The Australian government will spend over $13 billion to clear a backlog of claims for veterans' compensation and healthcare. This significant increase in expenditure reflects a surge in veterans seeking assistance for multiple health conditions. The cleared backlog, coupled with a rise in new claims, has led to a 36% increase in veterans' assistance costs since the previous government took office.
The nation’s veterans will receive more than $13 billion owed to them for their service and to offset a growing number of debilitating health conditions as a backlog of claims for assistance is cleared.
But the total cost of assessing veterans’ claims since the government took office will, by 2027-28, be at least $13.3 billion more than had been forecast when the Morrison government lost office in 2022. Outstanding claims have been cleared even as there has been a jump in the number of veterans presenting with multiple health issues that need assessment.Veterans’ Affairs Minister Matt Keogh said the government had, by investing in the department, cleared a huge backlog of claims and given financial support to veterans.
In 2021-22, there were 53,508 compensation claims determined by the Veterans’ Affairs Department, but the backlog of claims that had not been examined stood at 66,000. found the Veterans Affairs’ Department had been “insufficiently resourced to process claims in a timely manner”.matched with a commensurate increase in departmental funding and claims processing staff on hand, contributing to a large backlog of unassessed claims and unacceptably long processing times,” it found.
“We have consistently said we will guarantee the essential services that Australians rely on, including for veterans and their families,” he said.
Veterans Compensation Healthcare Backlog Government Spending
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