The Center for Women Veterans of the Department of Veterans Affairs would like to remind female veterans who are suffering from serious disabilities to check their eligibility to receive special monthly compensation (SMC).

SMC is a benefit that is provided by Veterans Affairs, in the form of additional compensation, to service members who are suffering from serious disabilities. These disabilities include the loss, or the loss of use, of specific organs or extremities, as a result of military service.

The VA listed inclusions for this benefit as follows:
- loss, or loss of use, of a hand or foot
- immobility of a joint or paralysis
- loss of sight of an eye (having only light perception)
- loss, or loss of use, of a reproductive organ
- complete loss, or loss of use, of both buttocks
- deafness of both ears (having absence of air and bone conduction)
- inability to communicate by speech (complete organic aphonia)
- loss of a percentage of tissue from a single breast, or both breasts, from mastectomy or radiation treatment

The last benefit includes the loss of 25 percent or more breast tissue from a single breast, or from both breasts in combination. This includes loss by mastectomy or partial mastectomy following radiation treatment. In addition, a veteran who loses, or loses use of, a reproductive organ, is also eligible for special monthly compensation.

The Center for Women Veterans reminds women veterans who suffered service-connected loss of breast tissue, and who are not receiving special monthly compensation, to get in touch with Veterans Affairs at 1-800-827-1000 to verify their eligibility.