From the Department
Alison Frame
Secretary, Department of Veterans’ Affairs
With 2023 drawing to a close, I wanted to provide you with an update on DVA’s progress throughout the year and also share some of our priorities for 2024.
We have seen substantial growth in demand for DVA services over the past few years, the demographics of the veteran community are changing and, as a result, the community’s needs are evolving. So our focus is on meeting the growing demands on our services and also adapting our service offer to meet changing needs. The improvements currently underway provide a strong foundation on which we can continue to build.
The past year saw some changes in senior leadership in DVA. We farewelled the previous Secretary, Liz Cosson AM CSC, in January, and I am proud of what we have achieved in terms of building on the change agenda that Ms Cosson ushered in.
Other leaders have joined DVA, and we have a leadership team with diverse experience. In July, Don Spinks AM retired from his role as Repatriation Commission leaving a wonderful legacy of engagement with, and contribution to, the veteran community.
We welcomed Kahlil Fegan DSC AM as the incoming Repatriation Commissioner. Commissioner Fegan brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role. His strong connection to the current generations of veterans will be invaluable as we strive to engage and work more closely with the younger veteran cohort. (Read more about Kahlil.)
Throughout 2023, the Department has continued supporting the vital work of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. We have responded to over 180 directions to provide information and produce documents, providing close to 3,000 pages of answers to questions and over 400,000 pages of documents. The Department has participated in five roundtables and conducted 14 workshops and presentations for the Royal Commissioners. We are confident that this work will assist the Royal Commissioners in their important deliberations.
When the Royal Commission handed down its interim report in August 2022, the Department moved quickly to implement the report’s recommendations, and this work continued throughout 2023. Our claims backlog remains an area of particular focus. We are processing more claims and getting support to veterans faster than previously.
We have devoted substantial resources to addressing the claims backlog. At the end of October 2023, there were 1,073 full-time equivalent staff directly processing claims, which is nearly double the number from June 2022. The Department remains on track to eliminate the backlog of Initial Liability claims by the end of this calendar year and is working towards eliminating the Permanent Impairment backlog by the end of March 2024, in line with the Royal Commission’s timeframe.
Upgrades to our IT systems are making it simpler to interact with us. We have made improvements to MyService that help with lodging and tracking claims. It is now easier to see the status of claims and to upload documents, and we are actively assisting MyService users to provide the documents needed to progress claims. Currently, these enhancements are available for Initial Liability claims, with other claim types to follow.
Another project that has yielded substantial benefit was the simplification of medical assessment forms. As a result of this project, a total of 39 medical forms were consolidated into just 15, reducing the number of pages for completion from 89 down to 39. This makes it easier for medical practitioners to provide the information we need to assess veterans’ claims. There is more to do in this regard, but it is a step in the right direction.
Work continues to finalise the Defence and Veteran Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy – a joint strategy between DVA and Defence. I know that many in the veteran community completed a survey about the strategy, which has ensured the strategy reflects the needs, priorities and aspirations of the veteran community. DVA and Defence continue to consult with the community and other stakeholders, including mental health experts, researchers, peak associations and ex-service organisations. In a similar vein, the Defence and Veteran Family Wellbeing Strategy is close to finalisation. I look forward to sharing these strategies with you in 2024.
We are increasingly using a co-design approach to engage with veterans, their families, representatives from ex-service organisations and the broader veteran community to co-create services and support. These engagements enable veterans and their families to openly share their ideas and solutions for overcoming the challenges they have faced. This ensures that our policies, programs and operational practices are informed by the community we serve. DVA’s commitment to open, genuine and meaningful engagement is an ongoing initiative.
Throughout 2023, I have engaged with DVA staff across the country who are passionate about the work they do and committed to serving the veteran community. Many in the veteran community have reached out to me and described the positive difference these staff have made. Your words of encouragement are highly valued.
In 2024, we will continue our efforts to eliminate the claims backlog, progress the simplification and harmonisation of veterans’ legislation, engage more extensively with the veteran community, modernise our IT systems and improve our modelling capabilities so we can better plan for the future.
I close this message by wishing you and your families a very Merry Christmas. To our veterans, thank you for your service to our nation. To our veterans’ families, thank you for all that you do. I look forward to working closely with you all in 2024.
Image: At the National Peacekeepers’ Day commemorative service in Canberra