The VA will not announce official 2027 disability rates until mid-October 2026. But two of the three months that legally determine it are now published. July's CPI-W came in at 327.104 and August at 328.481. If September simply holds at August's level, the 2027 COLA lands at 3.4%. If September climbs the way August just did, it lands near 3.5%.
This page projects every 2027 VA disability rate at both numbers, so you can see what your check should look like before the announcement. When the official COLA is released in October, the tables here get updated with the final figures.
📊 Quick summary: At a 3.4% COLA, a veteran rated 100% with no dependents goes from $3,938.58 to about $4,072.49 per month, an extra $133.91. The same COLA adds about $98/month to an E-7's 20-year pension. Official announcement: mid-October. Effective: December 1, 2026. First payment at the new rate: December 31, 2026.
Where These Projections Come From
The COLA is not a policy decision. By law, it is the percentage change between the average CPI-W for July, August, and September 2026 and the same three-month average from 2025, which was 317.265. Two of those three months are now on the books. July was released on August 12 at 327.104 and August on September 11 at 328.481, which sits 3.5% above the baseline on its own. September is published October 14 and settles it.
Every projected figure below multiplies the current 2026 rate by the COLA scenario and rounds to the cent. That is not an approximation of the VA's method, it is the VA's method: applying it to the 2025 tables reproduces every published 2026 rate to the penny. The only uncertainty left is the COLA percentage itself, and two CPI-W releases will settle it. Our 2027 COLA forecast tracks each release in detail.
💡 These are projections, not official rates. With two months locked, 3.4% is now the flat-prices case rather than the low end of a guess. Only September can still move these numbers, and it would take a fall of 0.41% to drag the COLA down to 3.3%. The official figure arrives October 14 with the September CPI-W release.
Projected 2027 VA Disability Rates (Veteran Alone)
Monthly compensation for a veteran with no dependents, at the current 2026 rate and both 2027 scenarios:
| Rating | 2026 Rate | Projected 2027 (3.4%) | Monthly Increase | If COLA is 3.5% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | $186.55 | +$6.13 | $186.73 |
| 20% | $356.66 | $368.79 | +$12.13 | $369.14 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $571.25 | +$18.78 | $571.81 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $822.90 | +$27.06 | $823.69 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,171.42 | +$38.52 | $1,172.55 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,483.81 | +$48.79 | $1,485.25 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,869.94 | +$61.49 | $1,871.75 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,173.62 | +$71.47 | $2,175.73 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,442.62 | +$80.32 | $2,444.98 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,072.49 | +$133.91 | $4,076.43 |
At 100%, the 3.4% scenario is worth $1,606.94 more per year, taking annual compensation from $47,262.96 to about $48,869.90. Every dollar of it is tax-free, federal and state, no matter where you live.
Found your rating? That's one piece of the check.
If you served 20 years, your VA pay lands on top of a pension, and your state decides how much of that pension survives April. The free calculator combines your rating, your rank, and your state, and shows the monthly number your family actually lives on.
See what you keep →Projected 2027 Rates With Dependents
Ratings of 30% and above pay more for a spouse, children, and dependent parents, and those additions rise by the same COLA. Here are the two most common household columns at the 3.4% scenario:
| Rating | Veteran Alone (2027 proj.) | Spouse + 1 Child (2026) | Spouse + 1 Child (2027 proj.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70% | $1,869.94 | $2,074.45 | $2,144.98 |
| 80% | $2,173.62 | $2,406.15 | $2,487.96 |
| 90% | $2,442.62 | $2,704.30 | $2,796.25 |
| 100% | $4,072.49 | $4,318.99 | $4,465.84 |
A 100% rating with a spouse and one child would clear $53,590 a year at the 3.4% scenario. For every other combination (more children, school-age children over 18, dependent parents, Aid and Attendance for a spouse), the same multiply-by-the-COLA rule applies. The full 2026 tables for every household type are in our VA dependents guide.
