VA disability · one rating
50% VA disability rating: the concurrent receipt line
At 50%, a 20-year military retiree stops losing retired pay to VA compensation, and VA health care becomes copay free. The 2026 amounts, family by family.
What 50% pays your family each month
Monthly compensation at 50%
$1,322.90
| Per year, tax free | $15,875 |
| Veteran alone | $1,132.90 |
| Added for your dependents | $190 |
A 50% VA disability rating pays $1,132.90 a month in 2026 to a veteran with no dependents and $1,322.90 with a spouse and one child, at the rates effective December 1, 2025. For most veterans that is the whole story, but 50% is the line in two federal rules. First, a military retiree with 20 or more years of service who reaches a combined 50% receives Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay: the VA waiver that used to take compensation back from retired pay is restored in full, so both payments arrive at once (10 U.S.C. 1414). A retiree with $2,600 of retired pay therefore goes from $2,600 a month in total at 40% to $3,732.90 at 50%. Second, a rating of 50% or more places a veteran in VA health care priority group 1, without copays.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
The 50% rate in 2026
| Family | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran alone | $1,132.90 | $13,595 |
| Married | $1,241.90 | $14,903 |
| Married, 1 child | $1,322.90 | $15,875 |
| Married, 2 children | $1,376.90 | $16,523 |
| Married, 2 dependent parents | $1,417.90 | $17,015 |
What CRDP changes for a retiree
The table below follows a retiree with 20 years and no dependents across the line. At 40%, the VA payment is subtracted from retired pay, so the monthly total equals retired pay; only the tax treatment changes. At 50%, nothing is subtracted.
| Gross retired pay | Total at 40% | Total at 50% | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,800 | $1,800 | $2,932.90 | $1,132.90 |
| $2,600 | $2,600 | $3,732.90 | $1,132.90 |
| $3,400 | $3,400 | $4,532.90 | $1,132.90 |
| $4,500 | $4,500 | $5,632.90 | $1,132.90 |
The gain is the whole VA amount at 50%, $1,132.90 or more with a family, every month. CRDP has had no phase-in since the end of 2013: the restoration is complete from the first month at 50%. It counts as retired pay, so it is taxable and can be divided with a former spouse, unlike CRSC. The CRDP page covers the Chapter 61 cases.
Reaching 50%
Combined values from 45 to 54 round to 50%. A veteran at 40% needs a new rating large enough to push the value to 45: from a single 40%, one more 10% is enough. Under the general rating formula for mental disorders, 50% describes occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, a frequent level for PTSD and depression claims. The calculator shows your exact combined value, and the 60% page the next step.
CRDP or CRSC at 50%
A retiree at 50% with combat-related conditions may qualify for both programs, and DFAS pays the more favorable one, never both. CRDP restores the whole waiver but counts as retired pay, taxable and divisible with a former spouse. CRSC is tax free but covers only the combat-related part of the rating. With $2,600 of retired pay and a combat-related rating of 30% inside the 50%, CRSC would pay $552.47 tax free, while CRDP restores $1,132.90. DFAS applies the larger amount the first year and sends an election form; each January's open season lets a retiree switch. The CRSC page compares them.
Chapter 61 retirees and the 20-year question
A member retired for disability under Chapter 61 with fewer than 20 years of service does not receive CRDP at 50% or at any rating: VA compensation still replaces the disability retired pay dollar for dollar, and CRSC is the only concurrent payment available, for combat-related disabilities. With 20 years or more, CRDP restores retired pay only up to what a longevity retirement would have paid. The CRDP calculator handles both cases.
A 50% rating that comes from many small ones
Six ratings of 10% combine to a value of 47, which rounds up to 50%: a veteran with tinnitus, two knees, an ankle, a scar and a shoulder, each at 10%, holds the same rating as a veteran with one condition at 50%, with the same payment and the same CRDP rights. The difference shows later, when one condition changes, because a value of 47 is only two points above the rounding line.