the thousands.11Veterans Affairs. VA Funding Fee and Loan Closing Costs On a $300,000 purchase the waiver can save roughly $6,000 or more at closing. Because a 70 percent rating means you’re drawing compensation, the exemption applies automatically.
Vocational Rehabilitation With a Monthly Stipend
The Veteran Readiness and Employment program (Chapter 31) helps veterans with service-connected disabilities prepare for and find suitable careers. A 70 percent rating creates a strong presumption of an “employment handicap,” the formal finding that a disability substantially limits your ability to get or keep a job.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 USC Ch 31 – Training and Rehabilitation for Veterans with Service-Connected Disabilities
The VA pays for tuition, books, and equipment such as computers or specialized tools, and pays participants a monthly subsistence allowance during training. For 2026, full-time institutional training pays $812.84 with no dependents, $1,008.24 with one dependent, and $1,188.15 with two dependents.13Veterans Affairs. VR&E Fiscal Year 2026 Subsistence Rates Apprenticeship and on-the-job training rates are somewhat lower. A counselor builds a career plan with each veteran and provides placement support after training.
Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay for Military Retirees
Military retirees normally waive a dollar of retired pay for each dollar of VA disability compensation. Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) eliminates that offset for retirees rated 50 percent or higher, so both payments come in full.14Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Concurrent Military Retired Pay and VA Disability Compensation A 70 percent veteran who retired with 20 or more years of service qualifies, and DFAS applies CRDP automatically.
Chapter 61 medical retirees with fewer than 20 years of creditable service remain subject to the offset and don’t qualify for CRDP. Chapter 61 retirees with 20 or more years can receive concurrent pay, though the amount may be capped at what a standard longevity-based retirement would have produced.
10-Point Federal Hiring Preference
A 70 percent rating qualifies you for the 10-point federal civil service hiring preference (CPS). The 10 points are added to a passing score on a competitive examination and place your name higher on hiring registers than non-preference candidates with the same score. To claim it, submit Standard Form 15 along with supporting VA documentation.15OPM. Vet Guide for HR Professionals
Travel Reimbursement and Clothing Allowance
The Beneficiary Travel program reimburses mileage at 41.5 cents per mile, round trip, for approved travel to and from VA medical appointments.16Veterans Affairs. Reimbursed VA Travel Expenses and Mileage Rate Pre-authorized bus and taxi fares can also be reimbursed. A $3 deductible applies per one-way trip, capped at $18 per month once you make six or more one-way trips in that month. The VA can waive the deductible for severe financial hardship.17Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 USC 111 – Payments or Allowances for Beneficiary Travel File within 30 days of the appointment; later claims are usually denied.18Veterans Affairs. File and Manage Travel Reimbursement Claims
An annual clothing allowance is available under 38 U.S.C. § 1162 when a prosthetic device, orthopedic appliance, or prescribed skin medication damages your clothing.19Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 USC 1162 – Clothing Allowance For 2026 it pays $1,053.19 per year. Applications must be filed on or before August 1, 2026, to receive the current-year payment.20Veterans Affairs. Current Special Benefit Allowance Rates
Life Insurance and Survivor Planning
Any VA disability rating, 70 percent included, opens enrollment in VALife, a whole life program with guaranteed acceptance and no medical exam. Coverage is available in $10,000 increments up to $40,000. A two-year waiting period applies before coverage takes effect, so earlier enrollment matters. Veterans age 80 or under face no enrollment deadline.21Veterans Affairs. Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) Factsheet
If a veteran receiving TDIU or a 100 percent rating dies from a non-service-connected cause, a surviving spouse may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), but only if the total rating was in place for at least 10 continuous years before death — or at least five years if the veteran was rated totally disabled from the date of discharge.22Veterans Affairs. About VA DIC for Spouses, Dependents, and Parents The timing rule matters for households that rely heavily on VA compensation.
State Property Tax and Recreation Benefits Vary
States commonly offer property tax reductions, vehicle registration fee waivers, and free or discounted state park passes and hunting or fishing licenses to disabled veterans. Specifics vary: some states tie a benefit to 70 percent, others to 100 percent, and property tax exemption values depend entirely on local assessment rules and millage rates. Activating a state benefit usually means submitting your VA benefits summary letter to the relevant local agency. Because each program is set by state legislation, the county assessor’s office or your state veterans affairs department is the reliable place to confirm what applies where you live.