Liability and compensation under the DRCA pathway

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If you have a service related injury or condition you may apply for compensation. If DVA makes a determination about your case that you are not happy with, you can ask for a review of the determination in most circumstances.

After 60 days of the VETS Act receiving Royal Assent, the review pathway will change. Currently, the review pathway for all decisions made by DVA is different depending on which Act the claim falls under. From this date there will be a Single Review Pathway which will align the review pathways across each of the three Acts. You can view all the details on the Legislation Reform web page.
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Decisions we can reconsider

The decisions that we can reconsider include, but are not limited to:

  • initial liability for an injury, disease, illness or death
  • incapacity for service or work benefits
  • permanent impairment compensation payments, including if we grant them and how much we pay
  • payment for household and attendant care services
  • payment for the costs of modification to your home, car or workplace
  • provision of rehabilitation services.
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Other claims

If you disagree with one of our other decisions, you can find information on the following pages:

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The review pathway – for decisions made prior to commencement of the Single Review Pathway

After we let you know of a DRCA decision you have 30 days to request a review.

You can request a review in one of the following ways:

A DVA staff member who was not involved in the original decision will review your case.

We will contact you, or a representative of your choice, to advise who will be handling the case and the process that they will follow.

Under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (DRCA), a review is called a reconsideration.

A reconsideration may result in:

  • confirmation of the original decision
  • revoking the original decision (and replacing it with a new one)
  • other changes to the original decision, such as changing the rate of payment.

We will write to you to explain the result of the reconsideration. This will include the reasons for the result.

If you are not satisfied with the reconsideration have a right to appeal to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART).

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The review pathway – for decisions made after commencement of the Single Review Pathway

After you receive a decision you have 12 months to request a review via the Veterans’ Review Board (VRB). The VRB is designed to provide a more veteran-friendly environment.

You can request a review in one of the following ways:

  • send an email to reviews@vrb.gov.au
  • send a letter to Veterans’ Review Board (VRB), GPO Box 1631, SYDNEY NSW 2001.

You can also go to vrb.gov.au for further information. 

In your application you must state why you think the DVA decision is incorrect.

If you have more information or evidence to support your claim, please include it with your review request.

After you request a review, you may be asked for more information or to attend medical appointments.
If you disagree with the VRB review of your claim, you are able to progress to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART)

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Costs

We may reimburse you some costs of getting medical evidence or travelling to the VRB for a hearing.

Please contact us to discuss your case and see if we are able to reimburse these costs.

You can also complete form Claim for Costs of Relevant Documentary Medical Evidence Incurred by Applicants to the Veterans' Review Board (VRB).

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