VA Disability COLA 2027: Check New Rates and Payment Dates

Last updated Nov 14, 2026

VA Disability COLA 2027: Veterans who get VA disability compensation are in line for a 3.6% raise starting in December 2026. The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that number on October 14, and VA pay is written into law to follow it. For a veteran rated 100% with no dependents, the monthly check would go from $3,938.58 to about $4,080.37. That’s $141.79 more every month, or roughly $1,700 over a full year.

Now the part a lot of headlines skip. Social Security adjusts itself under a formula. VA doesn’t. Congress has to pass a bill every year, and the president has to sign it, before VA can pay the higher rates. As of November 14, the two 2026 bills (S. 4487 in the Senate and H.R. 8552 in the House) haven’t moved past committee level in the public records we checked. Last year’s bill cleared in mid-November, so there’s no reason to panic. Still, nobody should treat the new amounts as final yet.

Our article covers what’s confirmed, what we’re still waiting on, and what to do before the first payment at the new rate.

3.6% is the Largest Raise since 2003

The cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, comes from inflation. Specifically, it comes from the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Every October, SSA averages that index for July, August and September, then compares the result with the same three months a year earlier. For 2027, the gap rounded to 3.6%.

That’s bigger than last year’s 2.8%, and it’s the largest raise since the 8.7% jump for 2023. It’s still a little under the long-run average of about 3.8% since automatic COLAs began in 1975, so call it a solid year rather than a windfall.

SSA’s own fact sheet says the average retired worker will go from $2,095 to $2,170 a month, about $75 more. VA doesn’t use those dollar figures. Both VA bills borrow only the percentage and apply it to every amount in the compensation tables: the basic rates, the add-ons for dependents, the clothing allowance, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses and children. Special Monthly Compensation rates should get the same 3.6%.

So the percentage itself isn’t in doubt. SSA has published it, and the bills say VA’s increase must match it. What’s still open is the legislation, not the math.

Does Congress still need to act?

Yes, and it’s the question veterans ask most. Social Security’s raise is automatic. VA compensation rates are set by statute, so a new law has to tell VA to raise them.

Two bills carry this year’s version:

• S. 4487, the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) introduced it on May 11, and it was referred to the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. It has 15 cosponsors from both parties.
• H.R. 8552, the House version, from Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) with Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-KY), introduced April 28. A House Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee held a hearing and sent it to the full committee by voice vote on June 30.

Neither shows a floor vote in the public records we checked. Trackers can lag by a few days, so look at Congress.gov yourself before relying on our article. Past years are the best guide. Last year the Senate’s S. 2392 passed the House by voice vote on November 17, 2025, and the president signed it on November 25 as Public Law 119-42.

Both of this year’s bills set December 1, 2026 as the effective date. If the signing happens on time, nothing changes for you. If it slips, the date doesn’t move on paper, but VA can’t pay at the higher rate until the law exists, and the first deposit could arrive late. Our take: expect it to pass, because it always has, but keep budgeting around your current amount until it’s signed.

Projected 2027 Monthly rates by rating

VA hasn’t posted its official 2027 tables yet. The figures below take the current rates, which took effect December 1, 2025, and add 3.6%. They’re for a veteran with no dependents. Ratings of 10% and 20% pay the same whether or not you have a spouse or children.

A veteran rated 100% with a spouse would land near $4,307.86 a month under the same math. Add-ons for children, parents and a spouse who needs aid and attendance vary by rating, so use VA’s official table for your exact row once it’s posted. Online calculators agree to the penny on the no-dependent rates but can differ by close to a dollar on spouse rates, which is one more reason to wait for VA’s numbers.

Notice the jump between 90% and 100%. VA’s rates don’t climb in a straight line. The 100% base rate takes a big step up, so this year’s raise is nearly $57 a month larger at 100% than at 90%. Also remember that VA doesn’t add ratings together. It uses a combined ratings table, so two 50% conditions don’t make 100%.

