SMC-S provides a monthly payment above the 100 percent disability rate for veterans who meet specific criteria. There are two ways to qualify. The statutory pathway requires having a single service-connected disability rated at 100 percent (or TDIU based on a single disability) plus additional service-connected disabilities independently rated at 60 percent or more. The factual pathway applies when you are actually housebound, meaning your service-connected disabilities substantially confine you to your home or immediate premises. The statutory pathway is the more commonly used route and is often overlooked. Many veterans who are rated at 100 percent for one condition and have other rated conditions may qualify without realizing it. The key requirement is that the 100 percent rating must be for a single disability, not a combined rating of 100 percent from multiple conditions. TDIU counts as a 100 percent rating for SMC-S purposes, but only if the TDIU is based on a single disability. If you are receiving TDIU based on the combined effects of multiple disabilities, the statutory pathway for SMC-S may not apply. However, you might still qualify through the factual pathway if you are actually confined to your home. If you believe you meet either criteria for SMC-S and are not receiving it, file a claim. VA should automatically consider SMC-S when you have the qualifying ratings, but this step is sometimes missed.
Note: This article references sections of the VA's M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual. The VA periodically reorganizes the M21-1 and section numbers may have changed since this article was written. For the most current section references, visit the VA's public M21-1 Web Automated Reference Material System (WARMS).