Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)

Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) is additional VA compensation paid to veterans with especially severe disabilities, specific anatomical losses, or combinations of disabilities that exceed what the standard 0–100% rating schedule addresses. SMC is not a separate benefit program — it is a higher rate of compensation within the VA disability system.

The statutory authority is 38 USC 1114, subsections (k) through (t), which define SMC levels, eligibility, and base statutory rates. The implementing regulation is 38 CFR 3.350.

Key Principles

• SMC rates (L through O/P) replace the base disability rate — the veteran receives the SMC rate instead of their combined disability rate
• Exception — SMC-K: Added on top of base disability compensation and on top of other SMC levels (L through S). SMC-K is not added to SMC-O, SMC-Q, or SMC-R
• Exception — SMC-S: Paid as the 100% rate plus a statutory housebound differential
• Rates increase annually based on the same COLA adjustment applied to Social Security benefits

38 USC 1114, 38 CFR 3.350

SMC-K is the most commonly awarded SMC level. It pays $139.87/month per qualifying loss (effective December 1, 2025) and is added to basic disability compensation or other SMC levels (L through S). A veteran can receive a maximum of 3 SMC-K awards.

SMC-K is frequently granted automatically when conditions like erectile dysfunction (secondary to medications, PTSD, or diabetes) are service-connected.

Qualifying Conditions

Each qualifies separately — SMC-K is stackable:

38 USC 1114(k), 38 CFR 3.350(a)

SMC-L provides compensation when a veteran's service-connected disabilities result in specific anatomical losses or create a need for regular aid and attendance. The rate for a veteran alone is $4,900.83/month (effective December 1, 2025).

Qualifying Conditions

1. Anatomical loss or loss of use of both feet
2. Anatomical loss or loss of use of one hand and one foot
3. Blindness in both eyes with visual acuity of 5/200 or less
4. Permanently bedridden due to service-connected disabilities
5. So helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance

Aid and Attendance Criteria (38 CFR 3.352(a))

Need for A&A means helplessness or being so nearly helpless as to require the regular aid and attendance of another person. Qualifying factors include:

• Inability to dress or undress oneself, or to keep ordinarily clean and presentable
• Frequent need of adjustment of prosthetic or orthopedic appliances that cannot be done without aid
• Inability to feed oneself through loss of coordination of upper extremities or extreme weakness
• Inability to attend to the wants of nature
• Physical or mental incapacity requiring care or assistance on a regular basis to protect from hazards or dangers of the daily environment

38 USC 1114(l), 38 CFR 3.350(b), 38 CFR 3.352(a)

SMC-M — $5,408.55/month (veteran alone)

Qualifying conditions (38 USC 1114(m)):

1. Anatomical loss or loss of use of both hands
2. Anatomical loss or loss of use of both legs at a level or with complications preventing natural knee action with prosthesis
3. Anatomical loss of one arm (preventing natural elbow action) plus one leg (preventing natural knee action)
4. Blindness in both eyes — light perception only
5. Blindness in both eyes (5/200 or less) requiring regular aid and attendance

SMC-N — $6,152.64/month (veteran alone)

Qualifying conditions (38 USC 1114(n)):

1. Anatomical loss or loss of use of both arms at a level preventing natural elbow action with prosthesis
2. Anatomical loss of both legs so near the hip as to prevent use of prosthetic appliance
3. Anatomical loss of one arm (near shoulder, no prosthetic use) plus one leg (near hip, no prosthetic use)
4. Anatomical loss of both eyes or blindness without light perception in both eyes

SMC-O — $6,877.12/month (veteran alone)

The highest "regular" statutory rate. Qualifying conditions (38 USC 1114(o)):

1. Anatomical loss of both arms so near the shoulder as to prevent use of prosthetic appliance
2. Conditions meeting criteria for two or more rates from 1114(l) through 1114(n) — each involving separate, distinct disabilities from different anatomical segments
3. Bilateral deafness rated 60%+ combined with service-connected bilateral blindness with visual acuity of 20/200 or less
4. Total deafness in one ear (or bilateral deafness rated 40%+) combined with bilateral blindness (light perception or less)
5. Paraplegia — complete paralysis of both lower extremities with loss of anal and bladder sphincter control

38 USC 1114(m)–(o), 38 CFR 3.350(c)–(e)

SMC-P is not a separate pay level with its own rate. It is a mechanism that allows the Secretary to increase existing SMC to the next higher rate or intermediate rate when a veteran's disabilities exceed the criteria for a given SMC level but do not meet the next higher level. The maximum rate under SMC-P is the SMC-O rate.

