The final 2027 VA disability rates are not known as of September 3, 2026. July is the only published month in the three-month CPI-W calculation. The figures below are conditional planning scenarios—not official rates, promises, or a prediction of where the COLA will land.
For payments in effect today, use the official 2026 VA disability rate tables. You can also estimate your current compensation with the VA disability calculator or compare the 2025 historical rates.
2027 VA rate status and projected pay charts
Verified September 3, 2026
The final 2027 COLA is not known yet
Known
The 2025 comparison average is 317.265. July 2026 CPI-W is 327.104.
Still unknown
August and September 2026 CPI-W, SSA's COLA announcement, and the law applying an adjustment to 2027 VA compensation.
| Scenario | Assumption | Q3 average | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat carry-forward | August and September equal July | 327.104 | 3.1% |
| Recent monthly pace | April–July pace continues (about 0.057% monthly) | 327.292 | 3.2% |
| 12-month monthly pace | July 2025–July 2026 pace continues (about 0.279% monthly) | 328.017 | 3.4% |
| Rating | 2026 rate | If 3.1% | If 3.2% | If 3.4% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | $186.01 | $186.19 | $186.55 |
| 20% | $356.66 | $367.72 | $368.07 | $368.79 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $569.60 | $570.15 | $571.25 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $820.51 | $821.31 | $822.90 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,168.02 | $1,169.15 | $1,171.42 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,479.51 | $1,480.94 | $1,483.81 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,864.51 | $1,866.32 | $1,869.94 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,167.32 | $2,169.42 | $2,173.62 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,435.53 | $2,437.89 | $2,442.62 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,060.68 | $4,064.61 | $4,072.49 |
| Rating | 2026 rate | If 3.1% | If 3.2% | If 3.4% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30% | $666.47 | $687.13 | $687.80 | $689.13 |
| 50% | $1,322.90 | $1,363.91 | $1,365.23 | $1,367.88 |
| 70% | $2,074.45 | $2,138.76 | $2,140.83 | $2,144.98 |
| 100% | $4,318.99 | $4,452.88 | $4,457.20 | $4,465.84 |
Each estimate multiplies the complete official 2026 table cell by the stated percentage and rounds to cents. VA's eventual published cells may use different statutory rounding, so these figures are planning estimates only.
The range above is deliberately narrow and mechanical. It shows what happens if the two missing CPI-W readings follow three simple paths from July. It does not assign odds to those paths. Inflation could move above or below every scenario before the quarter is complete.
How the 2027 COLA formula works
The Social Security Administration compares the average Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for July, August, and September 2026 with the same three-month average for 2025. It uses the not-seasonally-adjusted CPI-W series CWUR0000SA0, not CPI-U and not a seasonally adjusted index.
The 2025 comparison months were:
| Month | CPI-W |
|---|---|
| July 2025 | 316.349 |
| August 2025 | 317.306 |
| September 2025 | 318.139 |
| SSA-rounded Q3 average | 317.265 |
For 2026, July CPI-W is 327.104. Let A be August and S be September:
- Current average: round
(327.104 + A + S) ÷ 3to three decimals. - Percentage change:
((current average − 317.265) ÷ 317.265) × 100. - COLA: round the percentage change to the nearest one-tenth of one percent.
July’s CPI-W was 3.4% higher than July 2025. That 3.4% year-over-year reading is not the COLA because it does not include August or September and does not compare the two full third-quarter averages.
What each scenario assumes
- 3.1% flat carry-forward: August and September both equal July’s 327.104 reading, producing a Q3 average of 327.104.
- 3.2% recent monthly pace: the roughly 0.057% geometric monthly pace from April through July continues, producing a Q3 average of 327.292.
- 3.4% 12-month monthly pace: the roughly 0.279% geometric monthly pace from July 2025 through July 2026 continues, producing a Q3 average of 328.017.
These are published-data exercises, not economic forecasts. For context only, the 2026 Social Security Trustees intermediate assumptions use a 2.7% assumption for the COLA effective in December 2026 and payable in January 2027. That long-range assumption is not a current official forecast and does not replace the third-quarter calculation.
How to read the projected payment amounts
The veteran-alone chart starts with each complete cell in VA’s official 2026 compensation table. The selected dependent chart does the same for the complete “veteran with spouse and one child” cell. Each baseline is multiplied by the scenario percentage and rounded to cents.