When the higher payment shows up

VA pays a month behind. The deposit you get on the first of a month covers the month before it. When the first falls on a weekend or a federal holiday, VA pays on the last business day before it. That makes this December a little unusual.

In plain terms, you’ll get two deposits in December and nothing on January 1. If your rent or mortgage is due on the 1st, plan for that gap now instead of in the last week of the month.

Direct deposit normally lands the same day. Paper checks can take several days longer, so if you’re still getting one, switching to direct deposit through VA.gov is the easiest fix.

If you also get Social Security, SSI or Medicare

Plenty of veterans collect more than one check. The 3.6% shows up in all of them, just on different dates, and VA compensation and Social Security don’t reduce each other.

Social Security. Around 72 million people see the higher amount starting with January 2027 benefits. SSA’s fact sheet lists an average increase of $75 for retired workers, and $117 for couples where both receive benefits, moving that average from $3,238 to $3,355. In January, your payment date follows your birthday: the 1st through the 10th are paid January 13, the 11th through the 20th on January 20, and the 21st through the 31st on January 27. People who started before May 1997, or who receive both Social Security and SSI, are paid on December 31 this year because of how the calendar falls.

SSI. The federal payment standard for an individual rises from $994 to $1,029 a month, and SSI recipients get the increase on December 31. One catch: VA disability counts as income for SSI purposes, so a larger VA check can shrink an SSI payment. Ask SSA how your own case is handled before you assume anything.

Medicare Part B. This is the missing piece. Part B premiums come out of your Social Security check, not your VA check, and they can eat into the raise. The 2026 premium is $202.90 a month with a $283 deductible. CMS hasn’t announced the 2027 figures as of today. The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report projects $209.50 and a $292 deductible, and CMS posted last year’s numbers on November 14, so the real ones could appear any day. Coverage of SSA’s announcement says the 2027 Part B amount will start showing up in my Social Security accounts in late November. Treat $209.50 as a budgeting estimate, not a promise.

What to do before 31st December

You don’t apply for a COLA. If you’re already receiving compensation, VA applies the increase automatically once the law is in place. Anyone offering to file a COLA claim for a fee is selling something you don’t need.

Important things to Remember

• Sign in to VA.gov and confirm your direct deposit information is current.
• Download your latest award letter and keep a copy with your records.
• Check your dependents. Spouse, child and parent add-ons aren’t paid until VA has them on file.
• Write down what you get today, so you can compare it with the December 31 deposit.
• Keep an eye on S. 4487 and H.R. 8552 on Congress.gov.

Don’t mix up a COLA with a rating increase. The COLA raises what your current rating pays. A higher rating takes a claim with new medical evidence behind it.

VA disability compensation isn’t subject to federal income tax, so it doesn’t go on your federal return. State rules vary. And VA will never ask you to pay to release a raise or give up your bank password. If someone does, hang up and sign in to VA.gov on your own.

FAQ’s About VA Disability COLA 2027

Is the 3.6% guaranteed?

SSA has set the percentage. The VA raise becomes final once Congress passes the bill and the president signs it.

When do the new rates start?

December 1, 2026, with the first deposit at the new rate expected Thursday, December 31.

What will 100% pay?

About $4,080.37 for a veteran alone, and about $4,307.86 with a spouse, based on the 3.6% math.

Will I get back pay if the bill is late?

Both bills use December 1 as the effective date, but VA has to process payments after the law is signed. Check VA.gov before counting on a specific date.

Why is there no deposit on 1st January 2027?

January 1st is a federal holiday, so VA pays that month’s benefit on December 31.

Official Sources

• VA disability compensation rates: official tables, updated once 2027 rates are posted
• SSA 2027 COLA fact sheet
• S. 4487 on Congress.gov
• H.R. 8552 on Congress.gov
• Medicare.gov: where CMS posts the 2027 Part B premium

This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. We’ll update it when VA posts its official 2027 tables or Congress acts.