In just under three months the veterans’ compensation system will be easier to navigate.
The current three Act system will be simplified so that all new compensation and rehabilitation claims lodged on or after Wednesday 1 July 2026 will be determined under a single ongoing Act – an improved version of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA).
As part of the transition from three Acts to one, the Veterans’ Entitlement Act 1986 (VEA) and the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related claims) Act 1988 (DRCA) will close to new compensation and rehabilitation claims on Tuesday 30 June 2026.
Veterans can be assured that under ‘grandparenting’ arrangements payments already being received before 1 July 2026 will continue uninterrupted and be indexed as normal.
There is an exception for clients receiving DRCA incapacity payments, who will transition to the more generous MRCA incapacity payments from 1 July 2026.
The move to the improved MRCA as the single ongoing Act will also see eligibility for various entitlements that had operated differently across the three Acts standardised from 1 July.
As part of this transition clients with open VEA and DRCA rehabilitation plans will move to the MRCA from 1 July 2026, while students receiving support under the VEA will transfer to the MRCA education scheme.
While DVA cannot provide individualised claims advice, a range of resources are available on the DVA website to help the veteran community understand the changes from 1 July.
This includes:
- 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
Help is also available to make a claim. You can:
- Use MyService to lodge your claim
- Request an online or in person meeting with a Claims Lodgement Assistant
- Request a 1-1 appointment with a Veteran Support Officer
- Visit a DVA office or VAN location in your state or territory
- Find a free, trained and qualified advocate near you via the DVA Advocacy Register at https://www.advocateregister.org.au/
The Making a Claim guide is available on DVA’s website at www.dva.gov.au/claimguide
You can also call 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372) or email primary.claims@dva.gov.au