Special monthly compensation / SMC-L 1/2
38 U.S.C. 1114(p) · effective December 1, 2025 · checked 2026-10-21
SMC-L 1/2 rate and criteria
SMC-L 1/2 pays $5,154.00 a month to a veteran with no dependents and $5,373.59 with a spouse, under VA's special monthly compensation table effective December 1, 2025. That is $61,848.00 a year for a veteran alone, and $1,215.42 a month (30.9%) more than the 100% schedular rate of $3,938.58. SMC-L 1/2 is an intermediate rate between L and M, paid under 38 U.S.C. 1114(p) when the disabilities go beyond what L requires but do not meet M.
- 1SMC-L 1/2, veteran alone $5,154.00
- 2100% schedular rate $3,938.58
Who qualifies for SMC-L 1/2
VA lists 15 situations for SMC-L 1/2; any one of them is enough. The list below follows VA's wording on its rate page, rewritten without "you".
- One foot and the other knee amputated
- One foot amputated and loss of use of the other knee
- One foot and one elbow amputated
- One foot amputated and loss of use of one elbow
- One knee and one hand amputated
- One knee amputated and loss of use of one hand
- Loss of use of one foot, with the other knee amputated
- Loss of use of one foot, with one elbow amputated
- Loss of use of one foot and one elbow
- Loss of use of one knee, with one hand amputated
- Loss of use of one knee and one hand
- Blindness in one eye and total blindness in the other eye with only the ability to perceive light
- Blindness in both eyes and loss of use of one foot (rated less than 50% disabling)
- Blindness in both eyes and total deafness in one ear
- A disability or situation listed for SMC-L, plus one or more additional permanent disabilities rated 50% or more disabling
Criteria: VA, Current special monthly compensation (SMC) rates, checked 2026-10-21. VA's regulation on SMC, 38 CFR 3.350, and the decision letter govern the details.
SMC-L 1/2 pay for every dependent row
| Dependent status | Monthly | Above alone | Above 100% row |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran alone (no dependents) | $5,154.00 | — | +$1,215.42 |
| With spouse (no parents or children) | $5,373.59 | +$219.59 | +$1,215.42 |
| With spouse and 1 parent (no children) | $5,549.83 | +$395.83 | +$1,215.42 |
| With spouse and 2 parents (no children) | $5,726.07 | +$572.07 | +$1,215.42 |
| With 1 parent (no spouse or children) | $5,330.24 | +$176.24 | +$1,215.42 |
| With 2 parents (no spouse or children) | $5,506.48 | +$352.48 | +$1,215.42 |
| With 1 child only (no spouse or parents) | $5,300.85 | +$146.85 | +$1,215.42 |
| With spouse and 1 child (no parents) | $5,534.41 | +$380.41 | +$1,215.42 |
| With spouse, 1 child and 1 parent | $5,710.65 | +$556.65 | +$1,215.42 |
| With spouse, 1 child and 2 parents | $5,886.89 | +$732.89 | +$1,215.42 |
| With 1 child and 1 parent (no spouse) | $5,477.09 | +$323.09 | +$1,215.42 |
| With 1 child and 2 parents (no spouse) | $5,653.33 | +$499.33 | +$1,215.42 |
Added amounts at SMC-L 1/2: $109.11 for each child under 18 beyond the first, $352.45 for each child aged 18 to 23 in a qualifying school program, and $201.41 when the spouse receives Aid and Attendance. These are the same added amounts as at 100%, and every dependent row sits the same distance above the SMC-L 1/2 "alone" figure as the matching 100% row sits above 100% alone, so the last column is one constant: $1,215.42. A veteran at SMC-L 1/2 with a spouse, two children under 18 and one child in college receives $5,995.97: $5,534.41 (smc-l 1/2 rate: with spouse and 1 child (no parents)) + $109.11 (additional child under 18) + $352.45 (child over 18 in a school program).
VA's worked example at SMC-L 1/2
VA's SMC page works one example: a veteran at smc-l with a spouse who receives aid and attendance, three children under 18 and one child over 18 in a qualifying school program, which comes to $6,053.32 a month at SMC-L. The same family at SMC-L 1/2 would receive $6,306.49, $253.17 more than at SMC-L: $5,534.41 (smc-l 1/2 rate: with spouse and 1 child (no parents)) + $109.11 (additional child under 18) + $109.11 (additional child under 18) + $352.45 (child over 18 in a school program) + $201.41 (spouse receiving aid and attendance) = $6,306.49.
Where SMC-L 1/2 sits among the SMC rates
SMC-L 1/2 is an intermediate rate. Under 38 U.S.C. 1114(p) an intermediate rate is the arithmetic mean of the two rates on either side, rounded down to the nearest dollar: SMC-L at $4,900.83 and SMC-M at $5,408.55 average $5,154.69, which rounds down to $5,154.00, the figure in VA's table. That is $253.17 above SMC-L and $254.55 below SMC-M for a veteran alone.
Among the 10 SMC rates with a table, SMC-L 1/2 ranks 8 from the top for a veteran alone. With two dependent parents and no spouse or children it pays $5,506.48.
How SMC is decided
VA considers SMC as part of a compensation claim; it is not a separate rating percentage, and the decision letter names the level. Pages on this site for the conditions behind many SMC awards: sciatic nerve paralysis, foot drop, traumatic brain injury and voiding dysfunction. The SMC table compares every level, the 100% page shows the schedular rate, and the calculator takes an SMC level and K awards. For survivors, see DIC rates.
Rates: VA, Current special monthly compensation (SMC) rates, effective December 1, 2025, checked 2026-10-21. Statute: 38 U.S.C. 1114 (Cornell LII).
Rating Ledger is not part of VA and does not file or decide claims. Amounts are VA's published special monthly compensation rates effective December 1, 2025, under 38 U.S.C. 1114 and 38 CFR 3.350; whether a level applies is decided by VA from the evidence. Last checked 2026-10-21. Only a VA decision sets a rating, an SMC level or a payment. See the methodology.