DVA pensions and allowances From 20 March pensions and allowances received by some veterans and their families increased with the first full payment made to veterans and their widows on 16 April 2026. The War Widow(er)’s Pension has increased $22.60 per fortnight to $1,223.40 and the Income Support Supplement has increased $6.80 per fortnight to […]
Entitlements update Read More »
Advocacy, Awareness, Important Updates
Thank you to the hundreds of you who have embraced our new membership model. Our new membership model is about three things: providing choice to current members, recognising the contributions of WWII widows and our volunteers; and ensuring we know who we are servicing. We have almost completed the first stage of implementation, manually renewing the membership
This week’s Federal Budget once again failed to commit any funding to supporting Australian veteran families, a community that hasn’t seen a substantive policy update since 1986. While the Government touts a record $53 billion Defence package, the limited funding flowing into the veteran portfolio is being funnelled into the most inefficient part of the
Building capability on broken foundations: where are veteran families in this budget? Read More »
Advocacy, Awareness, Important Updates, Resources
Our campaign to restore concession equality to war widows on council rates in NSW is gaining momentum. Since December 2025 we have engaged with 90 Councils and State Government representatives. Our second round of engagement has now commenced. This round of engagement provides costings of the proposal, allowing Councils and the State Government to understand the
Campaign update – restoring concession equality for NSW war widows Read More »
Advocacy, Awareness, Important Updates, Resources
By Renee Wilson, CEO, Families of Veterans Guild Yesterday the Australian Government announced the biggest peacetime defence spend in our nation’s history. Nuclear submarines. Ghost Shark drones. Hypersonic missiles. A strategy built for what is looking to be the most challenging era since World War II for our nation. Buried deep in the document, there is a short section about people —
No deterrence without retention: National Defence Strategy Read More »
Advocacy, Awareness, Important Updates, Resources
By Renee Wilson, CEO, Families of Veterans Guild This blog post first appeared in The Canberra Times’ opinion column on 2 March. Read it on the Canberra Times’ website. Global tensions are escalating and Australia is ramping up its defence spending to record levels, the associated rhetoric from the Albanese Government is clear: people are our most
Why is veteran family policy stuck in the 1950s? Read More »
Advocacy, Awareness, Important Updates, Resources