Veteran Payment

You may receive an interim payment while you wait for us to assess your claim for a mental health condition under the DRCA of the MRCA.

What is Veteran Payment

Veteran Payment is an interim payment that you may receive while we assess your claim for a mental health condition under either:

• the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (DRCA).
• the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA).

Eligibility

You may receive Veteran Payment if you meet all of the following:

• have lodged a claim for a mental health condition under either the DRCA or the MRCA
• can't work more than 8 hours a week
• are below Social Security Age Pension age on the day that you lodged the claim for the mental health condition
• meet the residency requirements
• are in Australia when you lodged the claim for the mental health condition
• are below the income and assets test thresholds.

You must participate in a rehabilitation program if you are able to. Your rehabilitation coordinator will arrange this for you.

Current partners

You may be eligible to receive Veteran Payment as a partner if you meet the following criteria:

• You meet the residency requirements
• You are a current partner of a veteran receiving Veteran Payment. 

Go to Your relationship status for information on what is considered a partner.

Other government payments

You can receive Veteran Payment and the Family Tax Benefit at the same time.

You cannot receive Veteran Payment and any of the following payments at the same time:

• JobSeeker payment
• payments under the ABSTUDY Scheme
• Incapacity Payments
• Disability Support Pension
• Service Pension
• War Widow(er)'s Pension.

If you choose to receive Veteran Payment instead of your existing income support payment, you will not receive a Pensioner Concession Card.

You may be eligible for the Low Income Health Care Card. You will need to apply through Services Australia for this.

How much you can receive

How much you receive will depend on both:

• your income and assets
• your relationship status.

The level of income and assets does not include your principal place of residence that you own. Your relationship status affects whether you receive the singles rate or couples rate of Veteran Payment.

You can find the current rates in our summary of pension rates, limits and allowances page.

In March and September each year, the payment rate may increase. Rate increases are to keep up with the cost of living and average wages.

Veteran Payment is a taxable payment and is assessable income for income tax purposes.

If you are permanently blind, you can receive the maximum rate of Veteran Payment, regardless of your income and assets.

Other benefits

If your Veteran Payment has been granted, you may also be eligible for other benefits, including:

• Pension Supplement
• Rent Assistance
• Remote Area Allowance.

If you receive the Veteran Payment, you cannot get the Pensioner Concession Card or the Energy Supplement.

When the payment stops

Veteran Payment will stop 42 days after we determine your claim for a mental health condition.

• If your claim for a mental health condition is approved, we will move you to an appropriate benefit or payment
• If your claim for a mental health condition is declined, we will help you transition to an appropriate Services Australia payment where applicable.

How to Apply

You will first need to make an eligible application for a mental health condition under either the DRCA or the MRCA. You can do this on MyService. Once you have submitted the initial claim, you will be able to apply for the Veteran Payment.

If you wish to complete a paper form, you will need to complete either:

• D2020 Claim for Rehabilitation and Compensation for DRCA claims
• D2051 Claim for Liability and/or Reassessment of Compenston under MRCA for MRCA claims.

You will then need to complete the application for Veteran Payment. You can claim Veteran Payment online through MyService.

Using MyService means:

• it is simpler and faster to submit your claim
• you don't need to send us proof of identity documents
• we can access the information we need quickly
• there is no need to wait for documents through the post.

Find out how to register for MyService. If you need help to register, call us on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372). To access MyService, sign in to MyGov.

You can download the following form:

• D9333 Application for Veteran Payment

Supporting documents

You will need to supply the following:

• a medical certificate that states you cannot work for more than 8 hours a week. Your GP can write this for you. You have up to 4 weeks to provide this after we start to pay you the Veteran Payment.
• your tax file number
• your proof of identity documents

Help with your application

Call us on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372) if you need help completing the application forms.

You can also visit:

• a local VAN office
• an ex-service organisation.

What you need to tell us

You must tell us about changes to your circumstances that can impact your rate of payment. You need to tell us about these changes within 14 days, or 28 days if you live overseas or receive the remote area allowance.

You must tell us if:

• your residential situation changes (such as you move house or your rent changes)
• your relationship status changes (such as you start a de facto relationship, or you separate from your partner)
• you move or travel overseas
• you receive the maximum rate Veteran Payment, and your income exceeds the income-free amount or your assets exceed the assets value limit
• you receive a reduced rate of Veteran Payment, and your income or assets exceed the limits stated in our most recent letter to you about your Veteran Payment.

What happens to payments when someone dies

Your eligible partner will continue to receive Veteran Payment at the single rate for 42 days after your death.

If your partner dies while you are receiving Veteran Payment, we will continue the payment. You will receive the payment at the single rate for as long as you remain eligible.

You can also contact Open Arms - Veterans & Families Counselling for support.

Freedom of Information

Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, you may seek to access information about yourself. This means that you can look at your personal files and ask for copies of documents. Go to Freedom of Information for more information

Privacy

The Privacy Act 1988 governs how Australian Government agencies, including DVA, collect and handle personal information. The Privacy Commissioner oversees this process to ensure the rights of individuals are protected. Go to Privacy for more information.