Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) Cheat Sheet

1st Infantry soldiers distributing supplies to Vietnamese children in 1967

The eligibility criteria for SMC can appear pretty daunting when reading it straight from the regulations. It’s easy to think that unless you’ve had most of your limbs blown or chopped off, that you simply don’t qualify.

The VA really doesn’t go out of their way to make Veterans aware of SMC or explain it. Come to think of it, they really don’t go out of their way to award it to eligible Veterans either. Shocking, I know.

To help Veterans better understand the eligibility criteria and what the most common qualifying conditions are, I put together a “cheat sheet” of sorts which is below:

Veterans who are eligible for SMC typically have one or more of the following:

1. Multiple missing limbs (or portions of limbs) or loss of use of multiple extremities from conditions like Parkinson's or Diabetes II w/peripheral neuropathy, or;

2. In need of the regular aid and attendance of another for assistance with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, medication management, etc. because of a service-connected physical or mental condition (this includes if the Veteran needs the aid and attendance of another because they are a threat to themselves or others), or;

3. 5/200 visual acuity or less bilaterally, or;

4. Significant residuals from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that result in the Veteran needing assistance with activities of daily living, or;

5. Permanently bedridden, or;

6. Paraplegia

Other conditions that could be a good basis for SMC if they result in the Veteran needing assistance with activities of daily living or loss of use would be:

ALS, ischemic heart disease, interstitial lung disease, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, COPD with oxygen, any cancers, and severe PTSD or other similar major disorder.

This list is not exhaustive, just a list of the most common qualifying conditions. These conditions would obviously need to be related to the Veteran's military service and service-connected in order to qualify.

UH-1D preparing to drop a M274 Mechanical Mule -Operation Harrison in 1966