Now lawDefence & Security Introduced in the House of Representatives, 29 Oct 2025

Parliament fixed four gaps before veterans' claims merge

Veterans' claims are moving from three laws into one from 1 July 2026. This law fixed four gaps first. They cover rule-making, care programs, funeral payments and appeals.

Official name: Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 1) Bill 2025

Who it affects

• Veterans and former Defence members: Their care and counselling programs keep running through the switch to one law.
• Families claiming funeral costs for a veteran: A claim made before 1 July 2026 is decided under the law it was made under.
• Veterans appealing a decision on help to recover: The law makes clear which body hears their appeal. It depends on the date of the first decision.
• The Department of Veterans' Affairs: Its payment commission could write the needed rules before 1 July 2026.

Three laws for veterans' claims

People hurt or made sick by serving in the Australian Defence Force, meaning the army, navy and air force, can claim money and medical care. Right now there are three separate laws for this. Which one applies depends on when you served.

The three laws are the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986, the Defence-related Claims Act 1988 and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004. This article calls them the 1986 law, the 1988 law and the 2004 law.

In 2025 Parliament passed a law to fix this, called the Simplification Act. From 1 July 2026, all new claims are decided under a better version of the 2004 law. The government asked veterans and families about the change between 2022 and 2024.

The government found four small problems in that plan. This law fixes them before the start date. Veterans' Affairs Minister Matt Keogh brought it to Parliament.

Early rule-making for the commission

The Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission is a government body that decides many veterans' claims. This article calls it the commission. Under the new system, many detailed rules have to be in place on 1 July 2026.

Part 1 lets the commission write those rules before that date. If a rule needs the minister to say yes, the minister can do so. After the switch, the commission carries on under a new name, the Repatriation Commission. These rules count as made by it.

The commission can hand this job to very senior public servants. The government's notes on the bill say a large number of rules may need to be made in time.

Treatment programs keep running

Part 2 makes sure some care rules made under the old 1986 law keep working under the 2004 law. That way they do not need to be made again.

They cover set types of care for some groups of members named in the rules. They cover federal programs to stop veteran suicide. They also cover counselling and mental health checks. The government's notes say this stops breaks in help or payments after 1 July 2026.

Say a veteran gets counselling under one of these programs in June 2026. The counselling goes on in July with no new forms.

Funeral payments

When a veteran dies from a cause linked to service, the family can claim help with funeral costs. The Simplification Act would have moved unfinished funeral claims across to the 2004 law.

The government says that caused a problem. One death claim could be split. The funeral part would be decided under one law and the rest under another. That could give different answers.

Part 3 says funeral claims made before 1 July 2026 under the 1986 or 1988 law stay under that old law. This is true even if they are decided later. You cannot also make the same funeral claim under the 2004 law while the old one is still open.

Say an old claim was turned down before 1 July 2026. You can make a new claim under the 2004 law. You must bring new proof.

Clearer appeal rights

From 21 April 2025, veterans' payment decisions got one appeal path. First you go to the Veterans' Review Board. It is a less formal body built for veterans.

Then you can go to the Administrative Review Tribunal. A tribunal is a body that checks decisions, like a court but less formal. This one checks government decisions.

There was a mix-up about decisions made under the 1988 law before 21 April 2025. The government meant those to follow the old appeal path. Some Board decisions were made on the wrong reading of the law.

Part 4 makes clear that decisions made under the 1988 law before 21 April 2025 use the old appeal rules. It makes the Board's past decisions on these cases valid. So those veterans can go on to the Tribunal.

It also moves appeals about help to recover under the 1988 law to the Board. This help is for getting back to work or daily life.

Start date

Parts 1 and 4 started the day after the law was signed. Parts 2 and 3 start at the same time as the matching part of the Simplification Act. That is set for 1 July 2026.

The bill went into the House of Representatives on 29 October 2025. That is the lower house of Parliament, where the government sits. The House passed it on 26 November 2025. The Senate, Parliament's second house, passed it on 27 November 2025.

The Governor-General, who stands in for the King, signed it into law on 4 December 2025. It became Act No. 76 of 2025.

Its journey through Parliament

Official sources

• Bill page on aph.gov.au
• Text of the bill
• Explanatory memorandum

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