That method avoids reconstructing dependent totals from separately rounded additions. It still cannot reproduce unpublished VA rates. Once the adjustment is enacted and VA publishes its table, individual cells may differ by a cent or more because of the statutory and agency rounding used to build the official schedule.
The estimates cover standard disability compensation only. They do not attempt to project Special Monthly Compensation or every dependent combination. Your combined rating also does not change because of a COLA; see the rating-level guides for how VA percentages work.
When the missing numbers arrive
According to the BLS release calendar:
| Milestone | Scheduled date and time | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| August CPI release | September 11, 2026, 8:30 a.m. ET | Two of three Q3 CPI-W readings will be known; scenarios can be narrowed. |
| September CPI release | October 14, 2026, 8:30 a.m. ET | All three Q3 readings will be available. |
| SSA COLA confirmation | After complete Q3 data | Confirm the percentage on SSA’s COLA page before calling it final. |
| VA compensation table | After the adjustment becomes law and VA publishes | Replace estimates with VA’s complete official cells. |
Release dates can change. We will check both the BLS schedule and SSA’s COLA status rather than treating a calculated number as the announcement.
The VA adjustment still requires law
Social Security’s COLA calculation does not, by itself, publish a new VA disability compensation table. Congress has historically enacted legislation applying the Social Security percentage to VA compensation.
As of this page’s September 3 cutoff, S. 4487 and H.R. 8552 were pending and had not been enacted. This page therefore frames every payment figure conditionally: what the compensation amounts could be if Congress applies a given percentage and VA publishes corresponding rates.
What happens after the announcement
After SSA confirms the COLA and the VA adjustment is enacted, we will create the permanent official table at /rates/2027/. That future page—not this tracker—will become the canonical destination for current 2027 rate searches after VA publishes its complete table. This article will remain as the dated calculation and announcement history, with a clear link to the official table added only after that route exists.
Do not rely on a projected deposit date. The effective date and first payment timing should be confirmed from the enacted adjustment, VA’s published table, and the federal payment calendar.
Revision log
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| September 3, 2026 | Published the tracker using July 2026 CPI-W, three conditional scenarios, and official 2026 VA table cells. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What will the 2027 VA disability rates be?
The final 2027 VA disability rates are not known as of September 3, 2026. Only one of the three CPI-W months used in the Social Security COLA calculation has been published. Mechanical scenarios based on the published July value produce 3.1%, 3.2%, and 3.4% planning cases, but none is an official forecast or final VA rate.
When will the 2027 VA COLA be announced?
BLS is scheduled to publish August 2026 CPI data on September 11, 2026, and September data on October 14, 2026, both at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. The final percentage should not be treated as announced until the Social Security Administration confirms its COLA after the third-quarter data are available.
Is the July 2026 CPI-W increase the 2027 COLA?
No. July 2026 CPI-W was 3.4% above July 2025, but the COLA compares the average CPI-W for July, August, and September 2026 with the same three-month average for 2025. A one-month year-over-year change is not the COLA.
How are the projected 2027 payment amounts calculated?
Each scenario multiplies a complete official 2026 VA compensation table cell by 1 plus the scenario percentage, then rounds the estimate to cents. VA's eventual published table may use different statutory rounding, so projected amounts can differ from the final rates.
Does Congress still need to act on the 2027 VA increase?
Yes. The annual VA compensation adjustment still requires law. Congress has historically applied the Social Security COLA percentage to VA disability compensation, but the pending 2027 VA COLA bills had not been enacted as of September 3, 2026.
Sources
Every rating percentage, diagnostic code, and dollar figure on this page is sourced from the references below. See our editorial policy for how we choose and verify sources.
- Latest Cost-of-Living Adjustment — U.S. Social Security Administration
- Cost-of-Living Adjustment Summary — U.S. Social Security Administration
- Consumer Price Index — July 2026 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Consumer Price Index Release Schedule — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- CPI-W Series CWUR0000SA0 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Veterans Disability Compensation Rates — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- 2026 Trustees Report Assumptions — U.S. Social Security Administration
- S. 4487 — Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026 — U.S. Government Publishing Office
- H.R. 8552 — Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026 — U.S. Government Publishing Office
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. For personalized guidance, consult a VA-accredited VSO, attorney, or claims agent.