Veteran entitlements to be made easier to access under new legislation

The changes are set to streamline the process for veterans applying for their entitlements after a recommendation of the royal commission.

Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie has hailed changes that will make it easier and faster for Defence veterans to get the support they need after years of “injustice”.

Veterans are set to find it simpler to access their entitlements from July 2026 as a result of legislative reforms passed in parliament on Thursday.

“ I felt very relieved that the Veteran Harmonisation Bill passed and so did most of my amendments,” Senator Lambie, who served in the Army, said.

“This legislation won’t fix all the problems and my amendments aren’t perfect, but they go a hell of a long way to fixing the injustice in the system.

“These men women who are prepared to put their lives on the line for our country deserve to be respected and cared for, during their service and beyond.”

The Veterans’ Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act, or the VETS Act, will combine the three systems currently governing compensation claims under one act: Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act.

Senator Lambie formerly served in the Royal Australian Army Corps of Transport. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

From July 1, 2026, the existing Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) and the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (DRCA) will not accept compensation claims.

Senator Lambie worked on the legislation alongside the Veteran Affairs and Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh over the summer.

Mr Keogh said the reforms would make it easier for veterans and families to understand their entitlements, make DVA claims and streamline the claims process within the department.

Veteran Affairs Minister Matt Keogh said the reforms will make accessing veteran entitlements “faster and easier” than ever. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“When the changes come into effect on 1 July 2026, no veteran will see a reduction in their current payments,” Mr Keogh said.

“This legislation will open up a pathway to a Gold Card for many veterans that were previously not eligible.”

Veterans currently under the DRCA will be able to appeal the department’s decisions to the Veteran Review Board from early 2025.

A new entity known as the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission has also been enshrined into the legislation and will provide independent oversight on suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes.

Both the simplified claims process and statutory body were recommendations released in the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide’s final report last year.

Royal commission chair Nick Kaldas and fellow commissioners James Douglas and Peggy Brown concluded they did not believe the DVA in its current form and level of resourcing could deliver the wellbeing support to the community.