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VA payment dates
VA pays disability compensation once a month, at the beginning of the month for the month before. Below are the dates for 2026 and 2027, with the reason each early date moves.
2026 payment dates
Rows marked Official come from the U.S. Treasury's schedule for VA compensation and pension (opens in new tab).
| Payment for | Payment date | Why the date moves | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | Paid early: February 1 is a Sunday. | Official | |
| February 2026 | Paid early: March 1 is a Sunday. | Official | |
| March 2026 | Paid on the 1st. | Official | |
| April 2026 | Paid on the 1st. | Official | |
| May 2026 | Paid on the 1st. | Official | |
| June 2026 | Paid on the 1st. | Official | |
| July 2026 | Paid early: August 1 is a Saturday. | Official | |
| August 2026 | Paid on the 1st. | Official | |
| September 2026 | Paid on the 1st. | Official | |
| October 2026 | Paid early: November 1 is a Sunday. | Official | |
| November 2026 | Paid on the 1st. | Official | |
| December 2026 | Paid early: January 1 is New Year's Day. | Official |
2027 payment dates
We have not yet added Treasury's 2027 schedule, so every date below is worked out from the rule in federal law, step by step below.
| Payment for | Payment date | Why the date moves | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2027 | Paid on the 1st. | Worked out | |
| February 2027 | Paid on the 1st. | Worked out | |
| March 2027 | Paid on the 1st. | Worked out | |
| April 2027 | Paid early: May 1 is a Saturday. | Worked out | |
| May 2027 | Paid on the 1st. | Worked out | |
| June 2027 | Paid on the 1st. | Worked out | |
| July 2027 | Paid early: August 1 is a Sunday. | Worked out | |
| August 2027 | Paid on the 1st. | Worked out | |
| September 2027 | Paid on the 1st. | Worked out | |
| October 2027 | Paid on the 1st. | Worked out | |
| November 2027 | Paid on the 1st. | Worked out | |
| December 2027 | Paid early: January 1 is New Year's Day and a Saturday.It may come a day earlier, on Thursday, December 30, 2027. The last time January 1 fell on a Saturday (2022), Treasury's schedule set that payment for Thursday, December 30, 2021, the day before the date the law points to. Treasury's 2022 schedule (opens in new tab) | Worked out |
The rule, step by step
- Each payment covers the month before. VA makes payments “at the beginning of each month for the prior month,” so the payment for March goes out at the start of April.
- A weekend moves it to Friday. When the 1st is a Saturday or Sunday, the payment goes out on the Friday before.
- A federal holiday moves it to the weekday before. When the 1st is a legal public holiday, the payment goes out on the weekday before it, not counting Saturday. Of the eleven federal holidays, only New Year's Day (January 1) and Labor Day (the first Monday in September) can fall on the 1st.
Sources: 38 U.S.C. 5120(e) (opens in new tab), 5 U.S.C. 6103(a) (opens in new tab)
- Treasury sets the final dates. Treasury's yearly schedule lists the settlement date for each VA compensation and pension payment. Its 2026 dates match the rule above on every payment.
- An early payment can land in the month it pays for. January 1 is always New Year's Day, so the payment for December always moves into late December. The law allows a payment to arrive in the month it pays for.
The first payment, and payment alerts
After a decision that shows at least a 10% rating, VA says the first payment arrives within 15 days. If it has not arrived after 15 days, VA asks you to call the Veterans Help Line at 800-827-1000 (TTY: 711), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern. VA.gov can also text you each time a recurring disability or pension payment arrives: sign in, open your profile's notification settings, and turn on deposit notifications.
Source: VA.gov, review your VA payment history (opens in new tab)
Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1. Printed from benevets.org; dates from the U.S. Treasury's schedule or worked out from 38 U.S.C. 5120(e).