Two 100% disability ratings combined

[Island5OIF3]

Good evening,

I have been rated 100% for severe and chronic ptsd since 2007 along with 8 other ratings ranging from 10% to 60% and recently was diagnosed and service connected for Parkinson's disease from my TBI sustained in combat in 2005. The VA sent me paperwork and ratings for my Parkinson"s diagnosis and awarded me an additional 100% disability rating on top of my multiple other ratings as well as my 100% ptsd rating. I have been drawing additional SMC pay on top of my normal disability VA pay at the S or what is referred to the home bound rate ( around $300.00 ) extra a month. I was at a veterans session this past week and a former VA service officer was there explaining our pay and medical benefits and one of the questions asked by another vet was if anyone like himself had two separate 100% VA rated disabilities. I raised my hand and he asked the former VA rep why he wasn't getting paid smc on top of his 100% rating and that's when it got confusing for me with my TBI. Apparently to my understanding if a veteran had two separate 100% service connected VA disability ratings, their SMC pay should be much higher than the household amount in the $300.00 range. Can anyone verify  or confirm this. The former VA rep stated that the two combined 100% ratings should place additional SMC pay to around an additional 12 to 13 hundred extra dollars a month. Is this in any way accurate or Am I misunderstanding all this because of my TBI? Thank you in advance and thank you God for Spell correct.

[GeekySquid]

On 9/9/2019 at 6:46 PM, Island5OIF3 said:

The former VA rep stated that the two combined 100% ratings should place additional SMC pay to around an additional 12 to 13 hundred extra dollars a month.

in a word, NO.

There is nothing in the law that "automatically" entitles a veteran with 2 separate 100% ratings to 1,200 or 1,300 extra bucks a month.

Each vets claim is different and when SMC (of any type) is involved it becomes more convoluted.

On 9/9/2019 at 6:46 PM, Island5OIF3 said:

I have been drawing additional SMC pay on top of my normal disability VA pay at the S or what is referred to the home bound rate ( around $300.00 ) extra a month

SMC(s) has two types under the schedule

The first is Statutory, which simply means the value (%'s) of a particular vet add up to a value defined in statutes to qualify for SMC(s). This type vet is not physically housebound.

The second is being actually house bound. meaning that you cannot generally leave your home on a regular basis like going to work every day.

Nothing in the SMC (s) schedule contemplates a "boost" for having 2 100% SC ratings.

Other types of SMC (except k) contemplate "half-steps" that award different amounts of compensation.

So if that other vet had some of those things/conditions along with the 2 100% ratings AND the speaker knows that vet has them, then yes it might be true for that vet to have additional compensation that equals 1,200 or 1,300 a month more than normal.
 

Hope that helps clarify things

 

[GBArmy]

If this is any help, this is the current pay-out for SMC's

https://www.benefits.va.gov/COMPENSATION/resources_comp02.asp

[Richard1954]

If you can prove you need aid and attendance  then the 2nd 100% rating will be grounds for SMC at the M rate.

 Understand that Aid and attendance does not require a 100% rating, the only requirement is that you need daily help with some ( not all ) areas of daily living, In my case because of my TBI, knees back and lungs,  I need help bathing,  cleaning the house, cooking  as well as putting on my braces. I get  aid and Attendance at the L 1/2  rate,  which is  the normal rate for Aid and attendance and then one 1/2 step up  because I have a 60% rating, right now I do have a cue claim in because I think I should have the full step to M because I have a 100% rating.

The point I am trying to make is that under aid and attendance the rules allow for either  a additional 1/2 step ( 60% single rating )  or a full step to the next higher level ( 100% single rating). 

Based on your ratings, you may in fact be eligible for Aid and attendance, talk to your doctors explain to them what you are not able to do without help  and in all likely hood they will fill out the application for aid and attendance,  which is what you will need to get the  initial award.  Its an easy process and shouldn't require another c/P exam 

 

Best of luck 

Edited September 13, 2019 by Richard1954