Article at a glance
- Often secondary: it commonly develops alongside conditions such as PTSD or where weight has changed.
- A sleep study confirms it: a formal diagnosis carries a claim a long way.
- CPAP can be covered: once accepted, equipment and treatment can be funded.
- The pathway matters: identifying how it links to your service shapes the claim.
Sleep apnoea is one of the more common conditions veterans claim, and one of the most overlooked. It disrupts sleep night after night, drains your energy through the day, and often develops alongside another condition already linked to your service.
This guide explains how DVA approaches a sleep apnoea claim, what CPAP and treatment support is covered, and the evidence that helps. For the wider picture, see our DVA medical conditions hub.
What is sleep apnoea?
Sleep apnoea is a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. The most common form, obstructive sleep apnoea, happens when the airway narrows or closes and interrupts breathing, often dozens of times a night. The result is fragmented, poor-quality sleep, loud snoring, and daytime fatigue, poor concentration and low mood. Left untreated it can affect cardiovascular health, which is part of why it is taken seriously.
Why it affects veterans, and the secondary pathway
Sleep apnoea has several recognised contributing factors, and for veterans it frequently arises as a secondary condition, one that develops as a consequence of something already accepted. It is commonly linked to PTSD and other mental health conditions, and to weight changes that can follow a physical injury, reduced activity or certain medications. This is the pathway many veterans miss: if you already have a condition accepted, it is worth reviewing whether sleep apnoea connects to it. Our guide to ADF PTSD compensation covers one of the conditions it most often follows.
Can you claim sleep apnoea through DVA?
Yes. Sleep apnoea is a recognised condition with its own Statement of Principles. Liability can be accepted where service caused the condition, where service materially aggravated it, or where it arises secondary to an accepted condition. As always, acceptance turns on the evidence and the factors set out in the relevant Statement, and the applicable legislation, MRCA, DRCA or the VEA, depends on when and where you served. Because the secondary pathway is so common here, the diagnosis and the link to an accepted condition are often what make the difference.
The evidence that helps
- A sleep study (polysomnography) confirming the diagnosis
- A diagnosis from your GP or a sleep specialist
- Where relevant, the link to an accepted condition such as PTSD
- Your treatment history, including any CPAP therapy
- A picture of how the condition affects your daily life
A sleep study is the cornerstone, since sleep apnoea is confirmed by measurement rather than symptoms alone. Getting the diagnosis recorded correctly is the foundation of the claim, and our guide on getting the right DVA diagnosis walks through that.
CPAP, treatment and compensation
The most common treatment is CPAP, a machine that keeps the airway open during sleep. Once sleep apnoea is accepted, treatment can be funded through your DVA card, which can extend to CPAP equipment and its ongoing supplies and servicing. The condition is also factored into your impairment assessment, since poor sleep affects daily function, though how many impairment points apply depends on the individual examination against the guide to determining impairment. The specifics of equipment funding depend on your card and clinical advice, so it is worth confirming once a claim is in place.
Frequently asked questions
Not sleeping, and not sure if it is claimable?
Our expert team can help you work out whether sleep apnoea links to your service or an accepted condition and prepare the evidence DVA looks for.
Related from KSC Law
- DVA medical conditions hub
- ADF PTSD compensation
- Getting the right DVA diagnosis
- DVA impairment points table
External resources
Frequently asked questions
Sleep apnoea can develop secondary to conditions such as PTSD, or to weight changes that follow an accepted injury, reduced activity or medication. Where that link is supported, it can be claimed as a secondary condition.
In practice, yes. Sleep apnoea is diagnosed by a sleep study, so that result is the key piece of evidence. Your GP can refer you for one.
Where the condition is accepted, CPAP equipment and treatment can be funded through your DVA card. The specifics depend on your card and clinical advice.