What is a Special Monthly Compensation? 

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) to qualifying veterans with especially serious disabilities or combinations of disabilities. Certain disabilities and combinations of disabilities are more debilitating than regular disability compensation rates account for, so VA pays a higher rate of compensation.

The VA states there are over 70 possible combinations of SMC ratings. 

SPECIAL MONTHLY COMPENSATION LEVEL M:

Blindness, Anatomical Loss, or Loss of Use with Aid & Attendance

(38 U.S.C. § 1114(m) & 38 CFR § 3.350):

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) to qualifying veterans with especially serious disabilities or combinations of disabilities. Certain disabilities and combinations of disabilities are more debilitating than regular disability compensation rates account for, so VA pays a higher rate of compensation.

SMC-M is currently an extra $ 1,429.94/mo over 100% pay (2025)

Special Monthly Compensation under level M is based on a veteran with one or more of five criteria:

• SMC-M1(i)-Has anatomical loss or loss of use of both hands.

• SMC-M1(ii)-Has anatomical loss or loss of use of both legs at a level, or with complications, preventing natural knee action with prosthesis in place.

• SMC-M1(iii)-Has anatomical loss or loss of use of one arm at a level, or with complications, preventing natural elbow action with prosthesis in place with anatomical loss or loss of use of one leg at a level, or with complications, preventing natural knee action with prosthesis in place.

• SMC-M1(iv)-Has Blindness in both eyes having only light perception.

• SMC-M1(v)-Has Blindness in both eyes leaving the veteran so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance several times a week.

AID AND ATTENDANCE

The veteran’s condition is serious enough that they require the REGULAR help of another person (Not necessarily every day or every time):

a)        Due to inability of claimant to dress or undress himself (herself), or

b)        To keep himself (herself) ordinarily clean and presentable;

c)        Due to frequent need of adjustment of any special prosthetic or orthopedic appliances which by reason of the particular disability cannot be done without aid (this will not include the adjustment of appliances which normal persons would be unable to adjust without aid, such as supports, belts, lacing at the back, etc.);

d)        Due to inability of claimant to feed himself (herself) through loss of coordination of upper extremities or through extreme weakness;

e)        Due to inability to attend to the wants of nature; or

f)        Due to incapacity, physical or mental, which requires care or assistance on a regular basis to protect the claimant from hazards or dangers incident to his or her daily environment.

Loss of Use: A Veteran may qualify as having lost use of a hand if he or she is no longer able to grasp and pick up small items with that hand or if he is not able to manipulate them. For example, they may not be able to pick up and write with a pen or may not be able to fasten buttons. In the same way, if the Veteran cannot bend the elbow, he or she may be considered to have lost the use of that arm.

Similarly, where a Veteran is not able to balance on a foot or use it to move forward, he or she may qualify for loss of use of that foot. In addition, where a Veteran is unable to bend the knee and, therefore, unable to properly use the leg, he or she may qualify for loss of use of that leg.

Natural elbow or knee action: In determining whether there is natural elbow or knee action with prosthesis in place, consideration will be based on whether use of the proper prosthetic appliance requires natural use of the joint, or whether necessary motion is otherwise controlled, so that the muscles affecting joint motion, if not already atrophied, will become so. If there is no movement in the joint, as in ankylosis or complete paralysis, use of prosthesis is not to be expected, and the determination will be as though there were one in place.

Bilateral eyes: With visual acuity 5/200 or less or the vision field reduced to 5 degree concentric contraction in both eyes, entitlement on account of need for regular aid and attendance will be determined on the facts in the individual case.