Australia’s Veteran Support System at a Glance

Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel make a pledge to serve and defend our nation, and protect the values we hold dear – freedom, democracy, equality, respect and a fair go. Pulling on an Australian service uniform is an act of bravery and self-sacrifice. It carries considerable personal risks and burdens, which families also share. 

It is the duty of all Australians to repay our veterans’ commitments in kind. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) was established to fulfil the nation’s duty to support our serving and ex-serving ADF members and families.

DVA provides a comprehensive system of treatment, rehabilitation and wellbeing support as well as national commemorations for ADF veterans and families of veterans – honouring service while supporting lifelong wellbeing.

The Department is continuing to evolve from a system primarily focused on compensation to one that prioritises early treatment, rehabilitation and long-term wellbeing. This means supporting veterans to access clinically appropriate care as early as possible helping improve recovery, everyday functioning and quality of life.

This support is backed by significant and growing investment. In 2026–27, DVA is estimated to deliver $14.6 billion in payments and services to veterans and families, including $5.7 billion for health and wellbeing support. The Government has also invested more than $2 billion in new Veterans’ Affairs portfolio initiatives since the October 2022–23 Budget, strengthening claims processing, access to treatment and rehabilitation, wellbeing support, and reforms responding to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

From 1 July 2026, the Veteran and Family Wellbeing Agency has been introduced as part of Australia’s veteran support system. The Agency will help veterans and the families of veterans to find, understand and connect with wellbeing support. The Agency will initially prioritise support for those transitioning ADF personnel who are at risk.  This is in line with Royal Commission recommendations. It complements existing services across DVA, Defence and the wider community, with a focus on earlier support and easier navigation of systems.

Who we support

The 2021 Census found more than half a million Australians (581,139) have served, or were currently serving, in the ADF. Of these, 84,865 were current serving or reserve ADF members and 496,276 were former serving members.

Australia dedicates billions in funding annually through DVA to provide support to veterans and families.

DVA works with other Commonwealth agencies, states and territories, private and not-for-profit organisations, ex-service organisations (ESOs), veteran support organisations (VSO) and others to deliver a range of supports, covering:

• Compensation
• Income support
• Physical and mental health services including counselling through Open Arms
• In-home services and community care
• Rehabilitation
• Employment programs
• Transition and community connection
• Education and other programs – including crisis support – for families
• Commemorations and honouring service

Financial support

DVA provides programs to support veterans and families or veterans during their ADF service, through transition and throughout civilian life. 

In 2026–27, it is estimated that DVA will provide $8.8 billion in supports, including:

• Permanent Impairment payments
• Incapacity Payments
• Disability Compensation payments
• Service Pension/Income Support Supplement
• War Widow(er)’s Pension/Wholly Dependent Partner payments/Eligible Young Person payments/Other Dependant payments
• Rent Assistance 

Compensation and Rehabilitation Claims 

In 2024–25 DVA supported more than 165,000 veterans and families through compensation. 

Some benefits which provide financial assistance are designed to compensate veterans for an impairment of physical injury suffered during the course of their service.

Physical Health

DVA provides access to services for physical health, and whole-of-person rehabilitation assistance. Veteran Card – Specific Conditions (colloquially known as the Veteran White Cared) holders can access funding for services for conditions related to ADF service. Veteran Card – All Conditions (colloquially known as the Veteran Gold Card) holders can access funding for services for all conditions, regardless of whether they are service related.

Evidence shows that accessing treatment earlier leads to better health outcomes, reduces the long-term impact of conditions, and helps prevent them from worsening.

In the 2026-27 Budget the Government made further investment in the veteran support system to deliver on recommendations from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. The Government will invest $5.7 billion in 2026-27 to support the health, wellbeing and care of eligible veterans and their dependants.

As part of the Budget, the Government will be investing $169.7 million to increase fees for allied health providers from 1 July 2027. This is the largest investment in allied health fees for veterans in over 20 years and will help veterans  better access the care that they need.

Together, these changes are designed to improve access to care, expand treatment choice, reduce administrative burden, and ensure support is based on clinical need.

