VA special monthly compensation (SMC) is a program offering increased payments to veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities. The benefit is designed for conditions that fall outside of the criteria in the Schedule of Ratings.
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In some cases, these disabilities may require extra care or add significantly more inconvenience to a veteran’s life. Veterans may also have conditions that make leaving their home or bed impossible, or require the assistance of a caretaker.
In this article, we explain the types of SMC VA benefits and how they work.
In this article about special monthly compensation:
What is VA SMC?
Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities may be eligible for increased compensation from the VA called special monthly compensation (SMC).
Like other forms of disability compensation, SMC increases most years based on cost of living adjustments. In specific categories, SMC is an amount added to your monthly VA disability checks. In most categories, it is a higher total that replaces your VA disability compensation.
How is SMC different from other VA disability compensation?
While a VA disability rating is meant to help make up for a veteran’s lost earning capacity due to their service, SMC considers personal inconvenience and social inadaptability.
SMC is also meant to make accommodations for disabilities that are more severe than the Schedule of Ratings reasonably accounts for, as well as certain combinations of disabilities that may create extra difficulty for the veteran.
“The disability rating schedule is intended to pay veterans for reduced earning capacity. SMC, on the other hand, is meant to compensate veterans for special conditions that are non-economic in nature,” said VA disability lawyer Krystal Lechner.
If a typical VA rating is meant to consider how much a condition prevents you from working, qualifying for SMC requires considering other ways your condition may have significantly impacted your life.
The extra compensation is, in some cases, also designed to make it possible for veterans to purchase equipment, like ramps and wheelchairs, or services, like payments to caretakers.
How SMC works
The SMC VA benefits are broken down into several levels:
- SMC-K
- SMC-L
- SMC- L½
- SMC-M
- SMC-M½
- SMC-N
- SMC-N½
- SMC-O
- SMC-P
- SMC-Q (no longer being awarded)
- SMC-R.1
- SMC-R.2
- SMC-S
- SMC-T
Veterans are assigned one of these levels based on the type and severity of their service-connected disabilities, and, in some cases, what accommodations they need for care.
Once a veteran qualifies for SMC and receives their designation, they should begin receiving an increased SMC payment instead of a standard VA disability payment.
“These alphabetical designations are higher than the 100% rate allowed under the disability schedule. The amount received also depends on whether or not the veteran is married and how many children they have,” explained Lechner.
Types of VA SMC
As we have established, there are several different types of SMC, each designated by a letter and sometimes a number. Compensation and specific requirements vary at each level. The VA offers a detailed breakdown on their website, but we share the highlights below.
SMC-K
SMC-K is a unique type of special monthly compensation called a “rate payment variation.” The current rate for SMC-K is $136.06, and is to be added to your existing disability payments each month.
The VA awards SMC-K to veterans who meet the basic eligibility criteria for special monthly compensation. The VA can award up to three SMC-K designations per veteran for qualifying disabilities.
Possible qualifiers for SMC-K include, but are not limited to:
- Loss or loss of use of one or more creative organs
- Loss of one hand
- Loss of one foot
- Blindness in one eye
SMC-K is the only type of special monthly compensation that can be granted in addition to another SMC.
SMC L, M, N, O, and P
SMC levels L through P are assigned based on the type and severity of a veteran’s service-connected disabilities.
To more precisely reflect the severity of a veteran’s disabilities, the VA includes ½ levels. For example, SMC-L ½ exists between SMC-L and SMC-M. These half levels are called intermediate provisions by the VA. Veterans with one or more permanent disabilities not included in the SMC criteria that have a rating or combined rating of at least 50% can be moved to the next intermediate level.
Qualifying disabilities include amputations, the loss of use of extremities, and blindness in both eyes, among many other disabilities and combinations. Being primarily bedridden and requiring aid and attendance can also qualify a veteran for SMC-L.
What disabilities qualify at each level are highly specific. The full pay chart and eligibility criteria can be found here.
Additional 50%-100% disabilities
In some cases, veterans entitled to SMC rates L through N also have an additional service-connected disability or disabilities that independently combine to 50% or 100%.
