SMC(s) effective date

allansc2005 · January 19

Veteran was just notified by his VSO that along with his 100% award, he was also awarded SMC-L.(He doesn't have his award letter yet).

Are SMC(s) paid the month following the award, and is there "backpay" for SMC(s)?

For whatever reason, the VSO didn't seem to know the answers to these questions

Allan 2-2-0 HOOAH!

broncovet · January 19

The decision, when it arrives, should include the "effective date" of SMC S.

As with all other benefits, the payment begins "on the first day of the month" following the effective date.

I will explain. Lets say you were awarded SMC S, effective date of January 19, 2021 ( year ago).

The VA does not pro rate payments..the pay begins on the 1st of the month following, Feb. 1, 2021. However, disability compensation is paid "in arrears" not like rent, which is paid in advance. This means the first payment date would be March 1, 2021. (which is payment for the full month of February, 2021).

This veteran is gonna need to wait for the decision, ebenefits/va.gov are notoriously unreliable, especially on effective dates. One reason: ebenefits often shows "the date of the last cola" (Dec.1), not the effective date.

As always, this Veteran will need to wait for the envelope, especially since my guess this vso, either "does not have access" to vbms, or, he is unfamiliar with how to use it. For that reason, that particular VSO's opinions on the effective date(s), are unlikely to be reliable.

Even when you do know the effective date, calculating the retro is not always an easy task. This retro calculator, may help, tho:

https://cck-law.com/va-disability-retro-calculator/