Veteran Payment and your compensation claim affects your Income Support Payment

What are Veteran Payment and income support payments

Veteran Payment is for current and former members of the Australian Defence Force and their partners. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) pays it. It’s for veterans while they’re assessed for a compensation claim for a mental health condition.

Income support payments help you with your living costs. We make these payments if you’re eligible.

You can’t get the Veteran Payment and an income support payment at the same time. You’ll need to choose the right payment for you.

Read more about Veteran Payment on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs website.

What you can get with the different payments

You can choose to keep your income support payment while DVA assess your claim. If you do, you may also be eligible for any of the following:

• a Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card
• an Advance Payment
• Carer Payment and Carer Supplement.

You get Veteran Payment at a higher rate than most income support payments. The only exception is ABSTUDY for Masters or Doctorate students.

If you decide to get Veteran Payment, you may still be eligible for non-income support payments and assistance. This may include:

• Family Tax Benefit
• Child Care Subsidy
• Additional Child Care Subsidy
• Parental Leave Pay
• Dad and Partner Pay
• Carer Allowance
• Low Income Health Card.

You can use our Payment and Service Finder to find support services in your local area. This can include counselling and mental health services for veterans and their families.

How your claim for compensation can affect the payment you get

The outcome of your claim for compensation may affect you, depending on the payment you’ve chosen.

If your compensation claim is unsuccessful and you either:

• kept your income support payment, your payment will continue
• got Veteran Payment, DVA will stop paying you and you’ll need to claim an income support payment.

If your compensation claim is successful and you either:

• kept your income support payment, your payment may stop
• got Veteran Payment, DVA will stop paying you, but you may be eligible for other payments from DVA.

Your income support payment may stop if you no longer meet income and assets limits for the payment you get.

Read more about how compensation may affect your income support payment with compensation recovery.

Read more about income support on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs website.