Following passage of the Veterans’ Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act 2025 (VETS Act), the first level of external merits review for all compensation claim decisions made from 21 April 2025 will be to the Veterans’ Review Board (VRB), regardless of which Act a veteran or dependant has claimed under.

This extends access to the VRB for veterans and dependants whose claims came under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (DRCA) creating a ‘single review pathway’ that aligns the review process for all compensation claim decisions.

The new single review pathway takes effect from 21 April 2025. Primary decisions made under the DRCA on or after this date will be open to review by the VRB.

Currently, if a veteran or dependant appeals a decision under the DRCA the first level of external merits review is by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART).  This change allows an appeal to the VRB without having to go straight to the ART.

This means that all appeals lodged on or after 21 April 2025 can go to the VRB for the first level of external merits review.

The internal own motion review process will remain. This means if DVA made an error, section 347 of the MRCA can be used to conduct an own motion review and resolve the error. If the client is seeking a formal appeal, this will progress with an application directly to the VRB.

From 21 April 2025, instead of applying for a VRB review through DVA, veterans will be allowed to apply directly to the VRB.

Information about how veterans or dependants can request a review is available at vrb.gov.au, with options including:

• send an email to reviews@vrb.gov.au 
• send a letter to Veterans’ Review Board (VRB), GPO Box 1631, SYDNEY NSW 2001.

Important administrative changes include:

• Section 137 reports will continue to be needed but will be re-titled as s352D reports to reflect the relevant section of the MRCA.
• The target time for DVA to process a s352D  report is 28 days.
• From 21 April 2025, requests for s352D reports will be sent via email from the VRB to DVA. The VRB will notify DVA of such requests within 24-48 hours of being received (which is ‘as soon as practicable’ as per section 352C of the MRCA).
• The 28 days will commence the day following when VRB requested the s352D report.
• Veterans can request a VRB review within 12 months of receiving a determination (this is no change).

A single review pathway will harmonise the appeal pathways across each of the three Acts bringing consistency to the way veterans appeals are treated regardless of the timing of their service.

Further information on the single review pathway is available on the DVA website at Single Review Pathway | Department of Veterans' Affairs

Parliament passed the Veterans’ Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act 2024 (VETS Act) on 13 February 2025.

This is a significant milestone for the veteran community. The veterans’ claims system has long been criticised as too complex and hard to navigate. This was highlighted in the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide’s Interim Report. 

The VETS Act, once it takes effect from 1 July 2026, will mean that the existing system will be replaced with a single Act: an improved Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA). The Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) and the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (DRCA) will be closed to new claims. This means that all claims, including for worsening of an accepted condition, will be determined under the MRCA. 

Importantly, there will be no reduction in payments currently received by DVA clients.

The next 18 months will be a crucial time for DVA to educate members of the veteran community on the changes to the system, and what those changes mean for them. 

We also recognise the importance of training for ex-service organisation advocates to assist the veteran community. Though Advocacy Training and Development Program (ATDP) already covers MRCA claims, DVA will provide additional training. This will focus on how compensation previously or currently received for VEA- and/or DRCA-accepted conditions would affect a new claim. It will also cover the improvements to the MRCA. We will share details of this training with you as soon as possible. 

DVA understands that this change may be daunting for some veterans. Some may contact advocates for advice, including whether they should submit a claim before or after 1 July 2026. Whether or not it’s beneficial for a veteran to do so depends on their individual circumstances. Please note that DVA is unable to give personalised advice. However, we have prepared a range of scenarios on our website that illustrate different situations both before and after 1 July 2026.

This new single Act system will make it easier for veterans and families to understand what entitlements and compensation they are entitled to. It will also make claims-processing less complicated for advocates and DVA staff.

While the VETS Act takes effect on 1 July 2026, one improvement that will be introduced sooner is the ‘single review pathway’. 

Any veteran who is not satisfied with a decision made by DVA from [date] can appeal to the Veterans’ Review Board (VRB). The VRB is independent of DVA and is low-cost, non-adversarial and veteran-friendly. The VRB appeal option was previously not available to DRCA veterans. 

If a veteran has already lodged an appeal, then nothing will change for them. If they appeal a decision made after 21 April 2025, they will receive advice on how to engage with the VRB. 

I would like to thank all advocates who have been involved in this process to date. Your feedback has genuinely been vital in developing the pathway to, and the nuance of, the VETS Act. Legislation reform is a concrete step towards improving how we deliver services, in response to the Royal Commission.

You’ll find more information about Legislation Reform on our website.