Published October 28, 2026. The items below were current and checked against primary sources as of that date. This is an archived issue of our weekly email — subscribe here to get new issues first.
The 3.6% is Social Security’s number. VA’s raise needs its own bill.
Social Security’s 2027 COLA of 3.6 percent is set. (Source: ssa.gov/cola.) VA disability compensation is not raised automatically by that announcement. In recent years Congress has passed a separate Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act that ties the VA increase to the Social Security percentage, effective December 1.
The 2027 version has been introduced but has not become law. Federal records we checked today show S. 4487 was referred to the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on May 11, 2026, with no later action listed, and H.R. 8552 was forwarded by the House subcommittee to the full committee on June 30, 2026, also with no later action listed. (Source: S. 4487 text on govinfo.gov and govinfo bill status records.) As introduced, S. 4487 would raise the rates by the same percentage as the Social Security increase, effective December 1, 2026.
What this means for a CRSC check: eligible retirees’ CRSC amounts are tied to VA rates, so they generally move with them, subject to the retired pay cap. If VA’s increase is delayed, CRSC may not move on the usual schedule either. VA’s rate page still shows rates effective December 1, 2025, so we are printing no 2027 dollar estimates. We will watch for the table at our 2027 pay chart page.
No new rating rules this week
We found nothing new from VA this week that changes how ratings are decided, so we are not inventing a headline. The basics still hold: an original claim generally needs a current disability, an in-service event or injury, and a link between them. (Source: VA.gov, evidence needed for your disability claim.)
Why it matters for CRSC: a packet is built on the ratings VA has already decided. Keep your decision letters, and the evidence behind them, in one place.
Assuming the raise is automatic and budgeting around it
Charts and videos already show 2027 VA amounts as if they were final. They are not official until VA publishes its table, and the law behind them has not passed. Making a CRSC-versus-CRDP decision or a household budget around an unofficial number can leave eligible retirees with the wrong comparison. Plan on your current award amount until VA says otherwise.
This week, write down your current monthly VA compensation from your latest VA award letter or VA.gov account, with the date, and compare it to the VA amount on your DFAS statement.
If the two differ, that is worth understanding now, and it gives you a clean baseline for when the 2027 table is published.
Not sure what your ratings may mean for your check? Book a free 15-minute CRSC review. Education only, not a guarantee of eligibility or payment.
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