Average DVA Payout for PTSD (2026)

Using 1 July 2026 rates, PTSD permanent impairment compensation under the MRCA can range from about $50,000 to $300,000 or more for warlike or non-warlike service, depending on symptom severity, functional impact, comorbid conditions, and whether you take a lump sum or fortnightly payments. Mild PTSD with limited functional impact sits around 10 to 15 impairment points. Severe PTSD affecting work, relationships, and daily functioning pushes past 30 points, and when combined with other accepted conditions, such as physical injuries, total impairment can exceed 50 points, one of the criteria for SRDP (the MRCA’s TPI equivalent). Clear Path Veterans has guided many veterans through the SRDP eligibility process.

PTSD is one of DVA's most commonly accepted conditions. If you experienced a traumatic event during service, you likely meet the SoP criteria. The size of your payout depends on how the condition is assessed, what evidence you provide, and whether you claim all related diagnoses. Clear Path Veterans analysis of MRCA claims shows that the most common impairment range for PTSD is 20–40 points under GARP M Chapter 4.

How DVA calculates your PTSD payout

The GARP M psychiatric assessment (Chapter 4)

PTSD is assessed under GARP M Chapter 4 (Emotional and Behavioural). The assessment must be conducted by a psychiatrist, not a psychologist or GP. It produces one rating from eight tables: subjective distress (Table 4.1) and manifest distress (Table 4.2), plus the three highest ratings from Tables 4.3 to 4.8 (functional effects, occupation, domestic situation, social interaction, leisure activities and current therapy). Those five numbers are added together. Lifestyle effects are rated separately under Chapter 22.

The doctor who assesses you records how PTSD affects you across the areas GARP M Chapter 4 rates: the distress you feel, the distress others can see, and how you function at work, at home, socially, in your leisure time and in the treatment you need. Detailed treatment records and standard measures such as the PCL-5 (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5) and PHQ-9 (depression scale) help them do that.

Your combined impairment points and your lifestyle rating (0 to 7, averaged across four domains) are then cross-referenced in the compensation factor tables (Table 23.1 for warlike/non-warlike, Table 23.2 for peacetime), and the factor is multiplied by the maximum weekly amount of $447.39 (from 1 July 2026) to determine your payment.

What PTSD impairment points look like

GARP M 2026 gives one final rating for any psychiatric condition or combination of psychiatric conditions. If you also have accepted depression, anxiety or alcohol use disorder, they are rated together with your PTSD in that single Chapter 4 rating, not given separate points that combine with it. Physical conditions, and somatic effects of PTSD such as headaches, are rated separately under their own tables.

What your payout looks like in dollars

These ranges assume warlike or non-warlike service. Peacetime rates are approximately 40 to 55% lower at the same impairment level.

PTSD only (warlike/non-warlike service)

When PTSD sits alongside other accepted conditions, such as back, knee or hearing conditions, total impairment points can reach 40 to 60 or higher. At 50 combined points: approximately $238.01 per week or $304,000 lump sum (age 35). At 60 points: approximately $314.52 per week or $401,000 lump sum (age 35). These figures use the 1 July 2026 maximum weekly rate of $447.39.

Permanent impairment compensation is tax-free. It is not counted as income under the social security income test, but it can count under the assets test. It does count in adjusted taxable income for Family Tax Benefit, the Child Care Subsidy and child support, in full in the financial year a lump sum is paid.

What affects your PTSD payout

Clinical severity

The more severe your symptoms and functional impairment, the higher your points. The assessor looks at frequency and intensity of intrusions, level of avoidance, degree of hyperarousal, impact on concentration and memory, and overall functional capacity.

Lifestyle effects

The four-domain lifestyle rating (personal relationships, mobility, recreation/community, employment/domestic) can significantly shift your compensation factor. If PTSD has caused relationship breakdown, social isolation, job loss, or inability to participate in activities you used to enjoy, your lifestyle rating should reflect that. Be thorough when completing the self-assessment form (D2670).

Comorbid conditions

Depression, anxiety disorder, alcohol use disorder and adjustment disorder are separately diagnosable conditions with their own SoPs. For permanent impairment, though, they do not earn separate points: all accepted psychiatric conditions share one Chapter 4 rating. Getting each one accepted still matters, for treatment and so the single rating reflects all your symptoms. Physical conditions, such as a back injury or hypertension, are rated separately and do add to your combined score.

