From 20 March, some veterans and veteran family members will receive an increase in their DVA pension and compensation payments.
The first full payment at the new rate will be the payday 16 April 2026. You don’t need to do anything to receive the increase; it will be applied automatically.
Payments made on payday 2 April will cover the period 17 March to 30 March 2026, and will include entitlements calculated at both the old and new rates.
This increase helps make sure your payments keep up with the cost of living.
The majority of pension and compensation payments are indexed in March and September each year. Indexation is determined by either the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index (PBLCI) or Male Total Average Weekly Earnings (MTAWE). For 20 March 2026, the indexation is driven by CPI.
From 20 March 2026, deeming rates will also change in line with arrangements applying to payments made by other Commonwealth Departments. Deeming rates are used to calculate deemed income from your financial investments (e.g. shares, bank accounts), regardless of actual returns.
This deemed income counts toward the income test while the actual returns are not counted. The income test, along with the assets test, determines your entitlement to Service Pension, Income Support Supplement and Veteran Payment.
A new deeming rate of 1.25% (currently 0.75%) will apply to financial assets under $64,200 for singles and $106,200 combined, for couples. Any remaining balance over these amounts will be deemed at a rate of 3.25% (currently 2.75%). To know more about deeming rates please visit Operation of Deeming | CLIK
New pension and compensation rates from 20 March 2026
|
SERVICE PENSION (total amount) |
Old rate (fortnightly) |
New rate (fortnightly) |
Increase (fortnightly) |
|
Single person |
$1,178.70 |
$1,200.90 |
$22.20 |
|
Couples (each) |
$888.50 |
$905.20 |
$16.70 |
|
Single person – transitional |
$959.70 |
$977.70 |
$18.00 |
|
Couples (each) – transitional |
$774.30 |
$788.80 |
$14.50 |
|
WAR WIDOWS (total amount) |
|
|
|
|
War widow(er)’s pension |
$1,200.80 |
$1,223.40 |
$22.60 |
|
Income support supplement (ceiling rate) |
$357.00 |
$363.80 |
$6.80 |
|
DISABILITY COMPENSATION PAYMENT (total amount) |
|
|
|
|
T&PI (Special rate) |
$1,860.90 |
$1,895.90 |
$35.00 |
|
Intermediate rate |
$1,233.70 |
$1,256.90 |
$23.20 |
|
EDA |
$1,004.20 |
$1,023.10 |
$18.90 |
|
100 per cent (inc ES) |
$646.00 |
$658.20 |
$12.20 |
|
10 per cent (inc ES) |
$71.53 |
$72.75 |
$1.22 |
|
Veteran Payment |
|
|
|
|
Single person |
$1,280.10 |
$1,304.50 |
$24.40 |
|
Couples (each) |
$998.40 |
$1,017.40 |
$19.00 |
|
MRCA* |
|
|
|
|
Wholly dependent partner payment |
$1,200.80 |
$1,223.40 |
$22.60 |
|
Special Rate Disability pension (SRDP) |
$1,860.90 |
$1,895.90 |
$35.00 |
These are the maximum rates of payment and include any Energy Supplement payable.
*Note that the MRCA payments in the bottom two rows are the fortnightly amounts, not the weekly amounts.
For more information on the new pension and compensation rates visit DVA’s website call 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).