Our commitment to you

This page provides information about what you can expect from DVA when you submit a compensation claim.

DVA is committed to provide a responsive, quality service that will enable you to make your own decisions about what matters to you and your family.

You can expect us to:

• be courteous, considerate and respectful
• listen to you
• respect and protect your privacy
• be fair and ethical in our dealings
• deliver our services in a timely and prompt manner
• inform you of any delays in processing your matters
• provide accurate, clear and consistent information
• keep you fully informed of your rights and entitlements
• recognise that you have varying and changing needs
• develop and equip our staff so they can provide you with quality service

DVA has people working under flexible arrangements across many Australian locations, you can expect to receive the same level of service no matter where we are working from.

Communication Standards

We recognise that regular communication can alleviate uncertainty throughout the claims process and help to improve your DVA experience.

Contact with you throughout the compensation claims process may be conducted through SMS, email, letter or telephone call. If you have a preferred method of contact please be sure to inform us.

If you have nominated a representative to act on your behalf during the claims process and you have not received communication from the Department, you should also check with your representative.

Please notify us if your experience is not as described through Feedback | Department of Veterans' Affairs (dva.gov.au) and we will investigate the matter on your behalf.

Here is our service guarantee to you:

• We will acknowledge receipt of your claim within 5 business days.
• We will return your calls within 2 business days.
• We will respond to your emails within 5 business days.
• We will contact you every 30 days while your initial liability claim is waiting to be allocated for processing and to link you in with relevant supports.
• We will call you within 14 days of your claim being allocated for processing to inform you of next steps and to request additional information if required.
• We will contact you every 30 days to provide you with progress updates on your claim.
• We will call you to advise that a determination is about to be made, the likely outcome and the reasons for decision.
• We will call you to conduct a Needs Assessment, after we accept liability, to determine any benefits and services available to you.
• We will provide you with information on how you can contact us, including a telephone number and email address, when we contact you.

Throughout the claims process we may contact you to check if your circumstances have changed, but you are encouraged to contact us at any time your circumstances change or you require support through the claims process, on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372) or Open Arms on 1800 011 046

The Compensation Claims Communication Standards Policy provides a further information about the frequency and mode of contact you can expect from us during the claim process. The Policy provides further details regarding the communication touchpoints during the compensation claims process. We encourage you to familiarise yourself with the policy and to notify us if this is not your experience through Feedback | Department of Veterans' Affairs (dva.gov.au), so that we can investigate the matter on your behalf.

Feedback

We welcome your comments on any aspect of our service, you can lodge feedback via the DVA website: Feedback | Department of Veterans' Affairs (dva.gov.au)