The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA) provides special monthly compensation (SMC) benefits for veterans who suffer from some specific disabilities. One of these special compensation types, SMC(T), is for veterans who have severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
SMC(T) benefit amounts change annually. For 2025, the compensation for a single veteran qualifying for SMC(T) is $10,964.66. This amount can be as high as $11,521.15 for a qualifying veteran with a spouse and two dependent parents.
If you need help pursuing SMC(T) with the VA, please call Stone Rose Law at (480) 498-8998 or use our contact form to get in touch with a VA disability lawyer.
Compensation for SMC(T) is the same as for SMC(R2).
The table below is adapted from the one on the VA website.
| Dependent status | SMC-R.2/T Payment (in U.S. $) |
| Veteran with 1 child(no spouse or parents) | 11,107.51 |
| With 1 child and spouse(no parents) | 11,334.71 |
| With 1 child, spouse, and 1 parent | 11,506.15 |
| With 1 child, spouse, and 2 parents | 11,677.59 |
| With 1 child and 1 parent(no spouse) | 11,278.95 |
| With 1 child and 2 parents(no spouse) | 11,450.39 |
| Added amounts | ||
| Dependent status | SMC-R.2/T (in U.S. $) | SMC-S (in U.S. $) |
| Each additional child under age 18 | 106.14 | 106.14 |
| Each additional child over age 18 in a qualifying school program | 342.85 | 342.85 |
| Spouse receiving Aid and Attendance | 195.92 | 195.92 |
In this post, we cover how a veteran with a traumatic brain injury can qualify for SMC(T) compensation.
Traumatic brain injury is a recognized VA disability.
If you have a service-connected TBI disability, you can receive a disability rating of 0, 10, 40, 70, or 100 percent. A 100% disability rating for TBI pays $3,831.30 monthly for a single veteran.
TBI is a common disability suffered by veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Congress added SMC(T) for veterans whose TBI residuals are severely incapacitating.
SMC(T) compensation is paid as an alternative to a disability rating-based TBI disability, not in addition to it.
Qualifying for SMC(T) compensation requires you to establish the following with the VA:
The VA defines aid and assistance as helplessness, or being so nearly helpless as to require regular aid and attendance by another person. For example, if you cannot dress, feed, or go to the bathroom by yourself, or perform other daily living activities.
The person who provides aid and assistance does not need to be a professional caregiver or medical professional. Spouses of disabled veterans can be aid and assistance providers.
TBI residuals are symptoms associated with a traumatic brain injury. For a severe TBI, the residuals you may experience include:
Special Monthly Compensation category R2 is for veterans who require a higher level of aid and attendance because of service-connected disabilities. Generally, this requires aid and attendance provided by a licensed healthcare professional or under the direction of a licensed healthcare professional after entitlement to SMC-R is demonstrated.
The VA is required to infer the issue of entitlement to special monthly compensation – including SMC-T – when the evidence reasonably raises the issue of entitlement. However, if the VA has failed to infer or adjudicate this ancillary benefit, you can request it on VA form 21-2680.
Sometimes the VA can make a mistake when considering you for SMC(T) compensation. For example, this can happen if it is not clear that the severity of your TBI residuals is sufficient to qualify you.
Another situation in which you may want to seek the help of a veterans disability lawyer is if you were denied SMC(T) compensation before September of 2024. That month, a court decision made it easier to qualify based on the TBI-related aid and attendance services you need.
If you believe you are qualified to receive SMC(T) compensation but are not receiving it, please call Stone Rose Law to see if the VA has erroneously denied you this entitlement you deserve.
The consequences for not receiving SMC(T) compensation if you are eligible are substantial: for example, for a single veteran, SMC(T) monthly compensation is nearly three times what that individual would receive for a 100% total disability rating.
Stone Rose Law helps military service veterans with SMC(T) compensation claims, appeals of denied claims, as well as many other kinds of VA disability benefits.
If you need help making an SMC(T) claim based on mistakes the VA may have made, call us at (480) 498-8998 or use our contact form to schedule a free case evaluation with one of our experienced veterans disability attorneys.
