Compensation Support

If you are thinking of submitting a claim to DVA for an injury or illness, we recommend that you use an advocacy service to help the claims process.

We know that undertaking any kind of claims process has the potential to be difficult and to impact your mental health, so if you are in distress, placing a claim for a mental health condition, or have a complex claim, the best option is to contact Veteran Central on 1300 MILVET (1300 645 838) for support.

There are two ways of submitting a claim and we can help with both. You can complete a self-submission via the MyGov website, or you can have an Advocate submit on your behalf via the ESO Portal.

Registering on MyGov

Prior to seeking Advocacy support, you should register on the MyGov website:

Create a MyGov account
Sign in to your MyGov account.
Link the MyService with your MyGov account.

Making an appointment

We recommend that you make an appointment with an Advocate to go over your claim before you submit.

Our Advocates can meet with you at one of our Veteran and Families Wellbeing Centres or online via Microsoft Teams or over the phone.

Before you make an appointment, read through our Checklist for Military Compensation Claims and make sure you have all the documents ready to show us.

Common Questions

Are there Advocates who work for other organisations than RSL Victoria?

You can search for an Advocate via the Advocate register.

Melbourne Legacy also has an Advocacy capacity.

You can approach your local RSL Sub-Branch to see whether they have a Volunteer Advocate.

What’s happening with my claim…?

At the moment there are significant backlogs with Defence providing service records and with DVA processing claims. We know this is frustrating.

You can email DVA and ask for a status update on your claim at any time.

Provide your Claim Number and name and ask for an update on the status of your claim to: enquiries@dva.gov.au

If you believe there is a problem with the processing of your claim, or you have urgent needs, please call Veteran Central on 1300 MILVET and we will try to help.

Can I review a decision relating to a claim?

If you are dissatisfied with a decision relating to your claim, you may wish to appeal to the Veterans’ Review Board.

RSL Victoria can investigate the case and provide advice on the merits of an appeal.

Information on the Veterans’ Review Board is available here.