Common Levels of Special Monthly Compensation – SMC-K, SMC-S, & SMC-L

Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) is an additional tax-free monetary benefit paid by VA to Veterans who have a service-connected disability (or disabilities) that is so severe it results in symptoms outside of the normal rating criteria.

SMC doesn’t have ratings like VA disability compensation. Instead, each “level” of SMC is designated by a letter which correlates to a monthly monetary payment. The further you go down the alphabet, the higher the Veteran’s monthly award will be, typically indicating severe symptomology due to a service-connected disability.

There are three types of SMC which are most common: SMC-K, SMC-S, and SMC-L:

SMC-K

SMC K is awarded to a Veteran for the “loss of use” of an anatomical body part or creative organ due to a service-connected disability. VA regulations allow for a Veteran to receive up to three separate SMC-K awards for loss of use.

Some examples of common medical conditions which may qualify for SMC-K include erectile dysfunction, aphonia (the inability to speak out loud), blindness in one eye, total deafness in both ears, and when no effective function remains in either one hand or one foot (amputation is not required).

The 2024 rate for one award of SMC-K is $132.74 per month, which is added to the Veteran’s monthly disability compensation payment.

SMC-S

SMC-S (sometimes referred to as “housebound” or “total plus 60 percent”) is awarded to a Veteran in one of two circumstances:

1. The Veteran is housebound, meaning that they are physically unable to leave their home due to the severity of their service-connected disability (or disabilities).
2. A Veteran is in receipt of a 100 percent disability compensation rating, either for one service-connected disability or TDIU, with a separate service-connected disability rated at 60 percent or more.

If a Veteran were in receipt of a 100 percent rating for PTSD and then received a separate 60 percent rating for coronary artery disease, SMC-S would be granted because the Veteran’s combined rating is a “total plus 60 percent.”

The 2024 rate for SMC-S for a single Veteran is $4,183.85 per month, which includes the Veteran’s monthly disability compensation payment.

SMC-L

SMC-L is awarded to a Veteran who requires the “regular aid and attendance” of another person to complete their activities of daily living (ADLs) due to the limitations caused by their service-connected disability (or disabilities). Activities of daily living are personal care tasks such as medication management, dressing, grooming, toileting, shopping, or cooking. The person who provides regular assistance to the Veteran can be a spouse, child, neighbor, or friend and does not need to be a healthcare provider.

For example, a Veteran who is service-connected for Parkinson’s disease may qualify for SMC-L if they are unable to feed themselves and require the assistance of their spouse to eat.

The 2024 rate for SMC-L for a single Veteran is $4,651.06 per month, which includes the Veteran’s monthly disability compensation payment.

To learn more about SMC or to see if you qualify click here.

**The information contained in this post is not updated after the date initially posted.  For the most up-to-date information, please check VA’s website.**