MRCA Veterans and Dependants

The Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) covers current and former ADF members with service after 30 June 2004. 

It provides treatment, rehabilitation and compensation for service-related injuries, conditions and death. 

What will happen from 1 July 2026?

If you are currently receiving benefits under the MRCA, these will continue unchanged.  

If your service falls under the MRCA, claiming for benefits under MRCA will not change. 

If you are a dependant of a deceased member whose service falls under the MRCA, claiming for dependant compensation will not change. 

From 1 July 2026, DVA will consider all other new claims under the MRCA, irrespective of service. 

What are some of the MRCA improvements

Presumptive Liability

The MRCA is also being amended to allow the Commission to specify a list of injuries or diseases that may be accepted on a ‘presumptive’ basis where they are known to have a common connection with military service, without needing to refer to the Statements of Principles (SoPs).

This means, in many cases, veterans will no longer need to provide as much, or any, evidence for a claim to be accepted.

‘Presumptive’ conditions/categories covered under the existing compensation framework will also be carried across to the MRCA, including:

• conditions for ADF firefighters who participated in firefighting training at Royal Australian Air Force Base Point Cook between 1 January 1957 and 31 December 1986
• cancers prescribed for Australian Defence Force firefighters under subsection 7(8) of the DRCA
• specified conditions for F-111 Deseal/Reseal workers at RAAF Base Amberley between 1976 and 1994
• conditions covered by the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) (Specified Diseases and Employment) Instrument 2017
• other conditions currently specified under Departmental policy.

Medical Event on Duty

From 1 July 2026 the definition of service injury is being amended to allow for an injury to be accepted on the basis that it occurred while the person was ‘on duty’ as a defence member (such as heart attacks and strokes), regardless of whether or not the injury was caused by the member’s duties.

Previously, such conditions would have required a ‘causal’ connection to a veteran’s service via the Statements of Principles.

Travel for Treatment

Travel entitlements have been integrated into a single ICT system. All compensation will paid at the (higher) MRCA rate, regardless of kilometres, when a private vehicle is used to travel for treatment. The 50 km round trip minimum has been removed, ensuring more veterans can be reimbursed for travel costs related to treating their service conditions.

Additional Disablement Amount (ADA)

The ADA will be introduced under the improved MRCA for veterans who are over pension age and who have a high degree of impairment due to service-caused injuries or illness. It is similar to the Extreme Disablement Adjustment (EDA) benefit currently available under the VEA, although the offsetting arrangements differ.

From 1 July 2026, veterans may be determined to have eligibility for ADA under the MRCA if they:

• are pension age or older; and
• are assessed at 70 impairment points or more under the MRCA; and
• have a lifestyle rating of 6 or above. 

ADA benefits include a fortnightly payment, a Gold Card with an ‘EDA’ embossing, and automatic benefits for dependants including education schemes and death compensation.

The payment is being introduced to ensure continued support for those over pension age once the VEA is closed to new claims. If you already receive an EDA payment, you will continue to receive that benefit and will not be eligible for the ADA as well.

Additionally, veterans receiving SRDP or TPI will be ineligible for the ADA.

Visit the Legislation Reform ADA page for more information.

Permanent Impairment (PI)

The improved MRCA will have a number of PI related changes. These include: 

• ‘Date of effect’ – changes will allow treating doctors to provide a meaningful estimate of when an impairment met the requisite criteria of being permanent and stable for payment to commence.
• Section 80 payments – provisions relating to these payments (made in respect of the children of severely injured veterans) are being amended to allow this compensation amount to be apportioned in line with the caring arrangements for the child.
• Posthumous MRCA PI payment – these changes will give a legal personal representative the option to convert the weekly rate of PI compensation that would have been payable to a deceased veteran to a lump sum (excluding lifestyle effects) for claims that are outstanding at the time of a veteran’s death.
• Financial advice – allows the Repatriation Commission to determine circumstances in which mandatory financial advice should apply prior to payment of a lump sum.
• Guide to Determining Impairment and Compensation 2016 (GARP M) – The GARP M will be amended to be able to calculate an MRCA impairment rating for veterans who have never been assessed under the MRCA and to translate previous impairment ratings determined under the VEA and DRCA Acts.

Visit the Legislation Reform Permanent Impairment page for more information.

Additional Resources

There is a range of additional resources available on the Legislation Reform website covering a variety of topics. These include Compensation for Dependants, Liability and the Veteran Card.

There are individual pages for different veteran cohorts including VEA veterans, DRCA veterans and family members of veterans.