--- title: "New law to increase veteran disability payments is business as usual" date: "2026-05-14" modified: "2026-05-14" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/military-news/new-law-to-increase-veteran-disability-payments-is-business-as-usual/" categories: - "Benefits" - "Military News" - "VA" - "Veterans" tags: - "Benefits" - "News" - "Quick Hits" --- # New law to increase veteran disability payments is business as usual ![disability payment wwii veteran salutes dvids]() *World War II veteran Ceo Bauer during an International D-Day Remembrance Ceremony at the Utah Beach American Memorial, June 6, 2025. (U.S. Army)* Veterans with a disability rating might have seen the news that a new bill in the Senate would increase their disability payments. While it's certainly good news (and necessary legislation), it's just how the business of keeping disability payments in line with inflation is done. On May 11, 2026, Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran introduced [S.4487]() - Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026. The bill would do exactly what its name implies: adjust benefits to match inflation and maintain purchasing power for veterans with service-connected disabilities. While the legislations sounds like a new, substantial increase in compensation, it's actually business as usual. This is how the annual COLA happens. Without such a bill (or equivalent authorization), the adjustment to disability payment might not occur or could face delays. **Also Read: [Find all your veterans benefits in one place with the HonorEarned tool]()** The bill received wide bipartisan support, with 15 cosponsors, including seven Democrats, six Republicans, and two Independents. the bill was sent to committee for a vote before heading to the Senate or House floor. If enacted, it would go into effect on Dec. 1, 2026, providing a cost-of-living adjustment for veterans' benefits to keep pace with inflation, at a rate consistent with Social Security COLA increases, the same procedural step as any other COLA change. The new rate increase would affect disability compensation, clothing allowances, and dependency/indemnity compensation (DIC) for survivors. Veterans would see the new rates in their January 2027 disability payments. Lawmakers introduce COLA bills annually, and the exact percentage is usually set later to match the official Social Security COLA announcement. The COLA increase for 2026 was set at the same rate as increases for Social Security recipients: 2.8%. The rate is calculated annually by the Department of Labor using the Consumer Price Index, which measures changes in the cost of consumer goods and expenses. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()