Claim processing times

On 2 December 2024, the Government provided its response to the Royal Commission’s Final Report, which was tabled on 9 September. The Report marks the culmination of the most comprehensive inquiry ever conducted into suicide and suicidality in the Defence and veteran communities.

The overwhelming majority of the Royal Commission’s recommendations were endorsed, with 104 agreed to or agreed to in-principle and 17 recommendations noted for further consideration.

DVA remains focussed on processing outstanding claims as quickly as possible and reducing the amount of time it takes for determinations to be made. 

Related:

Making a claim for a service-related condition Find out what you need to do when you submit a claim.

What to expect after you submit a compensation claim Get to know the steps we take to process and determine your claim.

Where things are at

The last of the unallocated claims backlogs (the permanent impairment backlog) was cleared at the end of February 2024, ahead of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide’s 31 March 2024 deadline. 

Of the 41,799 backlog of claims, identified in the Royal Commission's interim report, as at 30 November 2024 over 97.5 per cent have now been completed. 

The Government’s previous commitment to fund additional ongoing staff has allowed DVA to clear the backlog and now operate in a new business-as-usual (BAU) environment. This commitment has been extended in the 2024-25 Budget to maintain DVA’s capacity to finalise claims and reduce time taken to process.

DVA receives around 4,000 claims every two weeks, and in this BAU environment it aims to register, screen and allocate new claims to an officer for processing within two weeks of receipt.

DVA recognises that many veterans have been waiting too long for their claims to be processed. While clearing the backlog of unallocated claims is an important first step, DVA is focused on improving claims processing timeframes and outcomes for veterans and families.

As at 30 November 2024, DVA had 81,179 claims on hand, comprised of 6,148 unallocated claims and 75,031 claims being processed.

In the financial year to date (FYTD) (1 July 2024 to 30 November 2024):

• DVA received 42,774 claims
• DVA made 42,272 determinations
• the average time taken to process MRCA Initial Liability (IL) claims was 300 days, a decrease of 97 days (or 24.4%), compared to the previous FYTD.

By comparison, for MRCA IL claims received from 1 December 2023 and determined by 30 November 2024, the average time taken to process was 97 days, a decrease of 203 days (or 67.7%), compared to all MRCA IL claims determined this FYTD.

Download data

• the number of claims DVA received over recent years
• the number of conditions that are being claimed
• the volume of compensation claims on hand
• other related claims processing data.

Other relevant information can be found at: 

• DVA Annual Reports 2012-13 to 2023-24
• DVA Annual Report 2023-24 - Appendix A: Veterans and claims statistics
• statistics about the veteran population.

Improving claim processing times

The Royal Commission’s interim report, delivered on 11 August 2022, recommended urgent action to eliminate the claims backlog and make improvements to the claims administration system as well as regular progress reports on implementing these improvements:

• Recommendation 3: Quarterly Progress Reports
• update on all of the recommendations as at 30 June 2023 is also available.

Now that the claims backlog has been cleared, DVA is focusing on determining claims on hand and reducing our time taken to process.

To improve processing times and the experiences of veterans and families we are:

• recruiting and training more staff
• improving our forms and processes
• making it easier to submit and track claims online using MyService
• checking when we receive a claim for signs a veteran may be at risk so we can offer extra support or prioritise their claim
• checking lodged claims for missing information prior to the claim being allocated to an officer
• keeping veterans informed about how their claims are progressing and what they can expect
• following up on any information that we still need
• simplifying and harmonising three pieces of legislation into a single Act. More information is available here.

Claims on hand 

While clearing the backlog of unallocated claims was an important first step, the claims process is not static. New claims continue to be lodged at a rate of around 4,000 claims every two weeks.

Despite record numbers of claims continuing to be lodged by the veteran community, the number and proportion of claims being actively processed continues to rise and the number, proportion and age of unallocated claims continues to decrease.

In June 2022 there were 65,231 claims on hand. 33 per cent of claims were with an officer for processing and 67 per cent were yet to be allocated.

At the end of November 2024, there were 81,179 claims on hand. Over 92 per cent of claims were with an officer for processing and under 8 per cent were yet to be allocated.

Table 1: Claims on Hand - Proportion of claims by age from 1 June 2022 to 30 November 2024 MRCA IL

Table 2: Claims on Hand - Proportion of claims by age from 1 June 2022 to 30 November 2024 MRCA PI

Table 3: Proportion of Claims by Age 1 June 2022 to 30 November 2024 (MRCA IL & MRCA PI)

In June 2022 the average days a MRCA IL claims remained on hand was 324.5 days. By comparison average days on hand for MRCA PI claims was 158.9.

