From the Department
Alison Frame
Secretary, Department of Veterans’ Affairs
As DVA continues our work to improve and modernise the veteran support system, we are making solid progress in responding to claims for compensation, even as the number of claims continues to rise. In the financial year to January 2026, the number of claims DVA received was around 10 per cent higher than last year’s record levels.
In response, our teams are delivering more determinations than ever and most Initial Liability (IL) claims are now being allocated within 14 days. Over the past 12 months, MRCA IL claims have taken about 120 days on average to be determined. This means veterans are getting access to the health services and payments they may need while any subsequent Permanent Impairment (PI) claims are being assessed.
To bring down PI processing times, DVA is bringing in additional Claims Support Officers who are assisting delegates by reviewing claims and making outbound calls to veterans to confirm the status of their PI claim. These calls give veterans clearer updates on where their claim is at and confirm if the medical reports and information we have on record are enough to support a delegate decision – making support clearer, simpler and more responsive.
To further improve our timeliness, we are modernising technology and harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce the administrative burden and – where we can – give DVA staff more time to focus on decision making and supporting veterans.
For example, CLIKChat is a new tool that quickly answers questions from staff, in plain language, about policy and compensation drawing on publicly available information. We have also started a small pilot with RSL Queensland using AI to help prepare summaries for IL claims. (You can read about the tool that’s being used in this trial and our efforts to responsibly utilise AI on page 6 of this edition of Vetaffairs.) The participating veterans are volunteers and the project is subject to strict privacy and information security requirements.
I want to stress that these technologies are tools that support and improve the efficiency of human decision making – they do not replace it – and they must be used in ways that maintain integrity, safety and trust in the veteran support system.
There will be further streamlining of claims processing when the new veterans’ legislation comes into effect on 1 July. We will keep you well informed about the upcoming changes so you can plan any decisions about future claims according to your own individual circumstances. DVA is also supporting free, trained professional advocates who assist veterans to navigate the new system. In this respect, we are working closely with the new Institute of Veterans’ Advocacy, which is now accepting membership applications. (For more on this, see page 5 of this newspaper.)
While compensation remains our core business, we are in the midst of a shift to a deeper focus, across DVA and the entire veteran support system, on the wellbeing of veterans and families of veterans. Supported by major new Government investment (see the article on page 7), we’re creating a system where treatment, rehabilitation and compensation work together to deliver better outcomes. That means services that are designed to minimise and prevent further illness and injury where possible, and providing treatment, rehabilitation and recovery support when needed – helping people to live well beyond the uniform.
As part of this approach, we are targeting some of the major causes of suicide – PTSD, depression and anxiety – with world-leading treatments, like MDMA for PTSD and psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. (I encourage you to read the advice about these from Dr Jon Lane, our Chief Psychiatrist, on page 10.)
This is a team effort, in which health providers play a central role, so we are making it easier for them to deliver the safe, timely, and high quality care veterans deserve. DVA fees are generally higher than Medicare, reflecting the complexity of veteran care. We have recently increased the fees for compensation claim medical assessments and reports by around a third, recognising the real time and cost involved for clinicians.
Health providers no longer need to call DVA to confirm a veteran’s eligibility for treatment in most cases – they can now determine this on the spot – meaning veterans get care faster. And certain low-risk, commonly approved treatments no longer require prior financial approval from DVA before the treatment can be delivered to an eligible Veteran Card holder when using their card, reducing red tape and speeding up payments.
An overwhelming response to our call for applications to join our delivery teams on the ground at overseas commemorative services is a powerful testament to the commitment of our veteran community to honouring Anzac Day.
It was a hard task for the panel to select the 26 volunteers from more than 850 applications who will work alongside DVA staff at services in Turkiye, France, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. The volunteers will provide information and assist attendees, lay wreaths and offer personal reflections, often tied to wartime family history. But most of all, they will keep alive the memory of the original ANZACs and all those who have served after them, as we all will on 25 April. I thank them – and I thank you – for your service.