DoD launches pay calculator for wounded troops - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

DoD launches pay calculator for wounded troops

The Defense Department has launched a new website for wounded service members and families to calculate their Special Compensation for Assistance with Activities of Daily Living, or SCAADL, pay.

Similar to the Pentagon’s Basic Allowance for Housing calculator, the site allows troops to input their ZIP code and level of care they receive to retrieve a monthly payment amount.

SCAADL is special pay for wounded ill and injured soldiers who need help from a caregiver for non-medical support, such as driving to medical appointments and running errands or full-time assistance with personal hygiene, meal preparation and more.

The pay is not automatic; troops or their family members must apply. The aim of SCAADL is to offset the loss of income a primary caregiver may experience if he or she can’t work as a result of the demands of caring for a sick or injured service member.

SCAADL is based on geographic location and the needs of the service member. It requires recertification every 180 days, after a change in medical condition or after a move.

It is paid to the service member, not the caregiver.