Alongside this change, a new $5,000 threshold for review of clinical effectiveness will be established from 1 July 2027 for relevant allied health services each financial year. The threshold provides a review point to ensure care is clinically necessary and effective. Veterans who clinically require more than $5,000 in relevant allied health services will continue to be supported, with DVA able to fund additional, and where clinically appropriate multiple, episodes of care above the threshold.

DVA will consult with veterans, families of veterans, health service providers and peak bodies, and ex-service organisations on how the new arrangements will operate, including how veterans who need allied health services above the $5,000 threshold for review of clinical effectiveness will be supported

In 2026–27, DVA will provide dedicated support for veteran health and wellbeing through several supports and services, including:

• Veteran Cards – 105,000 Veteran Card – All Conditions; 193,000 Veteran Card – Specific Conditions 
• General practitioner and medical specialist services
• Allied Health Services – Upon GP referral DVA may fund the following services for eligible conditions, including:
  • chiropractic services
  • dietician support
  • mental health services
  • occupational therapy
  • orthotic, podiatry and osteopathic services
  • physiotherapy
  • speech pathology
• Pharmaceuticals
• Rehabilitation Aids and Appliances
• Hearing Support
• Dental
• Community Nursing
• In-home supports
• Travel for medical treatment
• Non-Liability Healthcare for cancer and tuberculosis for those with eligible service
• Provisional Access to Medical Treatment Program
• Veterans’ Health Checks
• Hospital services
• Help in the home for assistance with domestic care, home and garden maintenance, personal and respite care

Mental Wellbeing

Any ADF member who has served a single day of continuous full-time service is eligible for free mental health support. Part-time Reservists who have rendered border protection or disaster relief service, or been involved in or witnessed a serious training accident, and their immediate families, are also eligible. Services available include treatment from general practitioners, psychiatrist, psychologist or clinical psychologists, amongst a range of other mental health services. 

Partners and children of veterans with Veteran Card – All Conditions are also able to access a range of treatments under DVA arrangements, including mental health support.

DVA support for mental health and wellbeing includes:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology and clinical psychology
• Non-liability Health Care
• Trauma Recovery Programs
• Psychiatric Assistance Dogs
• Open Arms – Veteran & Family Counselling

Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling – 1800 011 046

Open Arms is a nationally accredited mental health service that provides 24-hour free and confidential mental health and wellbeing support, as well as counselling for serving members, veterans and the families of Veterans. Open Arms delivers support which is military aware and trauma-informed. 

Open Arms services include: 

• 24-hour crisis and brief support counselling
• Counselling and treatment for individuals;
• Counselling and therapy for couples and families;
• Case management for veterans and familites with more complex needs
• Group programs focused on early intervention, support with transition, mental health treatment, skills development and psycho-education for veterans and the families of veterans;
• Peer support program using shared lived experience to support veterans and the families of veterans by providing hope, practical assistance, and connection.

The Government is also investing in veteran-specific mental health care planning by GPs and psychiatrists. This is intended to improve access to proactive, ongoing and coordinated mental health care, supporting veterans to receive care that is better connected across providers and tailored to their needs.

Other mental health supports

• Non-liability Health Care
• Trauma Recovery Programs
• Psychiatric Assistance Dogs

Transitioning from military to civilian life

Leaving the ADF is not just about leaving a job, it is leaving a way of life. Moving to a civilian life can involve building new or stronger connections in a local community, and a renewed sense of purpose and direction through employment, volunteering or other actives.

The Veteran and Family Wellbeing Agency commenced on 1 July 2026. The Agency will work with Defence to support ADF personnel transitioning from service. The Agency will prioritise support to those who need it most, those veterans and families who are at risk and in the process of separating from the ADF. Family members of veterans can contact the Agency for help navigating supports, including when they are not DVA clients themselves.

This can include:

• Wellbeing and transition resources on the agency website and services available through the service directory
• On base support through Veteran and Family Support Officers for those in the process of transition, which includes support to medical separations and advice on DVA services and claims processes
• Case management support for medically or administratively separating veterans who may require more individualised support
• Veteran employment program resources and access to transition focused programs

DVA services to support ADF members as they separate from or transfer within the ADF are:

• Veteran Card – Specific Conditions on Transition – Veteran Card – Specific Conditions issued to ADF members who are separating or transferring to enable access to free mental health treatment for life
• Rehabilitation – Warm handover from Defence rehabilitation to DVA rehabilitation for medically separating veterans
• Defence Priority Claims – centralised processing of priority claims including medical separations
• Veterans' Chaplains
• Open Arms support for transitioning members, including the Stepping Out program
• Annual health check for the first five years after transfer or separation from the ADF

Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs

Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs provide a central access point to local veteran and family services, such as wellbeing support, physical and mental health services, advocacy, employment and housing advice, and social connection. Hubs either directly provide or facilitate access to these services in partnership with ex-service organisations, community and other organisations, and state and territory governments.

