Radio interview — 2GB, Ben Fordham Live

SUBJECTS: Veteran entitlement system reform, Veteran and Family Wellbeing Agency, claim processing times

BEN FORDHAM, HOST: Now this is an important issue. The Federal Government system to support veterans is getting an overhaul. Major changes to the way veterans can claim support are going to come into effect on the first of July. And ahead of that, the Veterans Minister wants to simplify the way ex-servicemen and women submit a claim, and Matt Keogh wants to explain it right now. So, currently there's a three-pronged system which veterans must endure to get access to support, but that's led to a major backlog in compensation claims. And according to the Royal Commission, the current system is so complicated it adversely affects the mental health of some veterans. So, Matt Keogh's delivering a speech today, committing to a simpler system and ahead of that speech he's going to detail the changes right now with us on 2GB Breakfast, the Minister for Veterans Affairs, Matt Keogh. Good morning to you.

MATT KEOGH, MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE PERSONNEL: Ben, great to be with you and your listeners.

FORDHAM: I know it's complicated, but to cut through some of the confusion, it's a complicated three-pronged system that you're bringing into one.

KEOGH: That's right. So there's three different schemes depending on when you served and what sort of service you did when you're in the Defence Force. You could be covered by one, two or even all three schemes, which has made it very complicated for our veterans. As you mentioned, the Royal Commission said that this was a real problem. And so, we've set about the work of engaging with the veteran community over the last few years to develop a movement to having one system going forward.

FORDHAM: How do you transition people on three separate systems onto one?

KEOGH: So, importantly, what we're doing is we're saying for those that have already got a claim in, who are already receiving benefits through the system, they keep what they've already got. We don't want to uplift and change things for, you know, hundreds of thousands of people potentially, when you don't need to. And it also means that no one goes backwards. That's really important out of the changes. What will happen is for all new claims coming in on the first of July, they'll be processed under the one ongoing scheme. And that means it's simpler for everyone to know what they are going to be entitled to going forward. And it means it's quicker and easier for DVA to process those claims.

FORDHAM: Okay, so this is crucial. Anyone currently in the system doesn't need to do anything?

KEOGH: No one needs to change anything at all. They'll keep getting what they're already getting. There's a few elements where they actually get an uplift. So, for example, travel reimbursements for people under one of the old schemes, which are at a lower rate, will actually increase under the changes that we're implementing. So, some of the uplifts apply across the board and no one needs to do anything to get that, they'll just flow through. Other things from the first of July, new claims will be dealt with under the single ongoing scheme.

FORDHAM: Are there any veterans who under these changes will receive less care or fewer entitlements?

KEOGH: No one gets anything less than they're already getting. That's a really important part of how we've designed the scheme. It's why people are grandparented into what they've already got. We're not going to reduce anything people are already receiving.

FORDHAM: OK, you've also got another announcement involving the Veterans' Affairs Department and the Family and Wellbeing Agency. What's this?

KEOGH: So, this was another recommendation of the Royal Commission which was to say that we needed to look at wellbeing for our veterans and families in a more holistic manner and set up a new agency to focus on that. So, this will be the new Veterans and Families Wellbeing Agency. It'll start on the first of July and that will mean DVA will focus on what it already does, processing claims for people that have been injured or have got a disease through their service and this agency will focus on those broader wellbeing impacts. And it'll provide a way for people to be able to navigate the system, whether that is through DVA or all those other service providers that are out there. We're pretty lucky in Australia there are thousands of providers that support our veteran community, but that also makes it really confusing. And so this agency will provide some navigation assistance for veterans or families that need to be able to find a service to support them. It's also going to take on that role of supporting our Defence Force personnel when they transition out of full-time service so that they are supported without any gaps between being supported by defence and then, if they need support, through DVA.

FORDHAM: I'm guessing on something like this, the Family Wellbeing Agency, you would have consulted heavily with veterans to find out what they need, what they want?

KEOGH: Absolutely. So, the first thing was there was a recommendation from the Royal Commission and then we went through a broad co-design approach with the veteran community and with service providers all around the country, understanding where they saw that this agency needed to lean in and how we can, if you like, get rid of those gaps that sometimes exist between service so that we can make sure people are directed to the right place. And it's going to work in a coordinated way with our Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs that are located around the country where we've got the highest concentration of veterans. That's an on the ground footprint. And then you'll have this agency operating with those. But also, you know, with a phone service, everyone will be able to use it nationally.

FORDHAM: Our guest is Matt Keogh, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs. I remember when you took over this portfolio and there was a massive backlog of claims. And I said to you at the time, I know you didn't set this issue up, you didn't create the problem. And it's one of these things that over time is just growing bigger and bigger. But you've got the challenge of fixing it. Have you fixed it?

KEOGH: All of that backlog have been processed, which is great. So, they were claims that had not even been looked at when we came into government. That's really important. What we've seen since then is we've increased the staff in DVA, we've increased the resourcing, we've improved IT. We're continuing to do that work. We've also seen the amount of claims and in particular the number of conditions that people are claiming really continue to increase. So, DVA is doing a lot more work now than it was doing in the past. So, it's processing something like 100,000 conditions a year. That means we're sitting on a caseload at any one time of, you know, some 70-odd-thousand claims.

FORDHAM: They're fresh cases?

KEOGH: That’s right.

FORDHAM: They're not ones that have been sitting there for years gathering dust?

KEOGH: I'll be very frank with you, Ben. There are some that have been around for a while because they're needing more reports or that they're quite complex cases. That's why we're trying to simplify the system, right? But what you'll see now, if someone put in a claim now, it's looked at within 14 days. They assess, you know, does it have all the medical reports that are needed? Has it got any other information that might be missing? We get that in and in about four months those claims are processed.

FORDHAM: Well done on what you've achieved so far. And I'm hoping that this is going to be a better system. From July 1, it sounds like it's going to be a simpler one for people to follow. We appreciate you coming in and informing everyone, particularly the veterans.

KEOGH: Thanks for having me, Ben.

END

Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling provides 24/7 free confidential crisis support for current and ex-serving ADF personnel and their families on 1800 011 046 or the Open Arms website. Safe Zone Support provides anonymous counselling on 1800 142 072. Defence All-Hours Support Line provides support for ADF personnel on 1800 628 036 or the Defence Health Portal. Defence Member and Family Helpline provides support for Defence families on 1800 624 608