Special Compensation for Assistance with Activities of Daily Living (SCAADL) was authorized by the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 111-84). This special monthly compensation is for eligible catastrophically injured or ill Service members who require assistance with activities of daily living or who are at a high risk for personal safety and cannot live independently in the community without caregiver support. SCAADL provides financial assistance for the non-medical care, support and assistance by a primary caregiver for the Service member. Catastrophically wounded, ill and injured Service members and their caregivers may reach out to their primary care managers or care coordinators to discuss eligibility for this program.

An eligible Service member must:

• Have a catastrophic injury or illness incurred in the line of duty which compromises their ability to carry out activities of daily living such that he/she requires personal or mechanical assistance to leave the home or bed and/or requires constant supervision to avoid physical harm to self or others;
• Be certified by a licensed physician to be in need of assistance from another person to perform the personal functions of everyday living; and
• Would, in the absence of this provision, require some form of residential institutional care.

The amount of compensation paid to catastrophically wounded, ill or injured Service members is based on the member’s level of dependency, caregiver assistance required, and the local wage rate for a home health aide in the member’s geographical location. The Department of Defense uses the same assessment tool and Bureau of Labor Statistics wage rates for home health aides that the Department of Veterans Affairs uses for their caregiver program to ensure consistency as required by the FY2011 National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 111-383).