At the end of November 2024, the average days on hand for MRCA IL claims had reduced to 204.5 days and for MRCA PI claims, to 160.2. 

Days on hand peaked in December 2022 for both MRCA IL (341.6 days) and MRCA PI (172.7 days). Since this time, average days on hand has decreased by over 40 per cent for MRCA IL claims and 7 per cent for MRCA PI.
 

Why processing times vary?

DVA’s reporting on processing times is an average, is in calendar days, and includes the total time taken to process a claim from the date the claim is lodged. This includes time to gather additional information from medical providers or the Department of Defence – for example, it can take around 72 days, on average, for medical reports to be submitted.

Some claims need to be prioritised based on the circumstances of the veteran or client.

Some claims may take longer to process as they:

• have incomplete information, such as medical reports
• include multiple conditions
• relate to more than one Act
• need significant investigation into the condition itself or what caused it.

Claims are also becoming more complex. The number of conditions in a claim has increased to an average of 4.6 in November 2024 from 2.6 in May 2022. Each condition requires a separate decision, therefore more time is spent assessing each claim.

These factors result in some claims being decided faster than the average, while some claims take longer.

Table 1: Claims processing times 

(FYTD 1 July 2024 to 30 November 2024)

DVA recognises that many veterans have been waiting too long for their claims to be processed.

Type of claim MRCA Initial Liability DRCA Initial Liability VEA Disability Compensation Payment MRCA Permanent Impairment DRCA Permanent Impairment MRCA and DRCA Incapacity Payments War widow(er)’s pension

Table 2: Claims processing times for Initial Liability claims received from 1 December 2023 (following clearing of the IL unallocated claims backlog) and determined by 30 November 2024

DVA is focused on improving claims processing timeframes and aims to allocate new claims within two weeks of receipt.

For new IL claims received from 1 December 2023 and determined, there have already been some significant improvements in allocation and processing timeframes.

How to be claim ready?

The single most effective step to speed things up is to provide all the information we might need when a claim is lodged or as soon as possible afterwards.

You can assist DVA to process your claim in the shortest time possible, by providing us with the following information when you lodge your claim:

• A fully complete claim form
• Proof of Identity (POI)
• A medical diagnosis from a qualified medical practitioner
• Any further supporting documentation you hold that is relevant to the particular diagnosis, such as:
  • clinical notes
  • specialists reports
  • scans, MRIs or X-ray reports
  • witness statement(s)
  • a Hazardous Material Exposure Report

 Contact us or an advocate if you’re not sure what documents you need to support your claim.

To assist veterans and their medical practitioners, DVA has reduce the complexity of the medical forms used to assess compensation under the MRCA, VEA and DRCA.  Work on the medical forms has resulted in a reduction of 210 medical forms to 84.  This has also realised a reduction of 658 pages to 183.  DVA has uploaded all medical forms into DVA systems and onto the Provider Page.

Find out more about:

• our commitment to the veteran community
• making a claim for a service-related condition 
• eligibility for benefits and payments   
• pension for orphans and war widow(er)s.

Why acceptance rates can vary?

DVA recognises that putting in a claim can be complex.

Acceptance rates can vary based on the type of claim (IL, PI and Incapacity), complexity, and the program under which an application is made.

In some cases, claimants may claim for the same condition under multiple Acts. By law compensation cannot be granted twice for the same condition. If a claim is accepted under MRCA, in general it may be rejected under DRCA or VEA. This is a key factor in the lower acceptance rates for DRCA IL and VEA, with a large number of claims that have been rejected under DRCA or VEA being accepted under MRCA.

Why the number of claims has increased

We are completing more claims each year, but the number of claims we are receiving continues to rise. Some of the reasons for this are that we have:

• made it easier to claim online using MyService
• connected with veterans who were previously unaware of our services, such as through the Veterans’ Recognition Program, mobile service centres and social media
• expanded some services to include veterans and serving members with at least one day of continuous full-time service.
• serving members who are more aware that it’s important to claim for injuries when they happen and to claim all conditions before they transition out of Defence.

