Administrative and scheme delivery changes
Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA)
Veteran and Family – Learning and Innovation Network of Knowledge
DVA is implementing a new research and evaluation model - the Veteran and Family – Learning and Innovation Network of Knowledge (VF-LINK). The objective of VF-LINK is to improve the health and wellbeing of veterans and families by increasing the production, use and sharing of evidence to support decision-making and policy, program and service design.
VF-LINK includes a focus on collaboration across networks to share learnings and leverage co-investment opportunities to drive research into priority areas. The model will build and retain expertise through longer term partnerships and promote collaborations that maximise the use of existing studies, data sources and experts.
The VF-LINK model aligns with numerous research and evaluation related recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
Following an open and competitive tender, DVA and Phoenix Australia have entered a strategic partnership to deliver the VF-LINK. Phoenix Australia will lead a consortium that brings together leading researchers and research translators with expertise in suicide and suicide prevention, mental and physical health, codesign, innovative treatment research and evaluation.
For the next 5 years DVA will work primarily with Phoenix (and its consortium partners) on DVA research and evaluation activities. Early deliverables of the partnership include a five-year research strategy, annual work plans and a research outcomes and impact framework. A community of practice and collaborative knowledge network will be established to further foster collaboration in the research and evaluation community.
Defence and Veteran Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025-2030
On 4 September 2025, the Hon Matt Keogh MP, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel, released the joint Defence and Veteran Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025-2030 (the Strategy) and supporting action plans.
The Strategy sets out a joint approach to improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes for the Defence and veteran community over the next five years. The Strategy’s vision is to empower and support the defence and veteran community for optimal mental health and wellbeing during service or employment, during transition to civilian life and beyond.
The Strategy has six goals:
- Promote and assist wellbeing
- Improve mental health and wellbeing through prevention and early intervention
- Facilitate timely access to quality care and support
- Grow a positive and connected Defence and veteran community
- Prioritise suicide prevention initiatives
- Use evidence and data to drive positive outcomes.
The Strategy is underpinned by two interdepartmental action plans one focused on mental health and wellbeing and the other on suicide prevention.
The Strategy complements the Defence and Veteran Family Wellbeing Strategy 2025–2030 and the Veteran Transition Strategy with a shared focus of improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes across the Defence and veteran community. The Strategy and action plans are now available on the DVA website.
Military Rehabilitation and Compensation (Education and Training Scheme) Determination 2025
The Military Rehabilitation and Compensation (Education and Training Scheme) Determination 2025 (the MRCAETS) commenced on 9 September 2025.
The MRCAETS authorises the provision of support to eligible children of severely injured or deceased veterans in the form of education allowances, financial assistance and other student support services. The MRCAETS replaces the previous instrument that was due to sunset on 1 October 2025.
It is materially consistent with the former scheme while ensuring any decisions made under the MRCAETS are subject to internal review in line with current practice for decisions affecting an individuals’ interests. To ensure consistency across related schemes, DVA also made corresponding amendments to the Veterans’ Children Education Scheme (VCES).
The amendments align terminology and operation between both schemes as they are intended to operate in the same manner.
Policy developments
Comcare
Independent Review of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988
On 24 June 2024, the Australian Government appointed an independent panel to undertake a comprehensive review of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act) which underpins the Comcare workers’ compensation scheme.
The panel provided their final report to the Australian Government on 25 September 2025. The review made 124 recommendations focussing on:
- best practice in workers’ compensation
- workers’ experience of the scheme
- scheme coverage and entitlements
- governance and administration
- reducing disputes.
In December 2025, the Australian Government announced that it is considering the panel’s recommendations with a view to progressing necessary reforms.
Seacare
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations undertook consultation with stakeholders in 2024 and 2025 on the future of the Seacare rehabilitation and workers' compensation arrangements, including reform options to enhance insurers’ participation in the Seacare insurance market.
DVA
Expansion to who can diagnose mental health conditions for the purposes of initial liability
DVA will now accept a diagnosis, or reports provided by a treating Clinical Psychologist or a treating General Practitioner for liability claims for certain mental health conditions, in addition to those provided by a Psychiatrist. A diagnosis from a registered Clinical Psychologist and General Practitioner will be able to be accepted for initial liability claims where:
- The condition is an anxiety or depressive disorder; and
- The Clinical Psychologist and General Practitioner have a current, ongoing treating relationship with the veteran in relation to management of the condition; or
- Clinical Psychologist reports are on service medical records or have been obtained as part of the Medical Employment Classification process in Defence; or
- Clinical Psychologist reports have been obtained during Defence service or within 1 year of separation from service.
A diagnosis on an Injury and Disease Details Sheet from a treating Clinical Psychologist or treating General Practitioner, and/or existing clinical psychologist reports on the veteran’s service medical files may be reviewed and utilised to help establish the diagnosis. If further information is required a request for a full report can be made by the claims assessor. In particularly complex cases or where there is conflicting evidence, it will remain open for claims assessor to seek the views of a medical adviser or a specialist (Psychiatrist) Independent Medical Examiner.
