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 $363.80. Wholly Dependent Partner payments under the MRCA have also increased $22.60 per fortnight to $1,223.40. 

These payments include the Energy Supplement paid to DVA pensioners for more information on other pension rates please visit www.dva.gov.au. 

Advocacy regulation 

DVA has released a public consultation paper regarding regulating compensation advocacy services following an ongoing rise in commercial advocates engaging in behaviours and practices that prioritise profit over the health and wellbeing of veterans and widowed partners. 

While we do not provide claims advocacy, we are highly invested in these reforms as they impact the experiences and wellbeing of widowed partners trying to access the compensation system and families of veterans who are engaging with it for the first time. 

DVA is proposing to: 

• restrict exploitative fee practices; 

• ban offshore hosting of veteran data; 

• prevent misleading or deceptive conduct; 

• ensure fee-charging advocates are properly trained, insured and ethical; and 

• avoid over-regulation of ESOs and volunteers. 

We are supportive of reforms that strengthen regulation of the veterans’ advocacy sector, particularly where such reform improves protections for widowed partners and veteran families navigating the compensation system. 

We are concerned that current and emerging commercial advocacy practices disproportionately expose widowed partners to harm. At the time claims are lodged, widowed partners may be: 

• newly responsible for complex legal and administrative processes; 

• managing mental health impacts, caring responsibilities, or income loss; and 

• highly reliant on advice presented as expert, urgent or essential. 

In this context, commission-based fees, contingency fees, opaque contracts and excessive termination penalties pose significant risks. These practices can materially reduce compensation intended to provide long term financial security for families after service related death, and may pressure widowed partners into agreements they do not fully understand or feel able to challenge. 

The proposed reform provides an important opportunity to signal that the compensation system exists not merely to process claims, but to uphold dignity, fairness and protection for those who bear the enduring cost of service. Widowed partners and vulnerable veteran families should never be placed in a position where grief, urgency or lack of system knowledge leaves them exposed to exploitation. 

Booked car with driver updates 

Many of our widowed partners Gold Cards holders use DVA’s Book Car With Driver transport service. Now DVA has introduced another way to access this service by using their My Service Portal. Through the My Service Portal you can now ask DVA to arrange transport for treatment covered by your Gold Card. 

DVA has also changed how you arrange transport back following your medical appointment. Now when you have finished the medical appointment, you don’t have to ring DVA to book your return back home: you can do this by ringing the transport provider. According to DVA, drivers should be giving a right of return card on the journey to the appointment, which has all the information you need to organise your journey back home. When making your return booking, use your right of return card, when calling them, simply quote your DVA number, and a driver will be back to pick you up from the appointment. If the driver has not offered a card, please ask for one. 

We know that the Booked Car With Driver Service from DVA often causes a lot of angst and anxiety for many widowed partners. If you run into any trouble please do not hesitate to give us a call, and one of our Social Workers will help you out, or call DVA directly on 1800 550 455.

The post Entitlements update first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.