What Is VA Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)?
VA Special Monthly Compensation, or VA SMC, is a benefit that increases your monthly disability compensation if you have conditions that cause especially severe functional limitations. In this guide, you will learn what you need to know about benefit amounts, qualifying for SMC, and filing a claim.
What Is Special Monthly Compensation, or SMC?
Special Monthly Compensation is a tax-free monthly benefit that increases your VA disability compensation. It is available to veterans with the most severe bodily losses and limitations, such as the following:
- Amputions
- Loss of organ function
- Deafness
- Blindness
- Loss of speech
- Inability to care for your own needs
- Confinement to home or bed
SMC isn’t a separate rating. It is a special category of disability compensation for veterans with significant needs. You must have a disability rating to qualify, but a high rating doesn’t automatically qualify you. Eligibility depends completely on having specific anatomical losses and disabilities.
How SMC Works
Unlike VA disability compensation, which uses the disability rating to determine your monthly benefit, SMC benefits are based on categories of disability. The VA categorizes specific body losses and limitations, with each category assigned a letter between K and T. Depending on your SMC category, your monthly compensation could be significantly higher than what you would receive through standard disability compensation, even with a 100% rating.
For example, a veteran living alone with a 100% disability rating in 2025 receives a monthly benefit of $3,831.30. The same veteran with an SMC-L rating would receive $4,767. With an SMC-R.2/T rating, the monthly benefit is $10,964.66. These amounts are adjusted annually.
SMC Rate Tables
To determine your rate, view the VA’s rate tables page and do the following:
- If you have dependent children, find the section for veterans with children.
- If you have no dependent children, find the section for veterans without children.
- Look for the expandable menus. You’ll see one for SMC-L through SMC-N rates and one for SMC-N ½ through SMC-S.
- Click the + on the right to expand the menu.
- Look in the dependent status column for your status, such as “veteran alone” or “with spouse.”
- Check the amount in the column on your row to view the monthly benefit.
- If you have additional dependents or a spouse receiving Aid and Attendance, use the chart at the bottom of the section to find your increase.
- Add this amount to the amount in the main chart.
If You Have a Level SMC-K Rate
If your SMC level is K, your table is at the top of the page. The SMC-K add-on amount is the same for all veterans. This level can be combined with many other levels, and you can receive up to three SMC-K awards for different conditions.
SMC Levels
| Level | Qualifying Criteria | Payment Type |
|---|---|---|
| SMC-K | Loss of a single body part or sensory ability | Add-on |
| SMC-S | Housebound with 100% rating or 100% rating + additional rating of 60%+ | Replacement |
| SMC-L | Loss of more than one body part or sensory ability | Replacement |
| SMC-M/N/O | Severe combinations of impairments | Replacement |
| SMC-R | Aid and Attendance plus other severe disabilities | Replacement |
| SMC-T | Traumatic brain injury with constant care needed | Replacement |
SMC-K: Single Body Part Loss or Loss of Use
You have suffered the loss or loss of use of one of the following body parts or abilities:
- Loss of a foot, hand, leg, or arm
- Loss of reproductive organs or a kidney
- Loss of speech
- Blindness in one eye and severe impairment in the other
- Deafness in both ears
SMC-S: Housebound
You have a disability rating of 100% and one of the following additional impairments:
- Substantial confinement to your home
- Additional service-connected disabilities totaling at least 60%
SMC-L: Anatomical Loss Combinations
You have one of the following combinations of impairments:
- Amputation or total loss of use of both hands or feet
- Amputation or total loss of use of one hand and one foot
- Blindness in both eyes
- Permanent bedridden status
- Need for help with basic needs, such as eating, dressing, and bathing
SMC-L ½: More Severe Anatomical Loss Combinations
You have even more severe anatomical loss combinations, such as the following:
- Blindness and loss of a body part
- Total blindness in one eye (inability to perceive light) and blindness in the other eye
- Loss or loss of use of one knee and one other body part, such as a hand or foot
- Blindness in both eyes and deafness in one ear
- SMC-L designated impairments plus an additional permanent disability with a 50% or higher rating
SMC-M/N/O: Severe Combinations
You have one of the following specific combinations of impairments:
- SMC-M: Loss of two limbs, total blindness, or blindness combined with deafness
- SMC-N: More severe combinations such as blindness in both eyes, loss of use of both hands, or paralysis
- SMC-O: Catastrophic combinations including loss of both arms so close you cannot wear a prosthesis, complete paralysis of both legs with loss of bladder and bowel control, and severe combinations of blindness and deafness
Each level pays progressively more than the previous level.
