The DVA system runs on acronyms. MRCA, DRCA, VEA, SoP, PI, SRDP, the alphabet soup is enough to make anyone’s eyes glaze over, and it gets in the way of understanding what you are actually entitled to.
This is a plain-English glossary of the terms veterans actually run into, grouped so you can find what you need, and kept current with the 2026 legislation changes. For the conditions themselves, see our DVA medical conditions hub.
Jump to a section
- The Acts and the 2026 reform
- Who’s who: bodies and organisations
- Cards and treatment
- Claims and the process
- Reviews and appeals
- Impairment and how it’s assessed
- Payments and pensions
The Acts and the 2026 reform
Which law applies to you depends on when and where you served. From 1 July 2026 that gets a lot simpler.
- MRCA — Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004. Covers service on or after 1 July 2004. From 1 July 2026 it becomes the single ongoing Act for all new claims.
- DRCA — Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988. Generally covers service before 1 July 2004. Was formerly known as the SRCA. Closing to new compensation claims from 1 July 2026.
- VEA — Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986. The oldest scheme, covering older and operational service plus income support. Closing to new compensation claims from 1 July 2026.
- VETS Act — Veterans’ Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act 2025. From 1 July 2026 it merges the three-Act system so new claims are decided under an improved MRCA, while existing VEA and DRCA payments continue.
- Tri-Act (three-Act) system — the current setup where the Act that applies depends on when and where you served. This is what the 2026 reform simplifies.
- Grandparenting — the protection that keeps your existing VEA or DRCA payments running unchanged after the 2026 changes.
- SoP (Statement of Principles) — the rulebook for each condition, listing the factors that can connect it to service. Your claim is assessed against the relevant SoP.
Who’s who: bodies and organisations
- DVA — Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The government department that administers veterans’ compensation, treatment and support.
- ADF — Australian Defence Force. The Navy, Army and Air Force.
- RMA — Repatriation Medical Authority. The independent scientific body that writes the Statements of Principles.
- SMRC — Specialist Medical Review Council. Reviews the RMA’s decisions about Statements of Principles.
- Repatriation Commission / MRCC — the commissions that administer the schemes and make decisions in DVA’s name. They are being merged under the reforms.
- VRB — Veterans’ Review Board. The independent body that conducts the first external review of a DVA decision.
- ART — Administrative Review Tribunal. The tribunal that conducts the second level of review. It replaced the AAT in October 2024.
- AAT — Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The former tribunal, now replaced by the ART. You may still see it in older guidance.
- ESO — Ex-Service Organisation. Veteran support organisations such as the RSL and Legacy.
- Open Arms — Veterans & Families Counselling (formerly VVCS). Free, confidential counselling on 1800 011 046.
- CSC — Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation. Manages military super (ADF Super, MilitarySuper, DFRDB) and invalidity benefits, separate from DVA.
Cards and treatment
- Veteran Card — the current name for DVA’s treatment cards, issued in three colours: Gold, White and Orange.
- Gold Card — covers treatment for all of an eligible veteran’s conditions, whether or not they are service-related.
- White Card — covers treatment for your accepted service-related conditions, plus any mental health condition.
- Orange Card — the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Card, which helps with the cost of prescription medicines.
- NLHC — Non-Liability Health Care. DVA-funded treatment for any mental health condition with as little as one day of service, without first proving it is service-related.
Claims and the process
- Initial Liability (IL) — DVA’s decision on whether it accepts that your condition is connected to your service.
- Accepted condition — a condition DVA has accepted liability for. Acceptance opens the door to treatment and compensation for it.
- Secondary condition — a condition that develops as a result of an already-accepted condition, and can be claimed in its own right.
- Reasonable hypothesis — the more generous standard of proof used for conditions connected to operational or warlike service.
- Reasonable satisfaction — the balance-of-probabilities standard used for peacetime service.
- Determination — DVA’s formal written decision on your claim. It sets out the outcome and your review rights.
- Needs assessment — an assessment of the rehabilitation and support you need following an accepted condition.
- Warlike / non-warlike / peacetime service — categories of service that affect which standard of proof and which benefits apply.
- Qualifying service — service (usually involving danger from hostile forces) that unlocks certain VEA benefits such as the Service Pension.
Reviews and appeals
- Single Review Pathway — from 21 April 2025, a standardised review route across the Acts. Reviews now start at the Veterans’ Review Board, including for DRCA decisions for the first time.
- Own motion review — DVA reviewing its own decision, including to correct an error, without you needing to formally appeal.
- VRB review — the first external review of a decision: independent, informal and free.
- ART review — the second external review, more formal than the VRB, where representation matters more.
- Federal Court — the final step, available only on a point of law rather than the facts.
For the full picture, see our guide to DVA appeals.
Impairment and how it’s assessed
- Permanent Impairment (PI) — lasting loss of function from an accepted condition. It is the basis for permanent impairment compensation.
- GARP — the Guide to Determining Impairment and Compensation, the manual DVA uses to score impairment under the MRCA.
- Impairment points — the score given to how severe an accepted condition is. Points feed directly into the permanent impairment payment. See our impairment points table.
- Lifestyle rating — a measure of how much the condition affects your daily life, combined with impairment points to work out compensation.
- Whole Person Impairment (WPI) — the percentage measure of impairment used under the DRCA.
- Combined impairment — how the effects of multiple accepted conditions are scored together rather than simply added up.
Payments and pensions
- PI compensation — payment for permanent impairment from an accepted condition, paid as a lump sum, periodic payments, or a mix.
- Incapacity payments — payments for lost earnings while an accepted condition stops you working. From 1 July 2026 these are paid under the MRCA for everyone.
- SRDP — Special Rate Disability Pension. An ongoing payment for veterans unable to work because of accepted conditions, offered as an alternative to incapacity payments under the MRCA.
- TPI (Special Rate) — Totally and Permanently Incapacitated. The VEA “Special Rate” of Disability Compensation Payment for veterans who cannot work due to service-related conditions.
- EDA — Extreme Disablement Adjustment. A higher VEA rate for severely disabled veterans over pension age.
- Disability Compensation Payment (DCP) — the VEA payment for service-related incapacity, formerly known as the Disability Pension.
- War Widow(er)’s Pension — a payment for the partner of a veteran whose death was service-related.
- Wholly Dependent Partner payment — the MRCA compensation for the partner of a veteran who dies from a service-related cause.
- Service Pension — a means-tested income-support pension under the VEA for those with qualifying service.
- MRCA Supplement — a regular supplement that helps with everyday living costs for eligible clients.
Still not sure what applies to you?
The jargon is the easy part to get wrong. Our expert team can tell you which Act applies, what you’re entitled to, and how the 2026 changes affect you.