Canadian · Veterans benefits
VAC Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation rates for 2026.
Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation (APSC) is a separate monthly benefit for a severe and permanent service-related disability. This page lists the three 2026 grades from VAC’s rates page and explains why older pages show different numbers.
Short answer: APSC pays $1,851.93 a month at Grade 1, $1,234.62 at Grade 2 and $617.31 at Grade 3 from 1 January 2026. It is tax-free, paid for life, and cannot be paid to a survivor. VAC’s program page and the law still print $1,500, $1,000 and $500.
APSC rates by grade, 2026
Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation sits on top of a disability benefit. Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) describes it as recognition and compensation for a severe and permanent service-related disability that creates a barrier to life after service. After an individual assessment VAC assigns one of three grades, and the grade sets the monthly amount.
| Grade | Monthly | Twelve months | Statute (Schedule 4) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | $1,851.93 | $22,223.16 | $1,500.00 |
| Grade 2 | $1,234.62 | $14,815.44 | $1,000.00 |
| Grade 3 | $617.31 | $7,407.72 | $500.00 |
The steps between grades are even: Grade 1 is $617.31 above Grade 2, and Grade 2 is $617.31 above Grade 3. Moving up one grade is therefore worth $7,407.72 a year at any level.
Why VAC’s own pages show two sets of numbers
VAC’s program page says the benefit is payable at three grade levels, “with $1500/month being the highest and $500/month the lowest.” Schedule 4 of the Veterans Well-being Act prints the same figures: 1500.00, 1000.00 and 500.00. The rates page shows $1,851.93, $1,234.62 and $617.31. Dividing each current amount by its statutory amount gives 1.2346 every time, which is what you would expect if the same percentage had been applied to all three grades. None of the pages we read states that factor or the rule behind it, so we report it as arithmetic and not as VAC’s explanation. For what is actually paid, use the rates page.
Worked example (hypothetical)
Imagine a veteran assessed at Grade 2 who is also paid a monthly disability benefit of $638.92, which is the PSC amount for a 45% rate band on our Pain and Suffering Compensation table. If both were taken as monthly amounts, the combined monthly figure would be $638.92 plus $1,234.62, or $1,873.54. Reassessed at Grade 1, the APSC part rises to $1,851.93 and the total to $2,490.85. The case is made up to show the arithmetic; real totals depend on the disability benefit you receive and on any lump-sum choice.
Who can apply
VAC says to consider applying if you have a service-related injury or illness for which you have received a VAC disability benefit, and the condition is permanent and severe and creates a barrier to your successful re-establishment in civilian life. A person who already receives the Exceptional Incapacity Allowance is not eligible. The assessment looks at how independent you are, including mobility and the help you need with activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing.
What the benefit is, and is not
- Tax-free and monthly. VAC calls it a tax-free, monthly benefit payable for life.
- Lifetime unless the barrier ends. The amount would only change if your health improved to the point where you no longer had any barriers caused by your impairment.
- Not for survivors. VAC says it cannot be paid to the survivor or other dependants of the Veteran.
- Not the Career Impact Allowance. VAC’s FAQ contrasts APSC with the Career Impact Allowance, which is taxable and needs an approved rehabilitation plan. APSC needs only a barrier to re-establishment.
If you are looking at related VAC amounts, the disability pension table by class covers the older pension regime, the Caregiver Recognition Benefit pays an unpaid caregiver, and the War Veterans Allowance is an income-tested benefit for wartime veterans.
What this page does not cover
It does not tell you which grade you would receive, whether your condition is severe and permanent, or how your income or other benefits interact. It does not cover the Career Impact Allowance, the Exceptional Incapacity Allowance amounts, or tax filing. The amounts change when VAC updates the rates page; the date at the top shows when we last read it.
Sources
- Veterans Affairs Canada, Rates (Grade 1 to 3 monthly amounts, effective 1 January 2026; page modified 2026-10-01; retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Veterans Affairs Canada, Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation (eligibility, grades, tax-free, lifetime payment, no survivor payment, Exceptional Incapacity Allowance exclusion and the $500 to $1,500 range; page modified 2026-07-29; retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Veterans Well-being Act (S.C. 2005, c. 21), Schedule 4 (Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation monthly amounts 1500.00, 1000.00 and 500.00; retrieved 20 October 2026)
- VAC, Pain and Suffering Compensation Schedule 3, effective 1 January 2026 (the underlying disability benefit, maximum $1,419.82 monthly; retrieved 20 October 2026)
Frequently asked questions
How much is Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation per month in 2026?
VAC lists $1,851.93 a month for Grade 1, $1,234.62 for Grade 2 and $617.31 for Grade 3, effective 1 January 2026. That is $22,223.16, $14,815.44 and $7,407.72 over twelve months.
Why do other VAC pages and the law say $500 to $1,500?
The program page and Schedule 4 of the Veterans Well-being Act print $1,500, $1,000 and $500. The current rates page shows higher figures. Each of the three current amounts is 1.2346 times the statutory one, which is consistent with indexing, but the pages we read do not state the factor or the rule, so treat the rates page as the amount paid.
What are the three grades?
VAC assigns one of three grade levels after an individual assessment of the extent and seriousness of your impairment. Grade 1 covers the most serious conditions. The assessment looks at things such as mobility and the help you need with bathing and dressing.
Who can apply?
A Veteran with a service-related injury or illness that has earned a VAC disability benefit, where the condition is permanent and severe and creates a barrier to successful re-establishment in civilian life.
Can I get it with the Exceptional Incapacity Allowance?
No. VAC says that if you already receive the Exceptional Incapacity Allowance you are not eligible for Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation.
Is it taxable?
VAC describes it as a tax-free monthly benefit that is payable for life, and says it will be non-taxable because it compensates for barriers to re-establishment. Confirm your own tax position with the Canada Revenue Agency.
Does a survivor keep receiving it?
No. VAC says the benefit cannot be paid to the survivor or other dependants of the Veteran.
Does the grade ever change?
VAC says the benefit is paid for life, and would only change if your health improved to the point that you no longer have any barriers caused by your impairment.
Published rates, not an entitlement decision
This page repeats amounts that Veterans Affairs Canada publishes. It does not assess whether you have a barrier to re-establishment, assign a grade, or decide eligibility. Only VAC can do that, after an individual assessment. Confirm current amounts on the VAC rates page.