SMC-K: The VA Payment Many Veterans Never Claim

VA pays SMC-K when a service-connected condition causes one of these:

• Loss, or loss of use, of one hand or one foot
• Loss or loss of use of a creative organ, such as the effects of some prostate, testicular or other treatments
• Blindness in one eye (light perception only)
• Deafness in both ears
• Complete loss of the ability to speak (aphonia)
• For women Veterans, loss of 25% or more of breast tissue, including after surgery or radiation
• Severe damage to the muscles of both buttocks that keeps you from standing up without help

VA is supposed to consider SMC-K whenever the record shows a qualifying loss, but it often doesn't. A common example is a condition that affects sexual function as a side effect of treatment or medication for a service-connected condition. If your decision letter never mentions SMC, it is worth checking.

You can receive SMC-K for each separate qualifying loss. Combined with your regular rating, the total is capped at a higher SMC level set by law, so the math gets technical quickly.

If VA hasn't decided SMC-K, you can claim it. If VA denied it within the last year, you can ask for a Higher-Level Review or file a Supplemental Claim with new evidence, such as a doctor's statement describing the loss.

A ClaimScope review checks your records for losses that qualify for SMC-K and estimates what it would add each month. General information, not legal advice. Rates change every December; check VA's current rates.