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2024 VA Special Monthly Compensation Rates will increase by 3.2% starting January 2024 as announced by the Social Security Administration.
Veterans can use the pay chart below to find their basic 2024 VA SMC Rates that may apply.
What is VA Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)?
VA Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) is an extra benefit provided by the VA to veterans or their eligible dependents who have specific disabilities or combinations of disabilities.
VA SMC is awarded in addition to the standard VA disability compensation and is designed to compensate veterans for disabilities that result in a higher level of impairment or a need for extra assistance or care.
Some common examples of situations that may qualify a veteran for SMC include:
- Loss of use of a creative organ
- Loss or loss of use of one or more limbs
- Need for aid and attendance due to disabilities
- Blindness or visual impairment
- Severe deafness or hearing impairment
- Housebound status due to disability
- Need for assistance with activities of daily living
- Combination of disabilities that result in a high level of impairment
2024 VA Special Monthly Compensation Rates (3.2% COLA Increase)
Use the table below to find your 2024 VA SMC Rates for a single veteran with no dependents.
| VA SMC Category | VA SMC Rates 2024 |
|---|---|
| K | $132.74 |
| L | $4,651.06 |
| L 1/2 | $4,891.50 |
| M | $5,132.92 |
| M 1/2 | $5,485.61 |
| N | $5,839.08 |
| N 1/2 | $6,182.55 |
| O/P | $6,526.64 |
| R-1 | $9,326.07 |
| R-2/T | $10,697.23 |
| S | $4,183.85 |
Important Notes:
- SMC-K is a higher rate of pay that is added to your current 2024 VA disability pay rate
- SMC pay rates will be higher than listed above with eligible dependents
Do I Get Additional VA SMC Pay for Dependents?
Yes, disabled veterans can get extra VA special monthly compensation for eligible dependents:
- Spouse
- Dependent parents
- Children under age 18
- Children between age 18 and 23 who are in school
- A child permanently disabled before age 18
What is VA Special Monthly Compensation for Erectile Dysfunction 2024?
If a veteran has service-connected Erectile Dysfunction, the VA will award SMC-K for the loss of use of a creative organ.
The 2024 VA SMC pay rate for Erectile Dysfunction is $132.74/month.
How Does the VA Assign SMC Levels L Through O?
The VA assigns SMC levels L through O based on very specific situations and combinations of situations, including but not limited to:
- The amputation of one or more limbs or extremities
- The loss of use of one or more limbs or extremities (meaning you have no effective function remaining)
- The physical loss of one or both eyes
- The loss of sight or total blindness in one or both eyes
- You are permanently bedridden (unable to get out of bed)
- You need daily help with basic needs (like eating, dressing, and bathing), also called “Aid and Attendance”
About the Author
Brian Reese
Brian Reese is a world-renowned VA disability benefits expert and the #1 bestselling author of VA Claim Secrets and You Deserve It. Motivated by his own frustration with the VA claim process, Brian founded VA Claims Insider to help disabled veterans secure their VA disability compensation faster, regardless of their past struggles with the VA. Since 2013, he has positively impacted the lives of over 10 million military, veterans, and their families.
A former active-duty Air Force officer, Brian has extensive experience leading diverse teams in challenging international environments, including a combat tour in Afghanistan in 2011 supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
Brian is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from the United States Air Force Academy and earned his MBA from Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business, where he was a National Honor Scholar, ranking in the top 1% of his class.
