‘Last avenue’: World War II widow asks government for justice

A World War II widow is pursuing her ‘last avenue’ to ask for thousands owed following her husband’s death from Parkinson’s disease traced back to chemical exposure during his service.

Dorothy Ritchie, with daughter Michelle Wator, is chasing entitlements she is owed by the government over her late husband’s exposure to chemicals during World War II. Picture: The Australian/Nadir Kinani

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A 97-year-old World War II widow is pursuing her “last avenue” to ask for thousands she is owed following her late husband’s death from Parkinson’s disease, which has been traced back to chemical exposure during his service in New Guinea.

At the centre of the controversy was a rule change in 2007 in the Department of Veterans Affairs that linked Parkinson’s disease to the kind of chemicals that Horace James ‘Jim’ Ritchie was exposed to during his service in New Guinea as an engineer.

When Mr Ritchie died in 2002, Ms Ritchie was unable to access the war widow’s pension because the chemicals and Parkinson’s were not yet linked.

But when the rule changed in 2007 – while, as RSL Victoria previously said in a letter of support, Ms Ritchie had “numerous interactions with DVA, assiduously reporting changes in her circumstances” – no-one informed her she was newly eligible, depriving her of the hundreds more she could have been receiving per fortnight.

“I’ve pursued every other avenue, I’ve followed the protocols,” Dorothy Mary Ritchie’s daughter, Michelle Wator, told The Australian.

Speaking on behalf of her mother, who recently entered a nursing home, Ms Wator demanded “justice” from the government.

“Dad sacrificed his life – the ultimate sacrifice – for his country, and the Department of Veterans Affairs can’t get themselves to acknowledge that?” She asked.

“They acknowledge the fact that Dad’s passed, but what are they doing to acknowledge that they weren’t proactive in their responsibility to Mum to make sure that she was getting what she was eligible for?

“They need to acknowledge that there was a systematic failure and there was a moral harm done and also financial harm.”

Dorothy and Horace James ‘Jim’ Ritchie at their wedding.

Because the veteran’s family were not informed of the changes, Ms Ritchie ended up paying for “nearly $60,000” of private health insurance premiums and medical expenses she would not have had to pay had she been informed she was eligible for the pension.

Despite being accepted for the pension in 2022, the bureaucratic rules were such that she could only have the payment backdated three months instead of the entire period.

“DVA expects families to know what SOPs (statements of principles) are,” Ms Wator said.

“They put blame on other organisations like Legacy and RSL, who should have informed Mum.

“They hide behind the legislation.

“They just think that it’s a shield for them. The legislation is basically a shield. They don’t take any accountability at all.”

Ms Wator said she had been blocked at every pathway she had tried to pursue.

“Every other avenue – I’ve followed the protocols,” she said.

“I’ve followed what I’ve been advised to do through DVA, through the Veteran Review Board.

“I’ve followed every course of action.

“It’s like banging my head up against a brick wall.

“We’re supposed to know when mum would have been eligible for this payment. Come on guys, put some algorithms in the systems.

“I just wished DVA were as proactive as what RSL has been with me to support me during this time.”

Ms Wator said the backpay would “make such a big difference” for her mother.

“Aged care is really expensive, her meals and personal care are covered, but she still has to pay for things like medications herself,” she said.

“At nearly 98, she shouldn’t have to worry about money just to stay well and comfortable.

“It would give her peace of mind and for the first time in years, she could finally do something for herself, like buy a new outfit or treat herself, without feeling guilty.”

RSL Victoria chief executive Sue Cattermole said Ms Ritchie’s case was an “example of past gaps in the DVA system”.

“We acknowledge that DVA has improved many of those issues, but we support a reassessment of Mrs Ritchie’s case as soon as possible, and Mrs Ritchie back paid what she should have received for the last 18 years.”