The Playbook › Step 7 of 7: Raise and protect your rating
Special Monthly Compensation, or SMC, is extra tax-free pay for veterans whose service-connected disabilities are especially severe: the loss or loss of use of a limb or organ, being housebound, or needing another person’s help with daily life. It can add a small amount to any rating, or replace the 100% rate with a much higher one.
Special monthly compensation is frequently missed, because VA does not always award it unless the evidence makes the need obvious.
The short version
- SMC-K is an add-on, $139.87 a month in 2026, paid on top of your regular compensation.
- SMC-S (housebound) and SMC-L through R replace the 100% rate with higher amounts.
- VA is supposed to consider special monthly compensation automatically whenever the evidence shows you qualify.
- If it was missed, you can ask for it. There is no separate form for most levels.
- “Loss of use” does not require amputation.
On this page
2026 special monthly compensation rates, veteran with no dependents
| Level | Monthly rate | Typical basis |
|---|---|---|
| SMC-K | $139.87, added to other pay | Loss or loss of use of one hand, one foot, a creative organ, both buttocks; blindness in one eye; deafness in both ears; loss of speech; breast tissue loss |
| SMC-S | $4,408.53 | Housebound |
| SMC-L | $4,900.83 | Need for aid and attendance; loss of use of both feet, or one hand and one foot; blindness in both eyes; permanently bedridden |
| SMC-M | $5,408.55 | Loss of use of both hands, or more severe combinations |
| SMC-N | $6,152.64 | Loss of use of both arms, or more severe combinations |
| SMC-O/P | $6,877.12 | The most severe combinations of losses |
| SMC-R.1 | $9,826.88 | Entitled to a high SMC level and needs regular aid and attendance |
| SMC-R.2 or T | $11,271.67 | Needs a higher level of daily skilled care; T is for severe traumatic brain injury |
Half-step levels exist between L, M, N, and O. Dependents add to each amount. The calculator includes every level.
SMC-K: the one most often missed
SMC-K is paid in addition to your basic compensation at any rating, even 0%. Common situations:
- Erectile dysfunction that is service connected, often secondary to medication, diabetes, or a mental health condition. The underlying rating is frequently 0%, but SMC-K is still payable for loss of use of a creative organ. See the erectile dysfunction guide.
- Loss of use of a hand or foot, meaning it functions no better than an amputation stump with a prosthesis would. Foot drop from nerve damage is an example.
- Hysterectomy or removal of ovaries.
- Mastectomy or significant breast tissue loss.
- Blindness in one eye with only light perception.
You can receive more than one K award, up to three, for separate qualifying losses.
SMC-S: housebound
There are two ways to qualify.
The statutory route. You have a single service-connected disability rated at 100%, plus additional service-connected disabilities that independently combine to 60% or more and affect a different body system. No proof of being confined to the home is needed. This is a matter of arithmetic, and VA sometimes fails to apply it.
The factual route. You have a single 100% disability and are substantially confined to your home or its immediate premises because of your service-connected disabilities.
A grant of TDIU based on a single disability can count as the “single 100% disability” for this purpose. That point is worth raising with a representative if you have TDIU plus other ratings combining to 60%.
SMC-L and aid and attendance
You may qualify if, because of service-connected disabilities, you need regular help from another person to:
- Dress, bathe, or keep yourself clean
- Feed yourself
- Use the toilet
- Adjust a prosthetic or orthopedic appliance
- Stay safe from hazards in your daily environment, for example because of cognitive impairment
You do not need help with all of these, and the help does not have to be constant. The helper can be a family member.
Many of the same disabilities, such as loss of use of the legs or hands, also qualify for housing grants and the automobile allowance.
How to claim special monthly compensation
VA is required to consider special monthly compensation whenever the evidence raises it, without a specific request. In practice, ask.
- For SMC-K and SMC-S on the statutory route, write to VA through a claim or a statement pointing out the basis. For example: “I am service connected for erectile dysfunction and request SMC-K for loss of use of a creative organ.”
- For aid and attendance or housebound status, submit VA Form 21-2680, which your doctor completes after examining you.
- File it with VA Form 21-526EZ on VA.gov, or as part of a claim for increase.
Evidence that helps
- A doctor’s description of what you can and cannot do without help
- Statements from the person who assists you, describing a typical day
- Medical records showing loss of function, not only diagnosis
Effective dates and back pay
Because VA should have considered special monthly compensation whenever the evidence supported it, a missed award can sometimes go back to the date you first met the criteria within an existing claim. If you think SMC-K or SMC-S should have been granted years ago, have an accredited representative look at your decisions. See who can help.
SMC and Permanent and Total status
Special monthly compensation is about the level of pay. Whether your rating is permanent is a separate question that affects benefits for your dependents. See Permanent and Total.
Free printable checklist. Everything to gather before you file, what to bring to your C&P exam, and what to check in your decision, on two pages.
Last reviewed October 2026. This guide is general educational information, not legal or medical advice, and this site is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Rules and rates change. Confirm details on VA.gov or with an accredited representative. See our disclaimer and editorial policy.