Quality of the psychiatric assessment

A rushed assessment will not capture the full picture. The doctor needs to record how PTSD affects your functioning, not just how severe your symptoms are, and for symptoms that come and go DVA asks for your average level of impairment. If your assessment was rushed, check whether the record reflects your real life before you accept the result.

Service classification

Warlike/non-warlike service attracts higher compensation factors than peacetime at every impairment level below 80 points.

Interim payments

If your PTSD hasn’t stabilised (you’re still in active treatment and symptoms fluctuate), you can receive interim PI payments at a minimum of 10 impairment points while the condition stabilises. If the final assessment comes in lower than the interim level, DVA cannot recover the difference.

The SoP factors DVA uses to accept PTSD claims

PTSD requires experiencing a specific type of stressor event as defined by SoP 97/2022 (reasonable hypothesis) or SoP 98/2022 (balance of probabilities).

There is no “Category 2 stressor” in the PTSD SoP. Category 2 stressors appear in the Adjustment Disorder and Depression SoPs. If your traumatic experiences are limited to Category 2 events (bullying, harassment, sustained workplace conflict, witnessing non-violent death), they won’t satisfy the PTSD SoP but may support claims for Adjustment Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, or Depression.

How to get assessed and what evidence you need

• Formal DSM-5-TR diagnosis from a psychiatrist. Not a GP or psychologist for permanent impairment assessment purposes.
• Psychiatrist report conforming to Repatriation Commission Guidelines addressing functional impairment across all GARP M domains, treatment history, medication, prognosis, and detailed assessment of impact on daily living, relationships, work capacity, and social participation.
• PCL-5 and PHQ-9 psychometric testing administered by the psychiatrist.
• Documentation of stressor events: deployment histories, incident reports, unit records, after-action reports, and buddy statements from colleagues who were present during stressor events.
• Treatment records from psychologists, counsellors, GPs, and any DVA-funded treatment.

Common mistakes to avoid: not claiming all diagnosable comorbid conditions (each needs to be accepted for treatment and so your one psychiatric rating covers all your symptoms); underreporting symptoms to the assessing psychiatrist; accepting an assessment that lasted less than 90 minutes; confusing clinical onset with the date you sought treatment (onset is retrospectively when DSM-5-TR criteria were first met, after the one-month duration requirement).

Frequently asked questions

How much is DVA PTSD compensation?

PTSD compensation under the MRCA ranges from approximately $63,000 for mild cases (10 points, lump sum at age 35, warlike or non-warlike service) to $304,000 or more for severe cases (50 points, lump sum at age 35), at 1 July 2026 rates. Combined with other accepted conditions, such as physical injuries, total compensation can exceed $300,000. All payments are tax-free.

Can I claim PTSD and depression as separate conditions?

Yes, for liability. PTSD and depression are covered by different Statements of Principles, so each is claimed and accepted separately. For permanent impairment, GARP M 2026 gives one final rating for all your accepted psychiatric conditions together, so they do not earn separate impairment points. Claiming each diagnosed condition, including anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorder, still matters for treatment and so the rating reflects all your symptoms.

What stressor events qualify for a DVA PTSD claim?

The PTSD SoP requires Category 1A stressors (life-threatening events, serious assault, being threatened with a weapon) or Category 1B stressors (killing or maiming, witnessing killing or critical injury, corpse clearance). Category 2 stressors (harassment, bullying, workplace conflict) do not qualify for PTSD but may support Adjustment Disorder or Depression claims.

Do I need a psychiatrist for a DVA PTSD assessment?

Not necessarily. DVA asks the doctor you nominate to complete the assessment, and GARP M itself does not say it must be a psychiatrist. For PTSD, a psychiatrist who knows your history is usually best placed, and GPs and psychologists can provide supporting evidence.

How long does a DVA PTSD claim take?

From initial submission to final PI outcome, PTSD claims typically take 12 to 24 months. DVA reports that MRCA initial liability claims received in the 12 months to October 2026 took an average of 116 days. Claims still waiting for a decision had been open for 193 days on average, because that figure includes older claims. The permanent impairment assessment occurs after liability is accepted and after the condition has stabilised.

Can I get interim PTSD payments while my condition stabilises?

Yes. If your PTSD is not yet permanent and stable but you have at least 10 impairment points, DVA must offer interim permanent impairment payments. If the final assessment comes in lower than the interim level, DVA cannot recover the difference.

Does non-operational PTSD qualify for DVA compensation?

Yes. PTSD can arise from events during training, non-operational postings, and in-barracks service, provided the stressor meets Category 1A or 1B criteria. Sexual assault, serious accidents, and witnessing traumatic events during non-operational service all qualify.