The Commonwealth Ombudsman has released a report on his investigation of the actions and decisions of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) in relation to a complaint made by a 30-year veteran.
The report covered the difficulties the veteran, identified as Mr A, faced in accessing his correct entitlements.
The Ombudsman, Michael Manthorpe (pictured) emphasised that the negative impact of Mr A’s dealings with DVA could not be overstated.
“As well as considerable financial pressures, his health has suffered and his relationships have been strained,” Mr Manthorpe said.
“There are currently around 300,000 veterans who access benefits and payments through DVA. They rely on efficient and effective administration to ensure they receive regular payments and entitlements as well as access to essential health services.”
He said the veterans put their trust in the hands of the Commonwealth and had every right to expect that the Commonwealth would, in turn, provide best practice service.
“While DVA was the primary Agency dealing with Mr A’s matters, the information provided and actions undertaken by both the Commonwealth Superannuation Commission (CSC) and the Navy impacted on the actions undertaken by DVA and subsequent negative outcomes for the veteran,” Mr Manthorpe said.
His report made six recommendations for DVA to address systemic issues arising from the investigation and also recommended that DVA provided an appropriate remedy to Mr A.
He welcomed the DVA’s positive response to his recommendations.
The Ombudsman’s 24-page report can be accessed at this PS News link.