Hubs will work with the Veteran and Family Wellbeing Agency to provide coordinated support to veterans and families of veterans.

Support for families

Just as veterans made sacrifices for our nation, so too do their families.

DVA recognises that the experiences of miliary services is shared by the families of ADF members. Veteran families are diverse; they walk in two worlds, navigating the military and civilian world and DVA supports them to navigate both effectively. 

Support for partners

• Defence, Veterans’ and Families Acute Support Package
• Open Arms
• War widow’s and widower’s pension/Wholly Dependant Partner payments
• Veteran Card – All Conditions
• Respite care
• Funeral support

Support for children

• Education and training scheme (for children of severely disabled or deceased veterans)
• Compensation
• Veteran Card – All Conditions
• Open Arms 

Support for ageing veterans

DVA provides a range of veteran-specific supports, including in-home assistance and related services for eligible clients, whilst aged care assessments, policy, funding and service delivery are administered through the aged care system led by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Eligible clients may receive both DVA and aged care services concurrently, provided the same service is not funded under both systems.

DVA has a suite of aged care booklets, which include:

• The Veteran’s Guide to Living Independently
• The Veteran’s Guide to Moving into an Aged Care Home
• The Veteran’s Guide to Living in an Aged Care Home 

Recognition

An important part of DVA’s role is to acknowledge and commemorate all those who have served Australia and its allies in wars, conflicts and peace operations through promoting recognition of their service, the preservation of Australia’s wartime heritage and official commemorations.

DVA honours the service of Australian men and women on national days of significance and recognises that appropriate recognition of service and sacrifice contributes to veteran wellbeing.

DVA also provides information and support for researchers, teachers and students wanting to know more about Australia’s military history, and administers commemorative grants programs that provide assistance to ex-service organisations and community groups to share the message of remembrance.

The Office of Australian War Graves maintains Australia’s official commemoration program which recognises all those service personnel who have served our country in war and peace operations and died as a result of this service. This is achieved through the perpetual care and maintenance of our war cemeteries, individual graves, plaques and memorials that commemorate veterans who died as a result of their war or operational service. Australia recognises and honours more than 350,000 eligible veterans in Australia’s official commemoration program.

Accessing Services and Supports

Veterans and families can access physical and mental health and wellbeing supports through their GP, with over 99% of services provided directly by health professionals and DVA's role being to fund that care.

In instances where a veteran’s needs are more complex, DVA can provide additional support to health care providers. In 2023–24 19,714 request for prior approval for such cases were received and 85.65% were approved.

Treatment and rehabilitation can also occur alongside the claims process, ensuring veterans can access care while their claims are being assessed.

For anyone struggling to navigate supports and services, or who are presenting as at-risk, DVA provides case management support. In 2023–24 case managers supported 7586 clients, and on average 115 clients are supported each week by community-based case managers through the Wellbeing and Support Program (WASP).

DVA provides services through 19 dedicated Veteran Access Network offices and 318 Services Australia service centres.

DVA information and support is available on four Services Australia Mobile Services Centres (MSC) to support veterans and families living in rural and remote locations.

DVA continues to strengthen how veterans and families access treatment, rehabilitation and support, including through reforms responding to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

Ex-Service Organisations

An ex-service organisation (ESO) is an independent organisation that works to support current and former ADF members and families. ESOs can provide a large range of supports and are a critical part of providing a stable support system for veterans and families.

Some of the support ESOs provide include:

• help accessing payments and other benefits by advocating for you
• visitation services at home, hospital or an aged care home
• help seeking financial support, employment or vocational studies
• a variety of social activities to help you make friendships and to improve general health and wellbeing.

There are a range of grants available to ESOs designed to assist them in their work to support veterans.