{"id":287368,"date":"2026-05-17T08:00:48","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T12:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.futbolete.com\/?p=287368"},"modified":"2026-05-15T22:05:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T02:05:07","slug":"bill-update-anual-cola-veterans-affairs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/futbolete.com\/us\/bill-update-anual-cola-veterans-affairs\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate Bill Advances Annual COLA Increase for Disabled Veterans and Surviving Families"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate on May 11 would raise <strong>Veterans Affairs disability compensation<\/strong> by 2.8 percent \u2014 the same cost-of-living adjustment<strong> (COLA)<\/strong> Social Security recipients are already getting this year. For most veterans, the money shows up in January 2027.<\/p>\n<p>The legislation, S. 4487, was brought by Senators Jerry Moran of Kansas and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. It&#8217;s picked up 15 co-sponsors and is currently sitting in the Senate Committee on <strong>Veterans Affairs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>VA compensations: the numbers, rating by rating<\/h2>\n<p>The increase isn&#8217;t an estimate. It comes straight from applying the 2.8% CPI-W adjustment to the VA&#8217;s published base compensation tables. Here&#8217;s what it looks like by rating for veterans with no dependents:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>10%:<\/strong> goes from $175.50 to $180.41 \u2014 about $4.91 more each month<\/li>\n<li><strong>30%:<\/strong> from $508.05 to $522.28 \u2014 an extra $14.23<\/li>\n<li><strong>50%:<\/strong> from $1,075.16 to $1,105.26 \u2014 a gain of $30.10<\/li>\n<li><strong>70%:<\/strong> from $1,716.28 to $1,764.34 \u2014 up $48.06<\/li>\n<li><strong>100%:<\/strong> from $3,821.42 to $3,928.42 \u2014 roughly $107 more per month<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Veterans with dependents see a bigger bump. A veteran rated 100% with a spouse and one child would gain more than $120 monthly. Those carrying a spouse, children, and a dependent parent could see $150 or more added to their payment. Special Monthly Compensation recipients and those receiving clothing allowances get the 2.8% lift as well.<\/p>\n<p>Surviving spouses collecting Dependency and Indemnity Compensation aren&#8217;t left out. A DIC recipient currently receiving around $1,600 a month would see roughly $45 more.<\/p>\n<h2>TDIU recipients are included<\/h2>\n<p>Veterans who aren&#8217;t rated 100% on the schedular scale but qualify for <strong>Total Disability<\/strong> based on Individual Unemployability also get the adjustment \u2014 their payment goes up to the 100% rate plus the <strong>2.8% increase.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The VA applies approved COLAs automatically<\/strong>. No claim, no application, nothing to file. The adjustment takes effect December 1, 2026, and will show up in January 2027 payments.<\/p>\n<p>That said, it&#8217;s worth logging into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">VA.gov<\/a> before December to make sure your dependent information is current. Small discrepancies in dependent records can affect the final adjusted figure.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Disabled veterans rely on these annual adjustments to keep pace with rising costs,&#8221; said Tammy Barlet, National Legislative Director for Disabled American Veterans, in a statement released May 12.<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #ddd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\n<caption style=\"font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; padding: 12px; background-color: #f8f8f8;\">2026 VA Disability Monthly Compensation Rates (Tax-Free)<\/caption>\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #003087; color: white;\">\n<th style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: left;\">Disability Rating<\/th>\n<th style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">Veteran Alone<\/th>\n<th style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">With Spouse Only<\/th>\n<th style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">With Spouse + 1 Child<\/th>\n<th style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">Each Additional Child<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\">10%<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$180.42<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">\u2014<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">\u2014<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">\u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\">20%<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$356.66<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">\u2014<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">\u2014<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">\u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f0f0f0;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\">30%<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$552.47<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$617.47<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$660.47<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$43.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\">40%<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$795.84<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$883.30<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$941.30<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$58.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f0f0f0;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\">50%<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$1,132.90<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$1,242.48<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$1,316.48<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$74.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\">60%<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$1,435.02<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$1,566.73<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$1,656.73<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$90.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f0f0f0;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\">70%<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$1,808.45<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$1,961.45<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$2,067.45<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$106.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\">80%<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$2,102.15<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$2,277.15<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$2,399.15<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$122.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f0f0f0;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\">90%<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$2,362.30<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$2,559.34<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$2,697.34<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$138.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #e6f3ff; font-weight: bold;\">\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\">100%<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$3,938.58<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$4,158.17<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$4,318.99<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: right;\">$160.82<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Where the bill stands<\/h2>\n<p>As of mid-May, <strong>S. 4487 is in committee<\/strong>. Annual COLA bills like this one have passed with wide bipartisan margins for more than a decade. Enactment before September 2026 is the expected timeline.<\/p>\n<p>Veterans dealing with complex dependency arrangements \u2014 <strong>housebound status, Aid and Attendance, multiple dependents<\/strong> \u2014 should work with an accredited VSO representative, not a claims company, once the bill moves forward.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate on May 11 would raise Veterans Affairs disability compensation by 2.8 percent \u2014 the same cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) Social Security recipients are already &#8230; <a title=\"Senate Bill Advances Annual COLA Increase for Disabled Veterans and Surviving Families\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/futbolete.com\/us\/bill-update-anual-cola-veterans-affairs\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Senate Bill Advances Annual COLA Increase for Disabled Veterans and Surviving Families\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":287369,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[57],"class_list":["post-287368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-finance","tag-united-states"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/futbolete.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/futbolete.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/futbolete.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futbolete.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futbolete.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=287368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/futbolete.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287368\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futbolete.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/287369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/futbolete.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=287368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futbolete.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=287368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futbolete.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=287368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}