Black lung benefit rates for 2026 are $793.60 a month for a miner or surviving spouse with no dependents, rising to $1,190.30, $1,388.70 and $1,587.10 with one, two, or three or more dependents under Part C of the federal program. This black lung benefit rates calculator uses the U.S. Department of Labor's published tables to show your monthly and yearly benefit, subtracts any state or federal workers' compensation paid for the same disease, and estimates retroactive benefits using each year's rate since 2018.
The rate depends only on the number of qualifying dependents, not on past earnings, because it is set by federal law as a share of a federal employee salary. The main things that change what you actually receive are dependents, offsets and the month your benefits start.
Format YYYY-MM. Usually the month of onset, or the month you filed.
| Beneficiary | Part C (DOL) | Part B (SSA) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary beneficiary | $793.60 | $793.00 |
| With one dependent | $1,190.30 | $1,190.00 |
| With two dependents | $1,388.70 | $1,388.00 |
| With three or more dependents | $1,587.10 | $1,587.00 |
Part C claims are approved by the Department of Labor, with payments received around the 15th of each month. Part B claims were originally approved by the Social Security Administration, with payments received around the 3rd of each month. The Department of Labor notes that if a beneficiary has an award under another state or federal workers' compensation program, the monthly payment may be less than the rate shown.
Basic rate = 37.5% of the monthly pay for a federal employee at GS-2, step 1
Augmented rate = basic rate + 50% (one dependent), 75% (two) or 100% (three or more)
Federal law sets the benefit for a totally disabled miner at 37 1/2 percent of the monthly pay rate for federal employees in grade GS-2, step 1. Under the regulations, the basic rate is figured by dividing the annual GS-2, step 1 salary by 12 and multiplying by 0.375, and benefits are paid in multiples of 10 cents, rounded up. A miner or surviving spouse with qualifying dependents receives an augmentation of 50 percent for one dependent, 75 percent for two and 100 percent for three or more. A widow of a miner whose death was due to pneumoconiosis is paid at the rate the miner would have received if totally disabled.
A spouse counts as a dependent for the higher rate if any one of these is true: the spouse lives in the same household as the miner, receives regular contributions from the miner for support, has a court order requiring the miner to contribute to his or her support, is the natural parent of the miner's son or daughter, or was married to the miner for at least 1 year. The increase starts with the first month a dependent meets the conditions and continues through the month before the dependent stops qualifying. For a child who qualifies as a student, it continues through the month before the first month during no part of which the child is a student. If a person qualifies through more than one miner, the benefit is paid at the highest rate for which entitlement is established.
| Year | Claimant | 1 dependent | 2 dependents | 3 or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $793.60 | $1,190.30 | $1,388.70 | $1,587.10 |
| 2025 | $785.70 | $1,178.60 | $1,375.00 | $1,571.40 |
| 2024 | $772.60 | $1,158.90 | $1,352.00 | $1,545.20 |
| 2023 | $737.90 | $1,106.90 | $1,291.30 | $1,475.80 |
| 2022 | $708.90 | $1,063.30 | $1,240.50 | $1,417.70 |
| 2021 | $693.60 | $1,040.40 | $1,213.80 | $1,387.20 |
| 2020 | $686.70 | $1,030.10 | $1,201.80 | $1,373.40 |
| 2019 | $669.30 | $1,004.00 | $1,171.30 | $1,338.60 |
| 2018 | $660.10 | $990.10 | $1,155.10 | $1,320.10 |
Each rate applies from January 1 through December 31 of that year. The calculator uses these amounts month by month when you enter a retroactive period.
For a miner, benefits are payable beginning with the month of onset of total disability due to pneumoconiosis arising out of coal mine employment. If the evidence does not establish the month of onset, benefits are payable beginning with the month the claim was filed. For a survivor, benefits are payable beginning with the month of the miner's death. A miner who is still employed as a miner when the claim is finally decided is paid no benefits unless eligibility is established under section 411(c)(3) of the Act or the miner leaves coal mine employment within 1 year of the final decision. The start month you enter for a retroactive estimate should follow these rules.
Black lung payments for a month are reduced, but not below zero, by state or federal benefits received for that month on account of disability or death due to pneumoconiosis, such as workers' compensation (including compensation for occupational disease), unemployment compensation or disability insurance. If the other benefit is paid weekly, the Department of Labor multiplies it by 4 1/3 to find the monthly amount; a benefit paid every two weeks is multiplied by 2 1/6. Medical, legal or related expenses paid or incurred in connection with the state or federal claim are excluded when the reduction is computed, to the extent consistent with state or federal law. State workers' compensation rules for coal miners appear in our Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia workers comp calculators.
No. The Department of Labor explains that, by statute, all federal black lung benefits, whether Part B or Part C, are not taxable income, and for that reason it does not issue any type of tax documentation for them. The law it cites says benefits payable under this part shall be deemed not to be income for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. The program will provide a verification of income letter for purposes such as loans, home heating assistance or rent subsidies.
Federal black lung benefits are separate from lawsuits and trust claims for other occupational lung diseases. For asbestos-related disease, see the mesothelioma settlement calculator and the asbestos trust fund payout calculator. For engineered stone, see silicosis settlements. Uranium workers may qualify under the program in our RECA compensation amounts calculator.
Under Part C, the 2026 monthly rates are $793.60 for a primary beneficiary, $1,190.30 with one dependent, $1,388.70 with two dependents and $1,587.10 with three or more. Part B rates are $793.00, $1,190.00, $1,388.00 and $1,587.00.
A spouse counts as a dependent when, for example, the spouse lives in the same household as the miner or receives regular support from the miner. A miner with a qualifying spouse and no other dependents receives the one-dependent rate: $1,190.30 a month under Part C in 2026.
The basic rate is 37 1/2 percent of the monthly pay for a federal employee at GS-2, step 1, rounded up to the next 10 cents. It is augmented by 50 percent for one dependent, 75 percent for two and 100 percent for three or more.
No. The Department of Labor says all federal black lung benefits, Part B and Part C, are not taxable income, and it does not issue any type of tax documentation for them.
Yes. Black lung payments are reduced, but not below zero, by state or federal workers' compensation paid for disability or death due to pneumoconiosis for the same month.