There’s good news for a certain group of United States veterans and it means more money in their pockets in VA benefits. An increase was applied in April 2025 and these veterans will start seeing the higher amount hitting their bank accounts in the following months of the year as well. You can find out who qualifies for this increase and why it’s being paid below.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs is committed to supporting Americans who served
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs has been in existence since 1930, showing a steady commitment to serving veterans in the nation’s spirit of patriotism. Billions are paid out each year in VA benefits to millions of ex-members of the US Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard. All veterans, except those who were dishonorably discharged, are eligible for VA benefits.
These are the different programs available to veterans:
- VA Disability Benefits
- Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
- Veterans Housing Benefits
- VA Education Benefits
- Veterans Employment and Training
- Veterans Pension Program
- Burial and Memorial Benefits
- Veterans Family and Caregiver Support
Who qualifies for the VA benefits increase?
The group of veterans who are eligible for payment increases from April is those who receive disability benefits. disabilities are ranked according to severity with an indication in the form of a percentage. The increases will be scaled according to this rating, with those with a 100% disability rating seeing the biggest increase in benefits, which is $94.
Veterans will see more money each month thanks to the COLA
The Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) is a system whereby benefits are increased annually to keep up with the cost of living. Due to inflation, the costs of essential needs such as housing, food, clothing, and healthcare go up, and the COLA is intended to assist beneficiaries in maintaining their buying power.
The COLA was set at 2.5% in October last year, which is a smaller percentage than previous years now that the economy is settling post-COVID-19. Nevertheless, recipients are grateful for the boost in monthly payments, which is applied to VA disability payments as well.
How much more will veterans claiming disability benefits receive each month?
According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, those drawing 100% disability benefits have had just under $100 added to their monthly payments—$94, to be exact. The increase was applied automatically on April 1, and beneficiaries can expect the same figure deposited for the rest of the year.
VA disability recipients who fall below the 100% disability rating have also received an increase in payments, but it will be incrementally less based on their lower ratings.
Payments will continue to go out on the first day of every month as usual, and no other changes in the VA disability benefits program have been reported recently.
What other VA programs are affected by the 2.5% COLA increase?
Beneficiaries of the following veterans programs are also seeing higher payments from April, thanks to the Cost-of-Living Adjustment:
- VA Disability Compensation: These are monthly payments for veterans left with disabilities sustained during service.
- Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC): This form of support is paid to eligible survivors of veterans who died in service or from service-related conditions.
- Special Monthly Compensation (SMC): These are additional benefits for veterans with severe disabilities that require extra or specialized care.
While there is no new news to report about changes in veterans’ benefits, there are big shifts taking place in the Social Security Administration. The new Social Security Act is seeing increased monthly payments as well as lump sum retroactive payments going out to one group of Americans, and you could be in line too if you ever worked for the government.
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