What are Aid and Attendance Allowances with VA Compensation?

An aid and attendance allowance is paid to a veteran on claim with compensation of at least 30% or more due to the need of a spouse needing aid and attendance. A form of aid and attendance or housebound income is also available with Service Connected Compensation (SMC).

Aid & Attendance Allowances for Spouses of Veterans

1. Gradually increasing allowances for the spouse of a veteran where the spouse needs aid and attendance and the veteran is at least 30% disabled. A different benefit corresponds to each 10% rating increase from 30% up to 100%. See applicable rate table below.
2. An allowance for the spouse of a veteran where the spouse needs aid and attendance and the veteran is receiving Special Monthly Compensation (SMC). This is the same monthly benefit as under Disability Compensation above.

See applicable rate table below.

Aid and Attendance or Housebound SMC for Veterans who are Totally Disabled

1. An income under SMC Schedule L is available for a veteran who needs aid and attendance and is receiving Disability Compensation at 100% disability under a single disability rating. Generally, this cannot be a combined 100% rating, but under certain circumstances it can be if the same underlying condition contributes to the various disabilities in the combined rating. The condition rated 100% or the combined 100% due to contributing impairments from the same condition must be all or partly responsible for the need for aid and attendance. If this is not the case, SMC under Schedule L is not allowed. Also look at the applicable rate table below.
2. An income under SMC Schedule S for is available veterans 100% disabled with an additional single rating of 60% or more, or who are permanently confined to their residence and are considered housebound. This is an alternative benefit for veterans who do not meet criteria for aid and attendance but do meet criteria for being housebound. Generally, this requires a 100% disability under a single disability rating. However, court rulings have allowed the 100% rating under Individual Unemployability (IU) which requires a single rating of 60% or more to be paid at the 100% IU rate. The combined rating option of 70% for qualifying for IU is not applicable for qualifying for SMC Schedule S – only the 60% single disability option. The condition or conditions rated 100% or 100% IU must be all or partly responsible for the need for being housebound. If this is not the case, SMC under Schedule S is not allowed. See the applicable rate table below.
3. Two special increased aid and attendance allowances are available for severely disabled veterans receiving SMC under Schedule (R.1) and Schedule (R.2) under very specific conditions. These special ratings require daily intensive home care under certain conditions and there are only a few score thousand veterans who are receiving this special benefit which could be as much as $8919.54 a month for a veteran with dependents. See table below.
4. An income under SMC Schedule T due to residuals from traumatic brain injury (TBI) is available. The benefit is available for TBI injury that requires aid and attendance. We will discuss this option below. This benefit is paid at the applicable rate of SMC Schedule R.2.

Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) Rate Table for 2020
SMC Schedule	L	R.1	R.2 or T	S
Veteran SMC Alone	$3,864.90	$7,749.68	$8,889.08	$3,476.65
Veteran Alone Rated 100%	$3,106.04	$3,106.04	$3,106.04	$3,106.04
Difference between SMC and Rated 100%	$758.86	$4,643.64‬	$5,783.04	$370.61
Veteran & Spouse SMC	$4,038.08	$7,922.86	$9,062.26	$3649.83
Veteran & Spouse Veteran Rated 100%	$3,279.22	$3,279.22	$3,279.22	$3,279.22
Difference between V&S SMC and 100%	$758.86	$4,643.64‬	$5,783.04‬	$370.61‬
Aid and Attendance Allowance for Spouse	$158.82	$1158.82	$158.82	$158.82

Please refer to the table of contents in the top right column of this page for more topics on VA Disability Compensation.

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