STEP ONE: INITIAL CONSULTATION

We will begin with a complimentary consultation where you can speak to one of our advocates via zoom meeting, phone call, or if you're local to the Gippsland area an in person meeting at a location convenient to you. During this consult we will discuss any injuries or conditions that you may have sustained during your time serving within Defence. We will provide advice and insight on the DVA claims process, what you are able to claim as well as complete transparency on the potential outcomes of your claims if accepted.

On completion of this consultation we will send through a contract detailing the services we will provide you as well as the terms and conditions of our services. We will also send you our onboarding questionnaire, and an overview of next steps proceeding forward. If you decide you do not wish to seek our services, simply do not reply to this email. If you do decide you wish to engage our services, sign the documents provided to you and send them back to us. Your advocate will contact you shortly after detailing how we will proceed from there.

STEP TWO: GATHER EVIDENCE

Once the onboarding process is complete we will need to request your medical history from defence. We will do this by submitting a simple "Personal Information Request Form". To do this we will need two certified proof of identity documents (this could be a medicare card, drivers license, proof of age card or birth certificate).

Once we've received your medical history, we will go through it to find any potential evidence we can submit that will support your claim.

We will also provide you with a "D2051 Injury or Disease Details Sheet" to be signed by your GP if at all possible.

Once this is completed we will submit your Initial Liability Claims for you. In most cases you will be able to see this reflected on the MyGov - MyServices DVA website or App.

STEP THREE: WAIT FOR DVA TO ASSIGN A DELEGATE

After you Initial Liability claims are submitted, we will have to wait for DVA to allocate your claims to a Delegate for assessment. This can be a lengthy process and we encourage patience throughout this time. You are most welcome to email or call us at anytime to request updates from us, and we will continue to contact DVA on a regular basis to encourage the process along.

Please note that as of July 2024, DVA's wait times from claim submission through to a delegate being allocated were between 92 and 195 days.

STEP FOUR: DELEGATE PROCESSING

Once allocated a DVA delegate, that delegate will begin processing your claims. They will go over all of the statements and evidence we have submitted, and potentially request more specialist or GP reports. In doing this they will provide us with a billing form so that the services you are required to attend will be billed to DVA and won't incur any out of pocket costs to yourself.

At New Age Advocacy we have aligned ourselves with multiple different medical specialists, services and companies that specialise in DVA related reporting. This allows us to best advise you on where to seek the required reports ensuring a stress free, easy experience completing this task. If you have a specific GP or Specialist that you would prefer to go to or have a relationship with already, you are most welcome to pursue their services instead.

The delegate processing times as of July 2024 were between 225 and 335 days from delegate allocation to a decision being made. We understand that this process is by no means a quick one, however we will continue contact DVA on your behalf regularly to speed the process along in any way possible.

STEP FIVE: PERMANENT IMPAIRMENT SUBMISSION

After your Initial Liability claims have been accepted, we move onto the Permanent Impairment stage. In this step we will be submitting all your accepted claims documents, reports and findings through to DVA's Permanent Impairment queue.

While we wait for a DVA Permanent Impairment delegate to be allocated to your case, you will attend a GP appointment where the GP will ask you questions regarding how your accepted conditions affect your lifestyle. This will allow the GP to create and submit a DVA Permanent Impairment Report to your claims profile. Your Permanent Impairment Report is used to weigh your accepted conditions against how much each condition affects your lifestyle, this is how DVA calculate your Permanent Impairment Points, which in term determine how much compensation is payable to you, and whether or not you are eligible for a DVA Gold Card.

As of July 2024 the wait time from claim lodgement through to delegate allocation has been between 49 to 112 days.

STEP SIX: PERMANENT IMPAIRMENT PROCESSING

Once assigned a Permanent Impairment delegate, that delegate will assess your whole claims file.

They will determine your Permanent Impairment points and level of compensation.

They may request more evidence or more recent GP or Specialist reports using the same method as "Step Four."

Once their assessment is complete, they will send you a "letter of offer," detailing their decision. You will be given the option to either accept or appeal this offer. If you choose to accept this offer, your compensation will be paid to you and your process will be completed.

As of July 2024, the processing time from a delegate being allocated to a decision being made was between 64 and 185 days.