Title 38 — Veterans' BenefitsRelease 119-73not60
§1155 Authority for Schedule for Rating Disabilities
Title 38 › Part II— GENERAL BENEFITS › Chapter 11— COMPENSATION FOR SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY OR DEATH › Subchapter VI— GENERAL COMPENSATION PROVISIONS › § 1155
Summary
The Secretary must create a schedule that rates how injuries reduce a veteran’s ability to earn in civil jobs. It must use ten grades — 10%–90% by tens and 100% total — and may be updated, but updates cannot lower a veteran’s existing rating unless the veteran’s disability has improved.
Full Legal Text
Title 38, §1155
Veterans' Benefits — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
The Secretary shall adopt and apply a schedule of ratings of reductions in earning capacity from specific injuries or combination of injuries. The ratings shall be based, as far as practicable, upon the average impairments of earning capacity resulting from such injuries in civil occupations. The schedule shall be constructed so as to provide ten grades of disability and no more, upon which payments of compensation shall be based, namely, 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent, 50 percent, 60 percent, 70 percent, 80 percent, 90 percent, and total, 100 percent. The Secretary shall from time to time readjust this schedule of ratings in accordance with experience. However, in no event shall such a readjustment in the rating schedule cause a veteran’s disability rating in effect on the effective date of the readjustment to be reduced unless an improvement in the veteran’s disability is shown to have occurred.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1991—Pub. L. 102–86 amended this section as in effect before the redesignations made by Pub. L. 102–83, § 5, by inserting at end “However, in no event shall such a readjustment in the rating schedule cause a veteran’s disability rating in effect on the
Effective Date
of the readjustment to be reduced unless an improvement in the veteran’s disability is shown to have occurred.” Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), renumbered section 355 of this title as this section. Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” in two places. 1984—Pub. L. 98–223 substituted “percent” for “per centum” wherever appearing.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1991 Amendment Pub. L. 102–86, title I, § 103(b), Aug. 14, 1991, 105 Stat. 415, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply with regard to changes in rating schedules that take effect after the date of the enactment of this Act [Aug. 14, 1991].”
Effective Date
of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–223 effective Apr. 1, 1984, see section 107 of Pub. L. 98–223, set out as a note under section 1114 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
38 U.S.C. § 1155
Title 38 — Veterans' Benefits
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60