In these cases, the veteran’s SMC rate would be increased one half step for the combined 50% evaluation or one full step for the combined 100% evaluation. Step increases max out at SMC-O.
For example, if a veteran meets the criteria for SMC- L½ but also has an additional permanently service-connected disability rated at 100%, they may instead be able to receive SMC-M½.
If a veteran meets the criteria for SMC-N but also has an additional permanent disability or combination of permanent disabilities rated at 50%, they may instead be able to receive SMC-N½.
SMC-Q
Similar to SMC-K, SMC-Q is a type of special monthly compensation called a “rate payment variation.” The VA discontinued actively awarding SMC-Q in 1968, but some living veterans may still receive this type of SMC in place of their monthly VA disability check.
SMC-R
The SMC-R may apply if you need daily help from another person for basic needs (like dressing, eating, and bathing. This rate is assigned to veterans who meet the criteria to be:
- Classified as SMC-O, SMC-N½, or SMC-P, AND
- Qualify for SMC-K, AND
- Require aid and attendance. Aid and Attendance refers to the need for help taking care of one’s basic needs, like bathing, cooking, eating, etc.
SMC-R is split into two sections: SMC-R.1 and SMC-R.2 which determine payment amounts.
SMC-R.1 pays a veteran without dependents approximately $9,560 a month if they meet all of the above eligibility requirements.
SMC-R.2 pays approximately $10,960 in monthly compensation if veterans have no dependents, meet all of the above eligibility requirements, AND need higher levels of aid and attendance. This includes veterans who need basic in-home daily healthcare from a professional.
SMC-S
SMC-S is assigned to veterans who have a 100% VA rating for a single service-connected disability (or TDIU due to a single service-connected disability) AND
- Have an additional service-connected disability rated 60% or higher OR
- Who are homebound due to their service-connected disabilities.
SMC-S is sometimes thought to be only applicable for veterans confined to their homes and is often referred to as “VA housebound benefits,” but this is not the only way to qualify.
SMC- T
SMC-T is assigned to veterans with service-connected traumatic brain injuries (TBI) who require aid and attendance but do not qualify for SMC-R.2 and would require extensive out-of-home care if they did not receive aid and attendance benefits.
How much does VA SMC pay?
The amount of VA SMC a veteran will receive depends on their assigned alphabetical designation and any dependents they may have. The current SMC rates for veterans with no dependents are as follows:
- SMC-K: +$136.06 added to monthly compensation, up to three times
- SMC-L: $4,767.34
- SMC- L½: $5,014.00
- SMC-M: $5,261.24
- SMC-M½: $5,623.00
- SMC-N: $5,985.06
- SMC-N½: $6,337.00
- SMC-O: $6,689.81
- SMC-P: $6,689.81
- SMC-Q: +$67.00 added to monthly compensation
- SMC-R.1: $9,559.22
- SMC-R.2: $10,964.66
- SMC-S: $4,288.45
- SMC-T: $10,964.66
Charts of VA SMC rates for those with dependents can be accessed on the VA’s website.
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Frequently asked questions
Requirements vary significantly from one type of SMC to the next. Veterans who have lost the use of a body part or organ due to their military service may be eligible for SMC. This includes but is not limited to amputations and the loss of use of limbs, creative organs, eyesight, and hearing. Veterans who are housebound or require help with daily needs may also be eligible, among others.
The amount of SMC a veteran will receive depends on their assigned alphabetical designation and any dependents they may have. SMC rates for veterans with no dependents are as follows:
– SMC-K: +$136.06 added to monthly compensation
– SMC-L: $4,767.34
– SMC- L½: $5,014.00
– SMC-M: $5,261.24
– SMC-M½: $5,623.00
– SMC-N: $5,985.06
– SMC-N½: $6,337.00
– SMC-O: $6,689.81
– SMC-P: $6,689.81
– SMC-Q: +$67.00 added to monthly compensation
– SMC-R.1: $9,559.22
– SMC-R.2: $10,964.66
– SMC-S: $4,288.45
– SMC-T: $10,964.66
Neil Woods
Neil Woods is a VA disability attorney and the owner and president of Woods & Woods. He received his law degree from Western Michigan University.
