Wayne Eastgate's letter highlights unfairness built into Australia's military compensation system
- @AVNHQ
- Nov 25, 2021
- 2 min read
This letter relates to the fact that compensation and health entitlements vary significantly depending when a veteran served and the compensation scheme they are covered by as a result. The mix of legislation and compensation schemes delivers discriminatory outcomes to veterans depending on when they served.
16 November 2021
Good Morning,
I am curious if anyone is undertaking to have the Veterans Entitlement Act (VEA) changed.
The reason for my enquiry is that personnel who served prior to December 1972 have been discriminated against, using the current legislation, from receiving the full benefits from DVA as opposed to their counterparts that enlisted after December 1972.
How is it that pre December 1972 Defence personnel are forced into the less advantageous scheme under the The Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) but those who served after December 1972 are able to get the full benefits of a Gold Card.
I don't believe that this anomaly should exist, that the legislation should be fair and equitable for all veterans with injuries from Non Warlike service that served from 1948 (Interim Army) until the present day.
I wasn't injured in a theatre of War, but I am injured from my service overseas - DVA pay for my medication and Hospital visits, the Military Compensation and Rehabilitation Service (MCRS) took my Disability payments off me at age 65 and wiped their hands of me.
I have spoken to many service people who have been injured after December 1972 and they receive the full benefit of a DVA Gold Card - many with the same condition that I have.
Contact with DVA is both frustrating and demeaning, the person at the other end of the phone reads from a script, you hang up the phone frustrated and full of feelings of distress and self harm.
I just want to feel that my 22 years + Service was of some importance to my Country and its peoples. I also wish to be treated with fairness and in line with all other retired Defence Force Members.
Kindest Regards,
Wayne Eastgate
R95416 RAN (Retd)
315510 ARA (Retd)
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"Contact with DVA is both frustrating and demeaning, the person at the other end of the phone reads from a script, you hang up the phone frustrated and full of feelings of distress and self harm." DVA Have resolved this issue, they now just don't answer the phone, there is a recorded message asking you to leave your name and contact details, but they don't call back. It's insane :-(
this is a disgrace but i joined in1970 and am covered by VEA