Pensions & ongoing payments

• The VEA and DRCA closed to new compensation claims. All new claims are assessed under an improved MRCA, no matter when you served.
• VEA claims lodged before 1 July 2026 but not yet decided are still assessed under the VEA.
• Existing VEA payments are grandparented (kept). They continue without a break and are indexed as normal. This includes General Rate, Special Rate (TPI), Temporary Special Rate (TTI), Intermediate Rate and EDA.
• Income support you already get (Service Pension, Partner Service Pension, Veteran Payment, Income Support Supplement) continues as normal.
• The exception: most DRCA incapacity payments moved to MRCA incapacity payments. A small group of DRCA 'former employees' (on weekly compensation before December 1988) stayed on grandfathered DRCA payments.

Source: DVA – Legislation reform booklet 2026 (PDF); DVA – Disability Compensation Payment under the VEA

The VEA Disability Compensation Payment (DCP, often called the 'disability pension') is tax-free. It has four categories:

• General Rate, paid in 10% steps up to 100%.
• Intermediate Rate, for veterans who can only work part-time or intermittently because of accepted conditions.
• Special Rate (TPI), the highest rate, for veterans who can't have a normal working life because of accepted conditions.
• Extreme Disablement Adjustment (EDA), for veterans aged 65 or over with very severe disabilities.

Rates apply 20 September to 31 December 2026. See the full rates table.

Source: DVA – Disability Compensation Payment under the VEA; DVA – Disability Compensation Payment rates

SRDP is a tax-free payment you can choose instead of MRCA incapacity payments if your ability to work is severely limited. It is not granted automatically. You will be offered it if you:

• have left all ADF service;
• have 50 or more impairment points under the MRCA, likely to continue indefinitely;
• get MRCA incapacity payments (or they were reduced to nil by Commonwealth super offsetting or a lump sum);
• are under Age Pension age; and
• can't do paid work for more than 10 hours a week, and rehabilitation is unlikely to change that.

Rate: up to $977.95 a week before offsets (incl. Energy Supplement), 20 Sep–31 Dec 2026 (MRCA rates). It is reduced dollar for dollar by permanent impairment compensation (MRCA PI, DRCA PI lump sums, VEA DCP) and by 60 cents per dollar of Commonwealth-funded super.

Extras even if you don't take SRDP: a Veteran Card – All Conditions (Gold Card) marked 'TPI', the high rate of MRCA Supplement, and education help for dependent children.

Source: DVA – Special Rate Disability Pension; DVA – Compensation payment rates for MRCA

An interim, income-tested payment while DVA assesses your claim for a mental health condition under the MRCA. You may get it if you:

• have lodged an MRCA mental health claim;
• can't work more than 8 hours a week;
• were under Age Pension age when you lodged;
• meet residency rules and were in Australia when you lodged; and
• are under the income and assets limits.

Max rate from 20 Sep 2026 (fortnightly): single $1,345.20; couple $1,049.30 each (incl. Pension Supplement; no Energy Supplement). It is taxable. It stops 42 days after your mental health claim is decided.

Apply: lodge the mental health claim first in MyService (or D2051), then apply for Veteran Payment in MyService or on D9333. You need a GP certificate saying you can't work more than 8 hours a week (within 4 weeks of payments starting), your TFN and proof of identity.

You can't get it at the same time as incapacity payments, JobSeeker, Disability Support Pension, Service Pension or War Widow(er)'s Pension.

Source: DVA – Veteran Payment; DVA – Summary of VEA pension rates

An income- and assets-tested pension for veterans with qualifying service (usually service in danger from hostile enemy forces). You also need to meet residency rules and be either:

• aged 60 or over (Service Pension Age), or
• permanently incapacitated for work (Service Pension Invalidity). Your service doesn't have to have caused it. You are treated as incapacitated if you are blind in both eyes, or get or are eligible for TPI or SRDP. Otherwise you need 40+ impairment points under GARP, permanent, stopping you working more than 8 hours a week.

Service Pension Invalidity is not taxable until Age Pension age. You also get a Pensioner Concession Card.

Apply in MyService (qualifying service must be confirmed first), or on D0503 and D0648. You can tell DVA you plan to claim so it can be backdated as far as possible.

Source: DVA – Service Pension for veterans; DVA – Qualifying service

• If you already get a VEA payment, you don't need to do anything. It continues and rates rise automatically in March and September.
• If your condition gets worse, new claims and increases now go through the MRCA.
• Before choosing SRDP, compare it with your incapacity payments. Offsets can make SRDP lower for some people, but SRDP is tax-free and doesn't stop at Age Pension age.
• A free ex-service organisation advocate can help with claims.

Source: DVA – Special Rate Disability Pension; DVA – Legislation reform booklet 2026 (PDF)

For Service Pension and Veteran Payment, tell DVA within 14 days about changes to income, assets, living arrangements or relationship status. If you live overseas or get Remote Area Allowance, you have 28 days. If you don't, you may be overpaid and have to pay it back.

Source: DVA – Service Pension for veterans; DVA – Veteran Payment

For income support decisions, you can request a review in MyService. For compensation decisions (VEA or MRCA), apply directly to the Veterans’ Review Board. For MRCA decisions you have 12 months. After that, the Administrative Review Tribunal is the next step.

Source: DVA – Compensation review pathway (VEA & MRCA); DVA – Request a review in MyService

Experiences collected October 2026. Got a correction? Use the feedback form.

• dva.gov.auDVA – The MRCA
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• dva.gov.auDVA – Legislation reform booklet 2026 (PDF)
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• dva.gov.auDVA – Disability Compensation Payment under the VEA
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• dva.gov.auDVA – Disability Compensation Payment rates
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• dva.gov.auDVA – Compensation payment rates for MRCA
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• dva.gov.auDVA – Special Rate Disability Pension
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• dva.gov.auDVA – MyService
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• dva.gov.auD2051 Claim for Liability and/or Reassessment of Compensation (form page)
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• dva.gov.auD9333 Application for Veteran Payment (PDF)
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• dva.gov.auDVA – Veteran Payment
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• dva.gov.auDVA – Summary of VEA pension rates
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• dva.gov.auDVA – Qualifying service
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• dva.gov.auD0503 Claim for Service Pension Part A (PDF)
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• dva.gov.auD0648 Claim for Service Pension/ISS Part B (PDF)
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• dva.gov.auDVA – Service Pension for veterans
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• dva.gov.auDVA – Request a review in MyService
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• vrb.gov.auVRB – How to apply
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• dva.gov.auDVA – Compensation review pathway (VEA & MRCA)
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All links opened and checked 2026-10-02.