PENSIONS

Injured in the ADF?
If you are a Veteran or current/former ADF member, and have an injury or illness causally related to your ADF service, or you were discharged on medical grounds, you may be entitled to benefits you didn’t even know about.
There are five Acts that provide compensation coverage for current and former members of the ADF. They are:

• Defence Act 1903 (DA) 
• Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) 
• Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRCA) 
• Military Compensation Act 1994 (MCA) 
• Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA)

Which Act applies to me? Follow this link to the DVA eligibility assistance webpage Entitlement Self Assessment.
For further information on the VEA, SRCA & MRCA, go the Department of Veterans’ Affairs website at www.dva.gov.au.

Pensions - Disability, Service and War Widows
Our Pensions Officers are available to assist you with submitting and updating Disability Pensions, War Widows Pensions, Service Pensions and other allowances provided by DVA. An appointment is preferred for pension interviews but simple queries may be able to be answered over the telephone or by dropping in.
When you do speak with a Pensions Officer or Advocate face-to-face, you will need to have available the following documents and information. You may wish to begin gathering these even before you contact us. They are:

• Proof of Identity (POI). The usual 100 points needed to open a bank account is satisfactory. 
• Official numbers and cards. DVA number if issued; White or Gold treatment card; Medicare card; and copies of any previous correspondence with DVA. 
• Military service documentation. An official Record of Service (including date of enlistment, date of discharge and the dates of any operational service) will have been issued you to you at some point; all military medical documentation associated with your injury/condition; all medical documentation associated with your injury/condition since discharge (if you are able to get them, Specialist reports can be very important to your case).

All our pensions and welfare staff are unpaid volunteers. They have all served in the Australian Defence Force or have a spouse who has served, and are trained under the Training & Information Program (TIP), which is funded by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.

For further information please contact:
The Vietnam Veteran’s Federation of Australia at http://www.vvfa.org.au/
Or
Veteran’s Support Services, RSL Defence Care at http://www.defencecare.org.au/services/services