Free advocacy support for veterans and their families

If you need assistance with lodging a compensation claim with DVA, or with your wellbeing journey, and don’t know where to start, engaging an ex-service organisation (ESO) advocate might be the answer you’re looking for.

ESO advocates play an important role in supporting veterans and families through the claims process and helping find supports for improving wellbeing. Importantly, these services are provided free of charge (some may charge a small administration fee), meaning there is no need to pay someone to help.

ESO advocates can be found on the Advocacy Register, which is a national database that provides contact details for advocacy services across Australia.

ESO advocacy is delivered in line with service delivery standards and ESO advocates are trained through the Advocacy Training and Development Program to meet national training standards for advice they provide to the veteran community.

It’s important to remember that DVA does not give any particular provider or advocate special access or treatment. Using a provider who charges for their services does not guarantee a successful claim or faster processing.

Veterans and families also have the option to engage with DVA directly online by using MyService. Through MyService veterans and families can lodge claims and track their progress, apply for a Veteran Card, book transport and more.

For more information, please visit What to consider if you're looking for help.