Note: The total number of DVA clients includes any person in receipt of a pension/allowance from DVA or eligible for treatment or pharmaceuticals paid for by DVA. Clients of unknown age are included in the total but not reported separately.

¹ Some clients are both veterans and dependants, therefore the total number of clients supported does not equal the total number of veterans plus the total number of dependants.

FESR = Far East Strategic Reserve; VEA = Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

¹ Based on nominal roll data.

² Where the veteran has service in more than one conflict, they are recorded by most recent conflict.

³ Based on nominal roll data.

⁴ Includes East Timor, Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and Iraq. This category previously included Bougainville, which is now included in the preceding category. Figures are based on June 2014 Department of Defence (Defence) data.

⁵ Based on Australian Defence Force (ADF) data; those with three or more years of service from 1972 to 1994. Those with peacetime service after 1994 are not included.

⁶ Total includes those potentially eligible for a service pension and/or disability pension. Components will not add exactly to total due to rounding and overlaps.

⁷ A research project was initiated to estimate all living persons with post-1945 full-time service in the ADF. By necessity, input data was obtained from different sources:

• Age profile at recruitment is graphically estimated from Early Separation in the Australian Defence Force Figure 4.1, Distribution of Ab Initio Enlistment Ages, page 39.
• National service recruitment data is sourced from the Defence discussion paper National service—have a debate but make sure it is an informed one.
• The full-time enlistments data for each year from 1975 to 1998 were measured graphically from Joan Beaumont, Australian defence: sources and statistics Volume VI, Figure 6.3, Permanent ADF Enlistments and Separations, page 252.
• The full-time enlistments data for each year from 1996 to 2017 were sourced from published Defence annual reports obtained from the Department of Defence website.
• Australian Bureau of Statistics mortality rates are used. Numbers are calculated by amalgamating successive years of recruits from 1945 onwards and amortising the resulting population by single year age for each year.

⁸ Includes all living persons who have ever served as a Reservist in the ADF with neither continuous full-time nor qualifying service.

⁹ The growth in MRCA clients and the expansion of benefits to the widest possible number of (ex-)service ADF personnel necessitated redefinition of the total to include those who were not otherwise eligible under the VEA. This figure includes all living persons who have ever served in the ADF either full time or as Reservists.

DRCA = Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (previously the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988); MRCA = Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004; POW = prisoner of war; SSA = Social Security Act 1991; VEA = Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

¹ POW Recognition Supplement is a payment that provides special recognition of surviving former Australian prisoners of war, both veteran and civilian. The payment commenced in September 2011.

² Clients receiving a commuted or periodic (MRCA only) payment.

DRCA = Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (previously the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988); MRCA = Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004; VEA = Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

VEA = Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

VEA = Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

¹ Includes applications for disability pensions, applications for increases in disability pensions and assessments/reviews.

² Net claims does not include claims that have been withdrawn. A claim can be withdrawn for a number of reasons. Most commonly, this occurs when DVA combines multiple claims that are lodged online on the same day by the same claimant into a single claim with multiple conditions, with the consent of the claimant.

³ While a claim can be lodged with one or more conditions, each condition is determined separately.

⁴ Includes cases both in progress and not yet commenced.

⁵ This is different from claims received as withdrawn cases are excluded (for example, automatic entitlement case).

VEA = Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

Note: In determining the majority of liability cases, DVA refers to the Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles (SOPs). The 15 most frequently used SOPs covered 72 per cent of the conditions determined under the VEA in 2019–20.

DRCA = Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988

¹ Includes sequela claims, which are new conditions that arise out of the effects of an accepted condition. The figures for both gross and net claims received in 2018–19 have been revised to include 159 sequela claims.

² Net claims does not include claims that have been withdrawn. A claim can be withdrawn for a number of reasons. Most commonly, this occurs when DVA combines multiple claims that are lodged online on the same day by the same claimant into a single claim with multiple conditions, with the consent of the claimant.

³ While a claim can be lodged with one or more conditions, each condition is determined separately.

⁴ Includes cases both in progress and not yet commenced.

⁵ This is different from claims received as it represents a correction of a system issue which incorrectly registered permanent impairment claims prior to the liability determination.

DRCA = Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988

Note: The 15 conditions most frequently claimed covered 60.4 per cent of the conditions determined under the DRCA in 2019–20.

MRCA = Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004

¹ Net claims does not include claims that have been withdrawn. A claim can be withdrawn for a number of reasons. Most commonly, this occurs when DVA combines multiple claims that are lodged online on the same day by the same claimant into a single claim with multiple conditions, with the consent of the claimant.

² While a claim can be lodged with one or more conditions, each condition is determined separately.

³ Includes cases both in progress and not yet commenced.

⁴ This is different from claims received as it represents a correction of a system issue which incorrectly registered permanent impairment claims prior to the liability determination.

MRCA = Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004

Note: In determining the majority of liability cases, DVA refers to the Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles (SOPs). The 15 most frequently used SOPs covered 65.7 per cent of the conditions determined under the MRCA in 2019–20.