Looking for Expert-Level VA Claim Help?📱Call Us Now! 737-295-2226
VA Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) is a tax-free additional benefit paid to veterans with severe service-connected disabilities that go beyond the VA’s standard rating system in 38 CFR, Part 4, the Schedule for Rating Disabilities.
This benefit provides extra financial support for those who have lost limbs or the use of a creative organ, are blind, deaf, housebound, or require daily assistance with basic tasks like dressing, eating, or bathing.
In some cases, spouses, surviving spouses, and even parents of veterans may also qualify for SMC.
Table of Contents
Summary of Key Points
- What is VA Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)? SMC is an additional tax-free benefit for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities that go beyond the VA’s standard disability rating system. It compensates veterans for higher levels of impairment or the need for extra assistance with daily activities. In some cases, spouses, surviving spouses, and parents may also qualify.
- Who Qualifies for SMC? Veterans may qualify for SMC if they experience conditions such as limb loss, blindness, deafness, housebound status, or the need for aid and attendance with daily tasks. The loss of use of a creative organ, such as Erectile Dysfunction (ED) or Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD), also qualifies under SMC-K.
- SMC Pay Levels and Benefits: SMC rates vary depending on the severity of disabilities and dependency status. Compensation is structured into levels K through S, covering conditions such as loss of limbs, severe impairments, and the need for daily aid and attendance. Veterans with dependents may qualify for additional financial benefits.
- How to Apply for VA SMC: The VA should automatically grant SMC if a veteran qualifies, but this doesn’t always happen. If SMC is missing from a VA decision, veterans should check their award letter, file a Request for Special Monthly Compensation through VA.gov, and seek expert guidance to maximize their benefits. VA Claims Insider has helped over 25,000+ veterans navigate this process successfully.
What is VA Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)?
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 that aren’t properly considered by the general VA rating schedule.
SMC is designed to compensate veterans for disabilities that result in a higher level of impairment or a need for extra assistance or care.
Here’s some examples of situations that may qualify a veteran for SMC:
- Loss of use of a creative organ: Erectile Dysfunction (ED) or Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD).
- 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 (Aid & Attendance) with activities of daily living.
- Combination of disabilities that result in a high level of impairment.
Who is Eligible for VA SMC?
Eligibility for SMC extends to:
- Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities.
- Spouses of veterans who require Aid and Attendance.
- Surviving spouses who meet VA dependency criteria.
- Parents of veterans in certain qualifying cases.
VA Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) Rates
VA SMC pay rates are categorized into various levels based on disability severity and dependency status.
The key levels include:
- Levels K: Special pay rate for the loss of use of a creative organ that is paid in addition to the veteran’s basic compensation amount.
- Levels L through O: Assigned based on specific disabilities and situations, including limb loss and severe impairments.
- Level R: For veterans who require daily assistance with fundamental tasks such as dressing, bathing, and eating.
- Level S: Reserved for veterans who are housebound due to service-connected conditions.
Veterans with dependents, including children and spouses receiving Aid and Attendance, may qualify for increased benefits beyond standard SMC levels.
- SMC-K is a higher rate of pay that is added to your current VA disability pay. In 2025, the SMC-K pay rate is $136.06 per month.
- All other SMC categories are paid in lieu of VA disability compensation pay (you don’t get both)
Eligibility for SMC Levels L Through O
The VA determines SMC levels based on specific medical conditions and functional limitations.
These may include:
- 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.
- Being permanently bedridden (unable to get out of bed).
- Needing daily help with basic needs (like eating, dressing, and bathing), also called “Aid and Attendance.”
Can I Apply for VA Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)?
Yes, you can apply for VA Special Monthly Compensation (SMC).
The VA should automatically award SMC if you qualify, but this doesn’t always happen.
If you believe you’re eligible and haven’t been granted SMC:
- Check your latest VA award decision letter: Look for references for SMC benefits.
- If SMC wasn’t considered or awarded: Open a new claim on VA.gov and in the free form to add a new disability type “Request for Special Monthly Compensation.”
- If you’ve been denied or need expert-level VA claim help, reach out to VA Claims Insider for guidance on maximizing your benefits!
Conclusion & Wrap-Up
VA Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) provides vital additional financial support to veterans with severe service-connected disabilities that go beyond the standard VA rating system.
Whether it’s for limb loss, blindness, deafness, housebound status, or the need for daily assistance, SMC ensures that veterans receive the compensation they deserve for their sacrifices.
While the VA should automatically consider SMC, this doesn’t always happen.
If you believe you qualify but haven’t been awarded SMC, take action right now!
Check your VA decision letter, file a request for SMC on VA.gov, and don’t hesitate to get expert help if needed.
We’ve helped 25,000+ veterans like you maximize their VA disability benefits in our #1 rated VA Claims Insider Elite program.
If you’re unsure about your next move, we’ve got your six!
📞 Call Us Now at 737-295-2226 or Get Started Today at VA Claims Insider and get the VA rating and compensation you’ve earned for serving our country!
Want Expert-Level Help With Your VA Claim? WE GOT YOUR SIX!
How does VA Claims Insider help veterans?
We make the confusing and frustrating VA claim process EASY through our 8-step proprietary system and one-on-one coaching; we’re the VA Claim EXPERTS you can trust, and YOU are never alone in this fight against the VA!
You’ll also receive VA disability expert Brian Reese’s SEM Method Blueprint—a proven formula that has helped over 25,000 veterans win their VA disability claims faster:
Strategy + Education + Medical Evidence = VA Rating and Compensation You Deserve FASTER!
Start today and unlock an exceptional level of service you deserve for serving our country:
➡️ You’ll hear from a VA Claim Expert over email within 15 minutes of signing up today.
➡️ You’ll hear from your Veteran Coach team within 24 hours of all inquiries during normal business days/hours.
➡️ Our terms are clear and simple: If we don’t win, you don’t pay. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Click the red button below to start the process of winning your VA claim right now!
Fellow Veterans: Are You Ready to WIN, SERVICE-CONNECT, and INCREASE Your VA Disability Rating FASTER? We Can Help!
- VA Claims Insider is the #1 most trusted name in VA disability claims.
- Work directly with a VA claims coach who can help lead you to VA claim victory.
- 25,000+ disabled veterans served in our membership programs since 2016.
- 30% average rating increase for veterans who complete our #1 rated Elite program.
- 4.7/5.0 average rating out of 5,500+ total reviews; over 4,500 5-star reviews.
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.