The Same COLA Raises Military Retired Pay
Military retired pay uses the identical CPI-W adjustment, so whatever the announcement says in October applies to your pension too. At 3.4%, here is what it adds to typical High-3 pensions, using the figures from our 2026 retirement pay chart:
| Rank / Years | 2026 Monthly Pension | Increase at 3.4% | Projected 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-6 at 20 years | $2,468 | +$84/mo | ~$2,552 |
| E-7 at 20 years | $2,880 | +$98/mo | ~$2,978 |
| E-8 at 24 years | $4,071 | +$138/mo | ~$4,209 |
| E-9 at 30 years | $6,542 | +$222/mo | ~$6,764 |
| O-5 at 20 years | $5,464 | +$186/mo | ~$5,650 |
For the E-7, that is about $1,175 more per year without lifting a finger. SBP annuities and DIC payments to surviving spouses rise by the same percentage. The one exception: retirees who took the $30,000 CSB/REDUX bonus get the COLA minus one percentage point, so a 3.4% year pays them 2.4%.
⚠️ Retiring in 2026? Your first COLA gets prorated based on the quarter you retire, so you will not receive the full 2027 adjustment. The math catches people every year, and it permanently shifts your pension baseline. We walk through it in the COLA trap guide before you pick a retirement date.
The Dates That Matter
| Date | What Happens |
|---|---|
| September 11, 2026 | BLS releases August CPI-W, the second of the three months that set the COLA |
| Mid-October 2026 | BLS releases September CPI-W and the official 2027 COLA is announced the same morning |
| December 1, 2026 | New rates take effect for VA compensation, retired pay, SBP, and DIC |
| December 31, 2026 | First payment at the new rate, for both VA compensation and DFAS retired pay (January 1 is a holiday, so the payment moves up a day) |
Could the Number Still Move?
Yes, though the range is narrower than it was. The forecasts have converged on the data rather than sitting above it. After the August release the Senior Citizens League came down to 3.5%, AARP raised to 3.6%, Mary Johnson raised to 3.5% from her post-July 3.4%, and CRFB sits lowest at 3.2%. Getting to 3.6% would need September CPI-W to reach 329.999, a 0.46% monthly jump, slightly more than August managed. Energy prices and tariff pass-through could still push the number up. A flat September gives 3.4%. A September that climbs the way August did gives about 3.5%.
The month-by-month tracking, the baseline math, and what each scenario means in dollars live in our 2027 COLA forecast, which is updated after every BLS release.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the official 2027 VA disability rates be announced?
Mid-October 2026, the same morning the BLS releases September CPI-W data. The Social Security Administration announces the COLA, and the VA applies the identical percentage to every compensation rate.
When does the increase show up in my bank account?
The new rates take effect December 1, 2026. VA compensation is paid at the start of the following month, and because January 1 is a holiday, the first deposit at the new rate lands December 31, 2026. DFAS retired pay follows the same schedule.
Do I need to do anything to get the increase?
No. The COLA applies automatically to VA compensation, military retired pay, SBP annuities, and DIC. No form, no call, no claim.
Is the 2027 COLA smaller than 2026's?
Probably slightly larger. The 2026 COLA was 2.8%. The 2027 projection of 3.4% to 3.5% reflects inflation that picked up through 2026, partly from tariffs and energy prices. A bigger check that arrives because prices rose is not a raise in any real sense, which is one more reason to know your actual monthly number rather than the headline percentage.
Key Takeaways
- The 2027 COLA is tracking at 3.4% to 3.5%, with two of the three deciding months already published
- At 3.4%, a 100% rating goes to about $4,072.49/month (veteran alone), up $133.91
- Military pensions rise by the same percentage: about $98/month more for an E-7 who retired at 20 years
- Official announcement is mid-October, effective December 1, first paid December 31, 2026
- Nothing is required from you: the increase applies automatically to VA pay, retired pay, SBP, and DIC
- 2026 retirees get a prorated first COLA, which is worth understanding before picking a retirement date
One warning about projections, including ours: a table like this tells you what the government will deposit. It cannot tell you what your household keeps after your state taxes the pension underneath it, or what civilian salary replaces the difference. That math is specific to your rank, rating, dependents, and zip code, and it is exactly what the free calculator does.