What Is Special Monthly Compensation?
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) is additional compensation the VA pays on top of your standard disability rating when you have particularly severe disabilities or combinations of disabilities. It's designed to address situations where the standard 0–100% rating scale doesn't fully account for the impact on your life.
SMC is broken into lettered levels — SMC-K through SMC-T — each addressing different severity thresholds. Many veterans who qualify don't know SMC exists, so the VA is supposed to consider it automatically when the evidence supports it.
SMC Levels Explained
SMC-K (Loss of Use / Anatomical Loss)
The most common SMC level. Paid for:
- Loss of use of one hand, one foot, or one eye
- Loss of use of a creative organ (reproductive)
- Complete loss of both buttocks
- Deafness in both ears (with specific criteria)
- Loss of a breast or breast tissue related to service-connected disability
Key detail: SMC-K is paid in addition to your regular compensation and can be combined with other SMC levels. You can receive multiple awards of SMC-K for different qualifying losses.
2026 rate: Approximately $131.44/month per qualifying loss (rates adjust annually).
SMC-L (Aid and Attendance)
Paid when you need the regular assistance of another person for everyday activities due to service-connected disabilities:
- Dressing, bathing, eating, attending to needs of nature
- Protecting yourself from hazards of daily living
- Blindness or near-blindness in both eyes
- Being permanently bedridden
SMC-L½ through SMC-N½
Intermediate levels between L and O, based on progressively severe combinations:
- SMC-L½: Aid and attendance + additional disability rated 50%+ independent of the A&A condition
- SMC-M: Multiple qualifying criteria met simultaneously
- SMC-M½, N, N½: Increasingly severe combinations
SMC-O (Very Severe Combinations)
For veterans with extremely severe combined disabilities — like bilateral amputation, paralysis of both lower extremities plus additional severe conditions.
SMC-R (Higher Aid and Attendance)
Two sub-levels for the most severe needs:
- SMC-R.1: Need for regular aid and attendance at a higher level due to the nature and severity of disabilities
- SMC-R.2: Need for a higher level of care — essentially requires in-home health aide or nursing facility-level care due to service-connected conditions
SMC-S (Housebound)
Paid when you:
- Have a single service-connected disability rated at 100% AND are substantially confined to your home due to that disability, OR
- Have a single service-connected disability rated at 100% AND have additional service-connected disabilities independently rated at 60% or more
Important: The second qualifying path for SMC-S is purely mathematical. If you have one condition at 100% (including TDIU) plus other conditions combining to 60%+, you qualify — you don't have to prove you're actually housebound.
SMC-T (Traumatic Brain Injury)
For veterans with TBI requiring in-home care who meet specific criteria. Includes provisions for assisted living and caregiver support.
How SMC Works With Your Rating
SMC doesn't replace your disability rating — it adds to it. For example:
- A veteran rated at 100% schedular who also has loss of use of both feet would receive 100% compensation plus SMC at the appropriate level
- A veteran on TDIU with a separate 60%+ condition qualifies for SMC-S (housebound) — even if they're not actually confined to their home
The VA is supposed to infer SMC eligibility from the evidence — you shouldn't always have to claim it explicitly. But in practice, specifically requesting SMC in your claim helps ensure it's considered.
Common SMC Scenarios Veterans Miss
TDIU + 60% = SMC-S
If the VA grants TDIU (which counts as a 100% rate) and you have other service-connected conditions rated at 60% or more (combined), you automatically qualify for SMC-S. Many veterans don't realize this.
Paired Organ / Extremity Loss
If you have loss of use of paired organs or extremities (both hands, both feet, both eyes), the SMC level is significantly higher than for a single loss.
Erectile Dysfunction / Reproductive Loss
SMC-K for loss of use of a creative organ is extremely common among veterans taking certain medications for mental health or pain conditions. If medication for a service-connected condition causes this, file for it.
Hearing Aid Use
If you're service-connected for hearing loss in both ears and use hearing aids, you may qualify for SMC-K depending on the severity criteria.
How to Claim SMC
- File on VA Form 21-526EZ — you can specifically note you're claiming SMC
- Provide medical evidence of the qualifying condition (loss of use, need for aid and attendance, etc.)
- Be specific about how the disability affects your daily life — the VA needs to understand the functional impact
- Request a medical opinion if the need for aid and attendance isn't obvious from records alone
For Aid and Attendance (SMC-L), your doctor can complete VA Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance) to document your needs.
Rates Overview
SMC rates are set by Congress and adjusted annually. They range from approximately $131/month (SMC-K addition) to over $9,000/month for the highest levels (SMC-R.2). Current rates are published on VA.gov.
Note: Because SMC involves complex interactions between levels, conditions, and combinations, these claims often benefit from professional help. An accredited VSO or VA-accredited attorney can help identify all SMC levels you may qualify for. This is one area where experienced representation can make a significant financial difference.