When SMC-P Applies

• Additional 50% disability: Independently ratable at 50%+ from a separate anatomical segment, unrelated to the primary SMC-qualifying condition → next higher intermediate or statutory rate
• Additional 100% disability: Single disability independently ratable at 100% from a separate body segment/system → next higher statutory or intermediate rate
• Three-extremity loss: Loss of use of three extremities → next higher rate (statutory or intermediate)
• Blindness + deafness combinations: Various combinations of bilateral blindness and deafness → next higher rate (see 38 CFR 3.350(f) for specific criteria)

38 USC 1114(p), 38 CFR 3.350(f)

SMC-R.1 — Regular Aid and Attendance at O/P Level

Rate: $9,826.88/month (veteran alone, effective December 1, 2025)

• Entitled to SMC at the O or P rate (or intermediate rate between N and O plus SMC-K entitlement)
• Plus in need of regular aid and attendance as defined in 38 CFR 3.352
• Care can be provided by a non-professional caregiver (family member, etc.)
• Not payable while hospitalized at U.S. Government expense

SMC-R.2 — Highest Aid and Attendance

Rate: $11,271.67/month (veteran alone, effective December 1, 2025)

• Entitled to SMC at the O or P rate
• Plus in need of a higher level of care than regular A&A
• Requires care by a licensed healthcare professional (not a family member)
• Would otherwise require hospitalization, nursing home, or other institutional care
• Daily personal healthcare services must be provided in the veteran's home
• Not payable while hospitalized at U.S. Government expense

38 USC 1114(r), 38 CFR 3.350(h)

SMC-S provides the "housebound" rate of $4,408.53/month (veteran alone, effective December 1, 2025). There are two qualifying pathways:

Pathway 1 — Statutory Housebound (Most Common)

• A single service-connected disability rated 100% (or TDIU based on a single disability)
• Plus additional service-connected disability(ies) independently ratable at 60% or more
• The 100% condition and the 60%+ conditions must be from different body systems/disabilities
• The veteran does not need to be actually confined to their home — this is a purely mathematical/rating-based entitlement

Pathway 2 — Factual/Permanent Housebound

• A single permanent service-connected disability rated 100%
• And the veteran is substantially confined to their dwelling and immediate premises due to service-connected disabilities
• Confinement must be reasonably certain to continue throughout the veteran's lifetime

38 USC 1114(s), 38 CFR 3.350(i)

SMC-T provides the same rate as SMC-R.2 ($11,271.67/month, veteran alone, effective December 1, 2025) through a different qualifying pathway designed for severe traumatic brain injury cases. It was created by Section 601 of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-163).

All Three Must Be Met

1. Service-connected traumatic brain injury (TBI) requiring regular aid and attendance for TBI residuals
2. Not eligible for compensation under 38 USC 1114(r)(2) — does not qualify through the standard SMC-O/R pathway
3. In the absence of regular aid and attendance, would require hospitalization, nursing home care, or other residential institutional care

38 USC 1114(t), 38 CFR 3.350(j)

Half-step (intermediate) rates are calculated as the arithmetic mean, rounded to the nearest dollar, between two adjacent statutory rates. They apply when a veteran's disabilities exceed one SMC level but do not meet the next.

Example Qualifying Combinations (SMC-L 1/2)

• Loss or loss of use of one foot plus loss or loss of use of one leg at a level preventing natural knee action with prosthesis
• Blindness in one eye (5/200 or less) plus blindness in the other eye (light perception only)
• Loss or loss of use of one hand plus loss or loss of use of one leg at a level preventing natural knee action with prosthesis

38 CFR 3.350(f)

Veteran Without Dependents

Veteran With Spouse (No Children, No Parents)

Additional Amounts

For complete rate tables including all dependent combinations (children, parents, spouse + parents), see the VA SMC rate table.

All rates effective December 1, 2025. Source: VA.gov SMC compensation rates

Automatic in Most Cases

VA raters have a duty to consider SMC entitlement whenever evidence in the record suggests qualifying conditions. If a veteran's service-connected disabilities meet SMC criteria, the rater should award it without requiring a separate claim.

• SMC-K: Frequently granted automatically when conditions like erectile dysfunction are service-connected
• SMC-S (Statutory Housebound): Frequently granted automatically when the math works — 100% for one condition + 60% combined for separate conditions

When a Claim or Additional Evidence Is Needed

• SMC-L (Aid & Attendance): Typically requires VA Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance)
• SMC-R: May require additional medical evidence demonstrating higher-level care needs
• SMC-T: May require evidence from licensed healthcare professionals confirming TBI residuals necessitate the care level

SMC-K Stacking

• SMC-K ($139.87 each) is added on top of basic disability rates (0–100%) and SMC levels L through S
• Maximum 3 SMC-K awards per veteran
• SMC-K is not added to SMC-O, SMC-Q, or SMC-R
• When combined with SMC-L through N, the total of base SMC + all SMC-K awards cannot exceed the SMC-O rate

SMC-S vs. SMC-L

• A veteran qualifies for either SMC-S or SMC-L, not both simultaneously
• SMC-L ($4,900.83) is higher than SMC-S ($4,408.53) — if both criteria are met, the higher amount applies

Hospitalization Reduction

• Upper-level SMC (above L-T, excluding S) can be stopped or reduced during hospitalization at U.S. Government expense
• SMC-S is not subject to this reduction

Forms for This Topic

The official VA forms relevant to this page, in one place. Select a form to view, download, or add it to your report.

• VA Form 21-2680 — Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and AttendanceUse VA Form 21-2680 to apply for Aid and Attendance benefits that will be added to your monthly compensation or pension benefits.