SMC-R Aid and Attendance Plus
To qualify for an SMC-R rating, you must qualify for Aid and Attendance and at least one of the following SMC levels:
- SMC-O
- SMC-N ½ + SMC-K
To qualify for Aid and Attendance, your disability must render you bedridden or in need of daily assistance with basic living activities, such as bathing, dressing, eating, and toileting.
SMC-R has two sub-categories:
- Category R-1: You need daily assistance, but a non-professional caregiver, such as a family member, can meet this need.
- Category R-2: You require a licensed medical professional to help you, and you would require placement in an institutional setting without professional-level care at home.
SMC-T: Traumatic Brain Injury
You have chronic symptoms caused by a traumatic brain injury and meet all of the following criteria:
- Require Aid and Attendance and would need institutional care without it
- Are ineligible for Category R2
Who Qualifies for SMC?
To qualify for SMC, you must have a service-connected disability with a VA disability rating. Every level has separate requirements, but you will generally need to have at least one of the following conditions to qualify:
- Amputation or loss of use of limbs, organs, sight, hearing, or speech
- Paralysis with loss of bladder and bowel control
- Need for assistance with daily needs
- Substantial confinement to your home because of disabilities
- A combination of severe disabilities
- A traumatic brain injury with impairments that require constant care
Many categories require a high disability rating, and a change in your rating could affect your SMC eligibility. Some levels require specific combinations of disabilities. The VA may automatically award Special Monthly Compensation when assigning a disability rating. However, this does not always occur. Contact your nearest VA regional office if you believe you are qualified but are not receiving SMC.
How Much Extra Can You Get via SMC?
The differences in SMC vs. disability compensation can be significant. SMC payments vary from hundreds to thousands of dollars per month, depending on your level and dependent status. The difference between disability compensation with a 100% rating and Special Monthly Compensation can exceed $5,000.
What to Do If Your SMC Claim Is Denied
If your SMC claim is denied, review the decision letter to understand the VA’s reasoning. The VA often denies claims for insufficient medical evidence or inadequate documentation. You have a right to appeal the claim through one of the following pathways:
- Supplemental Claim: Submit new evidence
- Higher-level review: Ask a senior reviewer to recheck the same evidence
- Board of Veterans’ Appeals: Request an independent review by a Veterans Law Judge
You can also appeal if the VA approves a lower SMC level than the one you believe you qualify for. The VA should automatically award SMC when you receive your disability rating. If the VA doesn’t automatically award SMC even though you are eligible, you can file a claim for increased compensation via Form 21-526EZ online.
Need Help Securing SMC?
SMC provides a monthly tax-free benefit that is usually hundreds or thousands more than what VA disability pays. To qualify, you must have suffered a complete loss or loss of use of specific body parts or sensory abilities, be housebound, or require daily care.
If you are receiving VA disability, and you suspect you meet the criteria for SMC, consider contacting a VA-accredited attorney. At Veterans Guide, we can simplify the application process and connect you to VA-accredited advocates who can help you apply or appeal. Don’t wait to get the benefits you’ve earned.
Contact us today to get started.
Client Reviews
ANN WILLIAMS SHELLY DONNETT'E Want to Increase Your VA Rating?
