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Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)
SMC is extra pay for losses the normal rating schedule does not cover well: loss of use of a hand or foot, being housebound, or needing another person's help every day. It is the one thing still worth filing for at 100%.
At a glance
| Who | Veterans with service-connected disabilities that meet one of the SMC definitions in 38 CFR 3.350 |
| Rating needed | SMC-K: any rating, 0% to 100%, as an add-on. SMC-S: a single 100% rating plus more. Aid & Attendance levels: based on need, not percentage |
| Forms | Claimed on the 21-526EZ (or increase). For housebound or aid & attendance, a doctor completes VA Form 21-2680; nursing home residents also use 21-0779 |
| Official page | va.gov SMC rates |
The levels most veterans actually see
| Level | Trigger (plain words) | Monthly, veteran alone, Dec 1, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| SMC-K | Loss, or loss of use, of a hand, a foot, a creative organ (including erectile dysfunction), one eye, both ears (deafness), speech, or breast tissue. Added on top of your regular pay. You can have up to three K awards. | +$139.87 each |
| SMC-S (housebound) | One condition rated 100% by itself plus other conditions that add up to 60% on their own in different body systems; or you are permanently housebound because of service-connected conditions. | $4,408.53 (instead of $3,938.58) |
| SMC-L (aid & attendance) | You need regular help from another person to dress, eat, bathe, use the bathroom, or stay safe; or you are bedridden; or loss of use of both feet, or one hand and one foot; or blindness 5/200. | $4,900.83 |
| SMC-M through O | Combinations of greater losses (both hands, both legs above the knee, deaf and blind, and so on). | $5,408.55 to $6,877.12 |
| SMC-R1 / R2 | At the O/P level and also needing aid & attendance (R1) or a higher level of in-home care from a professional (R2). | $9,826.88 / $11,271.67 |
| SMC-T | Traumatic brain injury needing aid & attendance that would otherwise require institutional care. | $11,271.67 |
Rates with a spouse are higher. See the official page for every row. Rates change December 1.
Traps
- "Housebound" has two doors. Most SMC-S awards come from the numbers door: a single 100% plus a separate 60%. You do not have to be stuck at home. Many veterans at 100% qualify and never ask.
- SMC-K for erectile dysfunction is common as a secondary to diabetes, prostate treatment, or medication side effects. It is paid at 0% for the condition plus the K add-on.
- A&A needs the 21-2680 filled out by a physician. Bring a plain list of what you cannot do without help.
- The regulation says exactly "60 percent" for the S add-on, and the extra conditions must be independently ratable at 60 (combined among themselves), separate from the 100% one.
Sources
- VA SMC rates, effective Dec 1, 2025 (page updated Dec 3, 2025)
- 38 CFR 3.350 SMC ratings
- 38 CFR 3.352 aid and attendance criteria
- VA Form 21-2680 (form revised June 2026)
- VA Form 21-0779
All links checked and content verified on Oct 16, 2026. Rules change; confirm on the official page before you act.