Veterans’ Disability Benefits For Catastrophic Injuries: Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)

If you received a certain type of permanent disability while actively serving in the military, you may be eligible for a special monthly payment in addition to your regular veterans’ disability compensation. This payment, called Special Monthly Compensation (SMC), is usually for veterans who have either had an extremity amputated or who have completely lost function of an extremity or organ.

These injuries and disabilities are considered more severe than those rated on the 0 to 100 percent scale, which was defined by Federal Regulations under the Schedule for Rating Disabilities that usually helps the Department of Veterans’ Affairs determine disability payments and job limitations.

Here are some examples of injuries, amputations, and disabilities that may fall under the SMC category:

• The anatomical loss of a hand, foot, arm, or leg
• The complete loss of use of a hand, foot, arm or leg
• The loss or loss of use of both buttocks
• The loss or loss of use of a reproductive organ (such as testicles or ovaries)
• The loss of a breast during trauma
• The loss or loss of use of one or both eyes
• The loss of hearing in both ears
• The loss of your voice
• An injury that renders you bedridden
• An injury that results in the need for daily care and assistance
• Paraplegia – paralysis of the legs paired with incontinence
• Helplessness as a result of a combination of anatomical losses and other damage, such as the loss of a limb combined with deafness or blindness)

In addition to providing these veterans with supplementary funds, some veterans receiving Special Monthly Compensation will also qualify for other extra benefits, including the Specially Adapted Housing Grant (which helps make your home handicap accessible) and the Automobile and Adaptive Equipment Grants (which helps make your car handicap accessible or drivable).

Do you believe that you or your loved one may qualify for Special Monthly Compensation, or are you having difficulty securing the veterans’ disability benefits that you know you deserve? At Morgan & Weisbrod, we are committed to helping veterans and their families get the support they need and get access to the programs that they qualify for. To learn more about your case, and about your opportunities for help, contact our Texas veterans’ disability attorneys today to schedule a free, private meeting. Call our toll-free number at 800-800-6353or fill out the electronic contact form on this page to learn more.

by Paul B. Burkhalter
Managing Partner of Morgan & Weisbrod, Board Certified in Social Security Disability Law.

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