2021
Was this veteran’s death related to his service? Will his war widow’s request for pension be granted?
This applicant claimed he was greatly affected by his friend’s tragic death and claimed he later developed anxiety and alcohol use disorder. Read on to find out what happened when the AAT reviewed this matter.
Will this RAAF veteran with a history of service-related injuries be granted the special rate of payment?
2020
The AAT had to decide whether a depressed and housebound veteran was entitled to a higher rate of pension.
An employee’s psychiatric condition was not caused by his Defence service, however the adjustment disorder he suffered from arose out of an injury that was service-related.
In this decision, the AAT had to decide if the applicant was a member of the Defence force for the period he was applying for disability pension.
The applicant sought a review of a Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (the Commission) decision rejecting his claims of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol dependence related to his service in the Royal Australian Navy from 1971 to 1972.
2019
The applicant lodged a claim with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) seeking compensation for right knee osteoarthritis arising from her service. The AAT was not satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that the applicant’s condition of right knee osteoarthritis was connected with her defence service.
Veterans are entitled to a disability pension when they are incapable of undertaking remunerative work due to the impact of war-caused injuries. The issue in this case was whether the applicant was entitled to the disability pension at the special, intermediate or general rate.
The applicant in this matter was a member of the Australian Army and the Army Reserves and had a number of war-caused conditions for which he was receiving the disability pension. The applicant requested an increase in his pension to the intermediate or special rate and this review was about the requirements he must satisfy for the increase, particularly what's called the 'alone test'.
The applicant submitted a claim to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs for several medical conditions which were allegedly caused by a vehicle accident that occurred sometime around 1977, while the applicant was serving in the Australian Army. The AAT concluded that none of the claims could succeed and affirmed the decision.
2018
The applicant claimed a pension for Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, alcohol use disorder and depressive disorder as he believed they were connected to his military service. The AAT concluded the applicant suffered from different conditions to those he claimed, and that they were not connected to his military service. The AAT varied the original decision.
The applicant was the widow of a Second World War veteran who died from prostate cancer at 95 years old. The applicant wanted compensation because she claimed her late husband had consumed alcohol heavily due to his military service and this consumption resulted in his death. The Tribunal decided the applicant was entitled to benefits.