The authorised delegate of the Secretary must give notice of any decision to authorise, or not to authorise, a payment of an amount of SIA in relation to a member.
The notice must include statement of reasons for making the decision, and also include the appeal rights available to the member if they are dissatisfied with the decision. Failure to comply with the requirement to provide appeal rights in relation to the decision does not affect the validity of the decision.
The Defence Determination 2016/19 (currently in force) at clause 11.2.23 provides that if a person is dissatisfied with the decision with respect of the SIA compensation they can seek a review of the decision. The person will also have the avenue of appeal with the ART if they remain dissatisfied with the decision made after seeking a reconsideration of the original decision.
Where a payment has been made to, or on behalf of, a child, the recipient should be advised that the guidance and counselling services of DVA’s Education Schemes (VCES) are available if required and that further information on the schemes are available by emailing educationschemes@dva.gov.au. The Education Schemes should also be notified of the names and addresses of the children (and of the parent or guardian for those children who are under 18).
Recipients will also be able to register and claim benefits under VCES online through MyService.