Helping Veterans Access the Right Support
Receive guidance from nationally trained advocates who can help you access compensation, wellbeing services, claims support, reviews, appeals, and referrals to the services you need.
Compensation and Wellbeing Advocates
Trained advocates are people who have undertaken nationally recognised training to assist you in accessing compensation and wellbeing services. These advocates have completed Units of Competency from the ‘Course in Military Advocacy’ through the Advocacy Training and Development Program (ATDP).
They are generally volunteers and work for one or more ESOs. They may be members of the veteran community such as veterans and partners of veterans. They are not DVA staff members.
ATDP trained advocates are covered by professional indemnity insurance. Professional indemnity insurance protects you.
How Advocates Can Help
Advocates can help you prepare and lodge:
- Claims using MyService
- Requests for a review of our decisions
- Appeals to the Veterans' Review Board (VRB) and Administrative Review Tribunal (ART).
They can also represent you at VRB and ART hearings.
Advocates can help you access information and referrals for services such as:
- Health and treatment
- Rehabilitation
- Housing
- Transport
- Support for transitioning to civilian life
- Medical, financial, legal and police matters
- Funeral arrangements and bereavement assistance.
If you need extra support, they can put you in touch with other government and community services.
You can expect quality advice and services from ATDP trained advocates. This is because they follow the claims advocacy service standards.
ATDP training is only available to advocates who work with ESOs that do not charge a fee for providing wellbeing and compensation advocacy services to veterans and their families. They may ask you to pay a small amount to cover incidental costs.