Severely Impaired Veterans may be eligible for additional amounts of compensation. Additional amounts of compensation can be considered where all of the following criteria is met;
- The impaired veteran has been paid, or is entitled to be paid MRCA PI,
- The degree of impairment suffered constitutes at least 80 Impairment Points,
- The impaired veteran has received any amount of compensation under MRCA in respect of their impairment.
Once the above criteria is met, the veteran is entitled to receive an additional lump sump payment for each person who is both a dependent of the veteran and an eligible young person (EYP) – this payment is indexed annually (https://clik.dva.gov.au/compensation-and-support-reference-library/payment-rates/current-payment-rates/1-july-2022/mrca-rates-allowances-1-july-2022) – currently $96,745.46 as of 2022.
Who is an EYP?
An eligible young person must be a dependent of the veteran who is wholly, mainly or party dependent on the veteran at the time of the payment. They are wholly dependent on the member if the EYP is;
- Living with the veteran,
- Would have been living with the veteran if not for a temporary absence,
- Would have been living with the veteran if it wasn’t for the veteran’s illness or infirmity, or
- The veteran is liable to provide child support for the young person.
The EYP will also be entitled to education assistance under the MRCAETS – Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme while they remain an eligible young person.
Education assistance includes an annual education allowance for primary school students, and a fortnightly amount for secondary / tertiary students. Further information on DVA education schemes is available: https://www.dva.gov.au/financial-support/support-families/get-student-support/education-schemes
How to Apply
Once a veteran is assessed as being severely impaired (80 points or above), DVA will generally automatically provide the relevant paperwork for the compensation.