DVA Outreach

DVA is seeing a steady increase in the number of claims submitted, as we continue to:

• connect with veterans who were previously unaware of our services, through channels such as the Veterans’ Recognition Program, mobile service centres and social media
• expand some services to include veterans and serving members with at least one day of continuous full-time service
• connect with serving members to raise awareness of the importance of claiming for injuries when they happen and to claim all conditions before they transition out of Defence.

Key terms explained

Here are some definitions to help you understand the claims data in the tables.

Acceptance Rate

Acceptance rates for MRCA and DRCA Initial Liability and VEA Compensation Payment (and combined) are provided at the condition level as each claim may contain both accepted and rejected conditions. 

Acceptance rates for all other claim types are provided at the claim level.

Allocated claim

Claims allocated to an officer for investigation and determination.

Average

Also called the mean, average refers to the sum of processing days for all claims decided, divided by the total number of claims decided. It is provided for a specific period, such as a month or the financial year to date.

Backlog

The backlog has been previously defined as the number of claims lodged that are not currently being processed, i.e. have not been allocated to a DVA officer.

Business as usual (BAU) levels of unallocated claims

BAU levels of unallocated claims for each major claim type (Initial Liability, Permanent Impairment, and Incapacity) is calculated on claims received in the previous two-week period.  In a BAU environment, DVA aims to allocate claims to an officer for processing within 2 weeks of receipt.

Claim

A claim is a veteran’s request that we accept liability or pay compensation for an injury or disease that was caused or made worse by their service. A claim can include multiple conditions. Veterans can lodge any number or type of claim.

Condition

A condition is any injury or disease that a veteran has claimed was caused or made worse by their service. This claim could be under any of the 3 Acts.

FYTD

Financial Year To Date – period of time from 1 July in the current year to the reporting date.

The three Acts

Veterans’ service is covered by three Acts, known as the MRCA, VEA and DRCA. Which Act you are covered by will depend on the service that relates to your injury or disease. As a general rule, if your condition relates to service:

• after 1 July 2004, then the MRCA will apply
• before 1 July 2004, then either the VEA, the DRCA or both will apply
• that spans 1 July 2004, then one or more of the VEA, DRCA and MRCA will apply.

For information on the three different Acts, go to the:

• MRCA – Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004
• DRCA – Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988
• VEA – Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986.

Time taken to process

This is the length of time taken, in calendar days, for a decision to be made on a claim from the time we receive it.

Types of claim

Find out about the different types of claim.

Initial liability / liability

Under the MRCA and the DRCA, an initial liability claim can be made for a service-related injury, disease or death. One claim can include multiple conditions. Once we receive a complete claim, we will consider the evidence provided. We will use that evidence to decide whether or not to accept that the condition is service related.

Permanent impairment and incapacity

Once we have accepted that a condition is service related, we work out compensation payments based on the effects of that condition. Types of compensation that might be payable include incapacity compensation, permanent impairment under MRCA and permanent impairment under DRCA.

Permanent impairment compensation is a payment for functional loss caused by a service-related condition.

Incapacity compensation is a payment for reduced capacity for service or work caused by a service-related condition.

Disability Compensation Payment

This compensation can be claimed under the VEA. It is a fortnightly payment for the effects of injuries and diseases related to service. The Disability Compensation Payment was formerly called the disability pension.

War widow(er)’s pension

This is a fortnightly payment. It is made to the partner of a veteran where the veteran’s death was related to service or other eligibility criteria were met before the veteran died.

Unallocated Claims

Claims received but not yet allocated to an officer for investigation.

Unallocated claims were previously defined as 'backlog', meaning a claim joined the backlog from the day it was lodged.

It is acknowledged that there will never be zero unallocated claims, and DVA estimates 'business as usual' (BAU) levels of unallocated claims based on historical volumes of claims received over a two-week period.  In a BAU environment, DVA aims to allocate greater than or equal to 95 per cent of claims to an officer for processing within two weeks of receipt.

Workforce (FTE)

In the October 2022-23 Budget, DVA secured ongoing funding for 500 additional staff to support claims processing. These staff have been recruited and are now supporting claims processing.

Staff working directly on claims processing include claims support officers (CSOs) who perform an ‘investigation preparedness’ function, team leaders who manage workflow and delegates who consider all available evidence and determine claims.

In June 2022, there were 544.3 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff supporting claims processing. As at the end of November 2024, 1,039.8 FTE were working on claims processing activities. This is 495.5 (91.0%) FTE higher than June 2022.

Comparison of changes in claims processing staffing   
FTE by employment type methods

Table 1: Claims processing workforce FTE (June 2022 to November 2024)