Making a claim for a service-related condition

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Find out how to lodge a claim using MyService, what information you need, and where to find support for lodging a claim.

On this page

  1. The 3 Acts
  2. The claims process
  3. How to lodge your claim
  4. Where to get support
  5. Proof of identity 
  6. Advocates
  7. Protecting your privacy
  8. After you lodge your claim
  9. Open Arms – Veterans and Families Counselling

Transcript of How to submit a claim

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The 3 Acts

Veterans’ service is covered by 3 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.  Generally, if your condition relates to:

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

For information on the 3 Acts, go to:

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The claims process

If you have an injury or health condition that relates to your service, you need to submit a claim to access medical care and compensation.  One claim can include multiple conditions.

To establish liability, we need to consider the evidence provided to support your claim and we will use that evidence to decide whether to accept that the condition is service related.

For claims under MRCA and DRCA once liability has been accepted for a service-related condition, a needs assessment will be completed before any compensation can be paid. A needs assessment is a discussion between you and one of our delegates to identify the types of benefits, services and support you may require. A needs assessment can be completed at any time after liability has been accepted. 

For information on the different types of compensation that may be payable visit:

If you have an injury or disease arising out of, or aggravated by, a period of full-time service when you were covered under the VEA, you may be eligible for a Disability Compensation Payment and medical treatment. 

If we accept your claim we will check if you can get a Disability Compensation Payment. You may apply for a higher rate if you already receive a Disability Compensation Payment, and your service made your injury or condition worse.

Your pension amount will depend on how severe your injury or health condition is and its impact on your ability to work.
When lodging a claim for initial liability, follow our 3-step guide

  1. Step 1: Get your medical practitioner to confirm your diagnosis for every claimed condition.
  2. Step 2: Supply the required documents to support a complete claim
  3. Step 3: Check if you are already eligible for free health care and treatment.

Step 1: Medical diagnosis

Talk to your treating doctor/s. A medical diagnosis is required to determine your claim. Your claim will be progressed where a diagnosis is included with your claim. 

Step 2: Required documents for a complete claim

Submitting a complete claim is key to faster processing. From 31 March 2025, incomplete claims will not be processed. A ‘complete’ claim needs to include:

  1. A fully complete claim form 
  2. Correct Proof of Identity (POI) that supports the client’s circumstance
  3. A medical diagnosis from a qualified medical practitioner for every claimed condition

Step 3: Free health care and treatment

In some cases, we can cover the cost of your treatment before your claim is finalised.

Fully funded non-liability health care

For eligible veterans, we will pay for the treatment of certain conditions, including mental health conditions and cancer, without accepting them as service related.

For more information on non-liability health care, go to:

Provisional access to medical treatment (PAMT)

You may be eligible for free treatment while we are considering your claim if it is for one or more of the most accepted conditions.

This only applies if you are claiming under either the:

You can go to PAMT for details.

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How to lodge your claim

MyService is the easiest and most secure way to lodge your claim. MyService is accessed through myGov, which is a simple and secure way to access government services online in one place. 

MyService and myGov protect your personal information. You can upload all the required information using MyService, including any medical diagnosis and supporting documentation.

If you are a veteran, you can lodge a claim yourself – no advocate required. Learn more about advocates below.

If you haven’t already, sign up to MyService to make claiming easier.

Watch videos on how to set up and use MyService.

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Where to get support

Need help? Support is available.

For veterans: 
If you’re struggling with MyService or unsure what makes a claim complete, you can:

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Proof of identity 

You will not need to provide proof of identity documents if you are already a registered user in MyService. By having a secure MyService login, you are known to us.

If you haven’t already, sign up to MyService to complete the proof of identity process.

For information on requirements, read more on our proof of identity page.

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Advocates

Advocates are trained to help you access DVA services and payments. They are generally volunteers and work for one or more ex-service organisations (ESOs). Advocates can take the stress out of the claiming process for you by helping you prepare and lodge a claim. 

Even if an advocate is helping you with the claim, you still need to use MyService to lodge the claim. 

An advocate or ESO staff member should never ask for your MyService login information. Never share your MyService login details with anyone. 

You can let us know if someone asked you to share your details 1800 VETERAN.

If you are looking for advocate, visit the ‘Finding an advocate’ page. 

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Protecting your privacy

Your personal details are secure when you use your myGov and MyService account. We use Australian Government best practice security standards to keep your details secure and prevent unauthorised access to your account.

Learn more about how your myGov account is protected and How you can protect your myGov account.

Visit the DVA privacy page to find out more about how we handle your personal information. This includes what information we can ask for, how we manage it and who we share it with.

Remember, no-one should ask for your MyService login details, and you should never share your login information with anyone. 
If someone has asked you to share your details, you can report this to us at 1800 VETERAN.

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After you lodge your claim

If your claim is ‘complete’ then it will be progressed.

From 31 March 2025. If your claim is incomplete, a DVA staff member will get in touch to confirm what information is needed to make sure the claim is ‘ready’.

To avoid delays, ensure all claims are complete before you lodge. Refer to: Required documents for a complete claim.

For more information about the claims process, visit the What to expect after you submit a compensation claim page. 

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Open Arms – Veterans and Families Counselling

It can take some time to process a claim. While we are processing your claim, we encourage you to get extra support if needed.
Open Arms is a free service available to current and former ADF members and their families.

Open Arms offers:

  • counselling for individuals, couples, and families
  • case management for clients with more complex needs
  • group programs to develop skills and enhance support
  • community and lived experience veteran and family peer workers
  • after-hours telephone counselling
  • information, education and self-help resources
  • referrals to other services or specialist treatment programs as needed.

For more information on these services and others, you can contact Open Arms on 1800 011 046. You can also visit the Open Arms website.

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