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

What You Can Claim

The Act provides compensation for things like:

• Lost income if you can't work (calculated based on your normal weekly pay)
• Medical treatment costs
• Rehabilitation support
• Compensation for permanent physical or mental impairment (lasting disability)
• Support for your family if you die from a service-related injury or illness

Key Points for Veterans

• Who decides your claim: The Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (MRCC) — not Comcare (which handles civilian Commonwealth public servants).
• Serious misconduct: If you were drunk or on unprescribed drugs when injured, this counts against your claim.
• Computer decisions: Some routine decisions can be made by automated computer systems, but important decisions — like whether your disease was caused by your service — cannot be made by a computer alone.
• Firefighters: If you served as a military firefighter, there are special rules that make it easier to prove certain cancers (like brain cancer or leukaemia) were caused by your service, depending on how long you served.
• No double-dipping: If you're already receiving a pension under the Veterans' Entitlements Act for the same service period, this Act generally won't also apply.
• Appeals: You can ask for decisions to be reconsidered and reviewed.

Why It Matters

If you served in the ADF between 1988 and 2004 and were injured or became ill because of that service, this is the primary law that determines whether the government must compensate you and how much. Getting the time period right is critical — a claim under the wrong law may be refused.