DFWA was formed in 1959 with the purpose of promoting and protecting the interests of serving and former members of the Australian Defence Force and their families.
Below, you can find out more about our major policy objectives.
DFRDB Commutation and Life tables
The application of up-to-date life tables for calculating fortnightly payments after commutation for all current and new DFRDB recipients; and rectification of the financial injustices caused by the application of out-dated life tables.
Fair Indexation for all Military Superannuation Defined Benefit Pensions
The indexation provisions of the Defence Force Retirement Benefits Fair Indexation Act should be extended to include all DFRDB, Military Super and ADF Cover pensions, including pensions paid to under 55-year-old superannuants, invalidity benefit pension recipients, and reversionary benefit pension recipients.
DVA Fees Paid to Medical and Health Providers
DVA clients should not need to rely on the good-will of health care providers, or to pay privately, to receive treatment for accepted conditions.
Fees paid by DVA should not deter providers from taking on veteran clients.
Improve DVA Claims Processing
Processing Timeframes
DVA should identify points of friction in claims processing that result in excessive delays, and appropriately resource mechanisms that address the cause.
DVA must develop and resource schemes that reduce the likelihood, impact, and length of delays on claims.
Decision Transparency and Communication
DVA must communicate its determinations with sufficient information on their face to enable the veteran to understand the basis of the determination.
Templated determinations must be designed in a veteran centric manner and should not require the veteran or their advocate to seek additional information from DVA.
Hearing Services
DVA should assume full and direct administration of the provision of hearing services to gold card and white card (accepted hearing condition) holders, including development and application of guidelines.
Once diagnosis and severity of loss have been accepted, guidelines should apply the principles of rehabilitation to satisfy the veteran’s wellbeing needs.
Inclusion of ‘No-Disadvantage’ Provision in the Military Covenant
The Australian Veterans’ Recognition (Putting Veterans and their Families First) Act be amended to include a provision that the Commonwealth acknowledges that veterans, or their families, will not be disadvantaged relative to any other section of the community