Information is available to help you decide when it’s best to make a new claim for compensation or rehabilitation – before or after 1 July 2026.
VEA and DRCA compensation claims close 30 June 2026
The Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) and Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence related claims) Act 1988 (DRCA) will close to new claims for compensation and rehabilitation on Tuesday 30 June 2026.
New compensation claims under the MRCA from 1 July 2026
All new claims for compensation and rehabilitation received from Wednesday 1 July 2026 will then be determined under an improved version of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) as the single ongoing Act for veterans’ entitlements.
Determination of existing claims from 1 July 2026
All claims for compensation and rehabilitation received before 1 July 2026 will be determined under the tri-Act system of the VEA, DRCA and MRCA.
DRCA permanent impairment claims
It is important to note that the DRCA legislation does not split initial liability (IL) and permanent impairment (PI) claims into separate steps.
Instead, once an IL claim is accepted under the DRCA, DVA looks at all relevant compensation payable.
This means that where an IL claim is lodged under the DRCA before 1 July 2026 with indication of a claim for compensation (and the condition is accepted as service-related either before or after 1 July 2026) DVA will assess the degree of impairment and determine the PI compensation payable for the condition under the DRCA.
Any subsequent compensation claims lodged after 1 July 2026 for worsening of that condition will then be determined under the MRCA as the single ongoing Act.
Useful information
A range of resources is available on DVA’s website that can help you learn more about the changes from 1 July 2026. This includes:
- an information booklet
- more than 20 fact sheets and summaries for particular groups, including VEA veterans and their partners, DRCA veterans, and the children of veterans
- scenarios that demonstrate how the improved MRCA may impact individual circumstances
- frequently asked questions
For more information visit Veterans' Legislation.