Annual increase to travel allowances
Travel allowances for transport, meals and accommodation under DVA’s Travel for Treatment Program will increase on 1 July 2024 in line with the Consumer Price Index.
The increase applies to travel by private vehicle as well as accommodation and meal allowances for all eligible veterans, war widows and widowers (entitled persons) travelling for treatment purposes or disability and income support claims under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986.
The intention of the program is to assist with travelling expenses for an entitled person and their medically required attendant, not necessarily to reimburse the entire cost incurred. While entitled persons can attend a provider of their choice, to receive the maximum benefit, travel should be to the Closest Practical Treatment Location.
The increases under the program apply to holders of:
- Veteran Gold Cards and Veteran White Cards (for specific conditions) eligible under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 who are entitled to assistance towards travelling expenses when travelling to receive treatment for an accepted service-related condition, or for treatment of a specific condition covered under Non-liability Health Care.
- Veteran Gold Cards under the Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests and British Commonwealth Occupation Force (Treatment) Act 2006 and the Treatment Benefits (Special Access) Act 2019 who are entitled to assistance towards travelling expenses when attending approved treatment.
For any queries about travel for treatment allowances, contact DVA on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372). Further information is also available on the DVA’s website.
| Type of allowance | Measure | New allowance from 1 July 2024 | Travel with a medically required attendant † |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private vehicle | Per kilometre | 43.3 cents | x1 |
| Public, community or air transport | Actual fare | Actual fare | x2 |
| Taxi transport | Actual fare | Actual fare | x1 |
| Commercial accommodation non-capital city – single* | Per night | $179.00 | x2 |
| Commercial accommodation capital city – single* | Per night | $212.60 | x2 |
| Entitled person and medically required attendant – commercial accommodation – shared* | Per night | $291.10 | x1 |
| Subsidised accommodation – single* | Per night | $111.80 | x2 |
| Private accommodation* | Per night | $55.70 | x2 |
| Meal allowance – more than 50 km but less than 200 km from entitled person’s home to the treatment location | Per day | $17.80 | x2 |
| Meal allowance – more than 200 km from entitled person’s home to the treatment location | Per day | $36.20 | x2 |
* A meal allowance is not paid on a day where an accommodation allowance is paid, as a meal component is already built into the accommodation allowance.
† This column refers to the number of times an allowance is paid when an entitled person travels with a medically required attendant. For instance, if an entitled person shares a room with an attendant, only the allowance for one room is paid for (x1). If they each have a single room, the allowance for both rooms is paid (x2).