4.1.2 Eligibility Requirements for Disability Compensation Payment
What is the Disability Compensation Payment?
A disability compensation payment is paid as compensation for injuries or diseases caused or aggravated by war service or certain defence service on behalf of Australia.
What service is required for entitlement to claim Disability Compensation Payment?
Section 13 VEA Eligibility for pension (veterans and Mariners)
Section 70 VEA Eligibility for pension (Defence and Peacekeeping Forces)
To be eligible for the Disability Compensation Payment, a person has to have rendered one of the following types of service:
- warlike service,
- non-warlike service
- operational service,
- peacekeeping service,
- hazardous service,
- defence service, see Note
- eligible war service,
Note: Defence service commences from 7 December 1972 and ceases on 7 April 1994 except for members with unbroken continuous full time service between 22 May 1986 and 7 April 1994 inclusive.
What is a war-caused/defence caused injury or disease?
Section 9 VEA
A disease or injury is taken to be war caused if the injury suffered or disease contracted resulted from:
- an occurrence that happened while the veteran was rendering operational service, or
- any eligible war service rendered, or
- an accident that occurred while travelling (during eligible service) but not in the course of duty, i.e., a journey to a place for the purpose of performing duty, or away from a place having ceased to perform duty.
Injury or disease aggravated or contributed to by service
An existing condition can be considered war caused, if, in the opinion of the Commission, the disease or injury was contributed to, or aggravated by eligible war service. Where a veteran has not rendered operational service, the period of eligible war service, which contributed to, or aggravated the injury or disease, needs to have been for six months or longer. If a veteran has rendered operational service, the six months minimum period of eligible war service does not apply:
- while the veteran was rendering eligible war service, but was not as a result of that service, or
- before the commencement of the period, or last period of eligible war service.
It does not apply if the aggravation of an injury or disease resulted from:
- the veteran's serious default or wilful act, or
- a serious breach of discipline committed by the veteran.
Accepted Conditions
Claims for an injury or disease to be recognised as being war-caused or defence-caused (ie, accepted conditions are determined in accordance with the Statements of Principles issued by the Repatriation Medical Authority.
Source URL: https://clik.dva.gov.au/compensation-and-support-policy-library/part-4-disability-compensation-eligibility/41-disability-compensation-payment-eligibility/412-eligibility-requirements-disability-compensation-payment