MRCA benefits

Introduction

MRCA benefits are available where liability has been accepted by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) for an injury, disease or death that occurred after 1 July 2004 under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA). For more information on lodging a claim see the Eligibility & claims section of this site.

See: Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Information Booklet (PDF 455KB) (RTF 504KB) 

Rehabilitation
Loss of wages or allowances
Payments for permanent impairment
Special Rate Disability Pension (SRDP) safety net payment
Medical treatment
Compensation for eligible widowed partners, eligible young persons and dependants
Financial advice
Household services
Attendant Care services
Essential modifications, aids and appliances
Motor Vehicle Compensation Scheme

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is designed to assist you if you are injured or become ill as a result of your service. The type and extent of rehabilitation will depend on the nature and severity of your injury or illness and your particular circumstances.

The aim is to do everything possible to get you back to at least the same physical and psychological state, and at least the same social, vocational and educational status as you had before being injured or becoming ill. See Factsheet MRC05 Rehabilitation

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Loss of wages or allowances

Incapacity benefits are payments for economic loss due to the inability to work because of injury or disease that has been accepted as service related under the MRCA. They can be made to current and former Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel including permanent and Reserve force members, Cadets, Cadet officers and instructors and declared members who are incapacitated for service or work. See Factsheet MRC08 Benefits for Incapacity for Service or Work

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Payments for permanent impairment

Permanent impairment payments are paid as compensation for any permanent physical and/or mental impairment in combination with any lifestyle restrictions which you may be suffering as a result of injuries or diseases which have been accepted by DVA as being related to your ADF service.

If you are found to have an entitlement to compensation for permanent impairment, you have the option to take the payment as either a periodic payment (paid fortnightly) or as a lump sum calculated according to your age at the date of the offer of compensation. See Factsheet MRC07 Permanent Impairment Compensation Payments

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Special Rate Disability Pension (SRDP) safety net payment

SRDP is an ongoing tax-free payment that can be made to a former member instead of incapacity payments. SRDP is not automatically granted, you must meet certain criteria before an offer is made. If you become eligible for SRDP you will be offered the choice between SRDP or continuing incapacity payments.

The SRDP is offset by the value of any permanent impairment payment received (expressed as a periodic payment) and the remaining amount will be affected by the Commonwealth-funded component of any superannuation you are receiving which accrued during your service. See Factsheet MRC09 Special Rate DP Safety Net Payment

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Medical Treatment

Treatment is available under the MRCA for:

  • all who have conditions for which liability is accepted under the MRCA who are retired from the ADF or are not currently serving in a full-time capacity; and
  • partners and dependent children of deceased members who are eligible for compensation for the member’s death under the MRCA.

There are two ways of providing treatment under the MRCA:

  • payment by DVA of reasonable costs for former ADF members;

    or

Compensation for eligible widowed partners, eligible young persons and dependants

Compensation is available where a member's death is accepted as service-related, or where a member received or was entitled to the SRDP or maximum permanent impairment compensation (impairment assessed at or above 80 points under GARP M).

Compensation for widowed partners includes payments equivalent to the VEA war widow's pension for life or an age-based lump sum equivalent. An additional age-based lump sum is available if the death is related to service.

Eligible widowed partners can also receive Gold Card treatment benefits, an additional MRCA supplement, funeral assistance and continuation of the member's weekly permanent impairment payments, incapacity payments or the SRDP for 12 weeks after death.

Death benefits for each dependent child include a tax-free lump-sum payment, plus an additional fortnightly payment (if wholly or mainly dependent), education assistance and Gold Card treatment benefits.

A further lump-sum amount is available for distribution amongst other family members who were wholly or partly dependent on the deceased member. See Factsheets:

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Financial advice

Reimbursement for the cost of financial advice is available for those who have 50 or more impairment points and for widowed partners when making a choice between a periodic payment and a lump sum.

The same benefit is available for those who are entitled to make the choice between incapacity payments and the SRDP safety net payment.

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Household Services

In some circumstances, DVA will pay for the costs incurred if you need help in the provision of normal household services which you previously undertook but which you are no longer able to do because of your compensable injury or illness. This benefit covers such things as cooking, house cleaning, gardening, laundry etc and is additional to any other compensation payment you may receive through DVA. See Factsheet MRC42 Household Services

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Attendant Care Services

In some circumstances, DVA will pay for the cost of attendant care services to assist with personal care if these services are reasonably required due to your compensable injury or illness. The types of services that can be covered include assistance with mobility, personal hygiene (bathing and toileting), grooming, dressing and feeding. See Factsheet MRC41 Attendant Care

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Essential modifications, aids and appliances

Other benefits include financial assistance with essential home or workplace modifications or non-medical aids and appliances including the cost of repair or replacement of any aid or appliance needed as the result of an injury or illness.

An aid or appliance is designed to assist a person to enjoy freedom of movement in their community.  Items that might assist in the home could include backrests, grab rails, shower chairs, pick-up sticks, specially designed chairs, tap turners and other adaptive equipment.  Items that might assist in the workplace could include document holders, writing boards, specially designed chairs, footrests and wrist-rests.

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Motor Vehicle Compensation Scheme

In certain circumstances DVA will pay for the reasonable costs of clinically necessary modifications to a motor vehicle that you use, necessary maintenance and repair of those modifications as well as the cost of any additional insurance that relates to the value of the modifications.

In certain circumstances assistance with the cost of buying a new or second hand motor vehicle can be provided if:

  • modification of an existing vehicle is not practicable; or
  • you do not own a motor vehicle, have not disposed of one in the last 12 months and can derive a real benefit from a motor vehicle.

See Factsheet MRC10 Motor Vehicle Compensation Scheme (MVCS) 

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