The Department of Veterans’ Affairs has updated its guidance about lodging claims for service-related injuries and health conditions.
The guidance confirms that providing complete information at the beginning of a claim can help DVA assess it more efficiently. It also contains an important warning: veterans should not arrange or pay for additional medical assessments before lodging a claim unless DVA has requested and approved them.
What information should you provide?
DVA says veterans will generally be asked to provide:
- a confirmed diagnosis from a GP or specialist for each condition being claimed; and
- any relevant medical evidence and service-related information already available.
A diagnosis identifies the condition being claimed. It does not automatically establish that the condition was caused by service, but it gives DVA a defined condition to assess under the applicable rules.
Relevant supporting material may include service medical records, civilian treatment records, incident reports, posting or deployment information and statements explaining when symptoms began and how the condition has developed.
Not every veteran will possess every type of record. Missing documents do not necessarily prevent a claim, but they may affect how DVA investigates and decides it.
Do you need to pay for specialist reports first?
Not necessarily.
DVA’s updated guidance says veterans should not arrange or pay for additional medical assessments before lodging unless DVA has requested and approved them. If further information is required, DVA says it will explain what is needed and whether it will cover the cost.
This is important because a privately commissioned report may be expensive and may not answer the specific questions DVA needs addressed.
There are circumstances where obtaining independent medical or legal advice may still be appropriate. That decision should be based on the individual claim rather than an assumption that every veteran needs to purchase a specialist report before applying.
Which legislation applies after 1 July 2026?
New claims lodged from 1 July 2026 are assessed under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.
Claims lodged before that date which qualified under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 or the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 continue to be processed under those earlier schemes.
The date of lodgement can therefore affect the legislation and assessment pathway applying to a claim.
Before submitting your claim
It can help to check that:
- each claimed condition has been properly identified;
- the diagnosis accurately reflects the symptoms being experienced;
- relevant service and treatment information has been included;
- the account of how the condition relates to service is clear;
- important dates and events are recorded accurately; and
- supporting documents are retained in an organised file.
Veterans should never provide their MyService sign-in information to another person. DVA claims can be submitted through MyService or by using the relevant paper form.
A properly prepared claim cannot guarantee a particular outcome, but it can reduce avoidable confusion and help ensure that the correct condition and service circumstances are assessed.
For more information, see KSC Law’s guides to DVA claims, DVA medical conditions and getting the right DVA diagnosis.
KSC Law assists current and former ADF members with DVA claims, reviews and related compensation matters. Contact our team if you need advice about the evidence or legislation relevant to your circumstances.
This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.
Source: Department of Veterans’ Affairs — Making a claim for a service-related condition (updated 21 October 2026).