SMC-M: Both hands, legs or an arm and a leg preventing natural knee or elbow action, or qualifying bilateral blindness

What this level is

SMC-M is the basic rate in 38 U.S.C. § 1114(m) and 38 CFR § 3.350(c). Both hands is one of the conditions. Aid and attendance is not an extra requirement for that condition. Aid and attendance by itself can be an SMC-L basis. The additional aid-and-attendance allowance at the top rates is SMC-R.

How it is paid

SMC-M is a basic rate. It is paid instead of the schedular 10 to 100 percent table. It is not added on top of a 100% schedular rate.

Criteria

• Anatomical loss or loss of use of both hands.
• Under § 1114(m), as amended by Public Law 111-275: both legs with factors preventing natural knee action with prostheses in place; or one arm and one leg with factors preventing natural elbow and knee action with prostheses in place.
• Section 3.350(c) still phrases those same leg and arm-and-leg conditions as anatomical loss or loss of use at a level, or with complications, preventing natural knee action or natural elbow and knee action with a prosthesis in place.
• Blindness in both eyes having only light perception.
• Blindness in both eyes leaving the veteran so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance. Section 3.350(c)(3) says that with visual acuity of 5/200 or less, or the visual field reduced to a 5-degree concentric contraction in both eyes, entitlement on account of need for regular aid and attendance is determined on the facts of the individual case.
• VA.gov’s “How we assign SMC levels” list for SMC-M also includes some paired losses that § 3.350(f) pays at the (m) rate under the intermediate-rate rules. Those combinations are on the SMC-P page.