3.12.2 Eligibility for Veteran Payment

Eligibility for Veteran Payment

Veterans lodging claims under either the DRCA or the MRCA for a mental health condition can be considered for the veteran payment.  There are a number of other eligibility conditions for the veteran payment, including:

• the requirement to meet the Income and Assets test, and
• to be unable to work eight or more hours per week, and
• must also be a resident of Australia at the time of submitting the liability claim. 

Applicants will be asked to complete a D9333 Application for Veteran Payment form.

Partners of veterans may also be eligible to receive the veteran payment. However, only the primary person, as described in the Veterans’ Entitlements (Veteran Payment) Instrument 2018, No. R40 is eligible for a rehabilitation program. If the partner in receipt of veteran payment is also a veteran who has lodged a claim for a mental health condition, then they will be assessed for participation in their own rehabilitation plan.

For further detailed information about the eligibility requirements for veteran payment, please refer to Part 3A Veteran Payment in the CLIK Compensation and Support Policy Library.

Loss of eligibility

Where a person’s circumstances change and they no longer meet the eligibility criteria for Veteran Payment, the eligibility to access rehabilitation will also change. Situations which may cause a client to lose VP eligibility might include when a client:

• has had a change in their income and/or assets to the extent that they no longer meet the income and asset test requirements; or
• has failed to provide a medical certificate advising of their capacity to work within the 4-week time frame; or
• has been assessed by their doctor as having capacity to work more than 8 hours per week; or
• has requested their payment ceases, or
• has had their liability claim determined.

Where VP eligibility ceases, some of the client's rehabilitation options may include:

• if the liability claim remains undetermined, the client will need to transition off the rehabilitation program, or
• if the claim has been determined and liability was not accepted, and they have no other accepted conditions that will provide them with eligibility for rehabilitation, they will need to be transitioned off DVA rehabilitation, or
• if the claim has been determined and liability accepted, the client’s rehabilitation program will transition to BAU rehabilitation.