Legislative amendments
Comcare
Administrative Review Tribunal (Miscellaneous Measures) Act 2025
Schedule 2, items 97-99 of the Administrative Review Tribunal (Miscellaneous Measures) Act 2025 amends subsections 60(1), 62 and 64 (1) of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988. The amendments commenced on 21 February 2025 and are in response to the replacement of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal with the Administrative Review Tribunal on 14 October 2024.
Veterans’ Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act 2025
Schedule 8, item 56 of the Veterans’ Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act amends subsection 43(1)(a) of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988, and will commence on 1 July 2026. The amendments are in response to the Veterans’ Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act 2024, which provides that all new claims received on or after 1 July 2026 will be determined under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004, not under the Veteran’s Entitlements Act 1986 and the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988.
Seacare
Administrative Review Tribunal (Miscellaneous Measures) Act 2025
Schedule 2, items 100-102 of the Administrative Review Tribunal (Miscellaneous Measures) Act 2025 amends subsections 76(1), 78(6) and 88(1) of the Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1992. The amendments commenced on 21 February 2025 and are in response to the replacement of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal with the Administrative Review Tribunal on 14 October 2024.
DVA
The VETS Act closes the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) and Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (DRCA) to new claims from 1 July 2026 and implements a single Act system covering veterans’ compensation and rehabilitation regardless of the period of service. From 1 July 2026, all compensation and rehabilitation claims received on or after this date will be determined under a single ongoing Act – the improved Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA). Most compensation claims received prior to 1 July 2026 will continue to be processed under the legislation under which the claim was submitted, the exception to this is claims for compensation for economic loss (incapacity payments) which will be processed under the more generous MRCA regardless of the act the claim was submitted under. Compensation payments determined prior to 1 July 2026 will be protected by grandparenting arrangements and will continue to be paid and indexed as normal, with the exception of incapacity payments being made under the DRCA which will automatically transfer to the MRCA.
Two new heads of liability
From 1 July 2026, two new heads of liability will commence under the MRCA – Presumptive Liability and Medical Event on Duty.
The Presumptive Liability provisions introduced by the VETS Act implements Recommendation 95 of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide and allows the Commission to specify a list of injuries or diseases that may be accepted on a ‘presumptive’ basis. Presumptive Liability will mean claims for certain conditions lodged from 1 July 2026 can be accepted on an automatic basis, where relevant criteria are met and unless proven otherwise. This change will simplify the acceptance of initial liability claims for a range of commonly accepted conditions currently subject to expedited-processing arrangements. The initial tranche of presumptive conditions will centralise the following separate arrangements that now sit in policy, instruments or legislation proper:
- Streamlined & Straight Through Processing
- Sequela conditions
- F-111 Deseal/Reseal
- Point Cook Firefighter
- Firefighter mustering
- Abuse
- Occupational Diseases
The change will allow the Commission to make certain assumptions to establish the connection between Australian Defence Force (ADF) service (including specific roles) and specified medical conditions, without needing to engage with the Statements of Principles (SoP) system. The change will result in many veterans no longer needing to provide as much evidence for a claim to be accepted once formal diagnosis has been provided and will simplify claim assessment.
Medical Event on Duty is the second new head of liability that will commence from 1 July 2026 and will mean that an injury or death can be accepted on the basis that it occurred while the person was on duty as an ADF member, regardless of whether or not the injury was a result of the member’s duties. The approach is broadly modelled on section 6 of the DRCA, for an injury that took place ‘in the course of employment’.
The Department has developed and is rolling out targeted advocate-training modules to assist advocates to communicate messages on the commencement of the Single Ongoing Act to individual veterans and Ex-Service Organisations (ESO).
Permanent impairment
From 1 July 2026, all new claims for permanent impairment (PI) compensation will be assessed under the MRCA. The improved MRCA introduces 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).
- Financial advice – allows the Commission to determine circumstances that mandatory financial advice should apply prior to payment of a lump sum.
Veterans exclusively covered under VEA and DRCA who are currently receiving impairment compensation, will transition to the improved MRCA from 1 July 2026. To be eligible for further PI compensation under the MRCA, veterans may submit their claim under the MRCA and will require an increase of 5 impairment points. The Guide to Determining Impairment and Compensation (GARP M) is the approved guide under the MRCA for assessing impairment and lifestyle ratings when calculating the permanent impairment compensation payable to a veteran under the MRCA.
To establish a starting degree of impairment for VEA and DRCA veterans who have never been assessed under the GARP M, a new methodology will be introduced next year that will be used to translate any previous impairment ratings determined under the VEA and the DRCA (where compensation has been paid). The starting degree of impairment will be used to assess any increases for additional compensation to be paid under the MRCA.
The Department recently conducted consultation on the proposed changes to GARP M, targeting ex-service organisations and advocates who work with permanent impairment claims.
Single Review Pathway
The VETS Act introduced changes resulting in a Single Review Pathway from 21 April 2025, which harmonises the appeal pathways across each of the three Acts. The initial merit review of original decisions made under the DRCA on or after 21 April 2025 have been through the Veterans’ Review Board (VRB), rather than directly to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART). VRB decisions can be appealed at the ART.
The Department developed targeted advocate training modules to assist advocates to communicate messages on the commencement of the Single Review Pathway to individual veterans and ESOs.