What Are Statements of Principles and Why They Matter for Your DVA Claim

Every DVA compensation claim is decided by a Statement of Principles. Not by your doctor’s opinion. Not by how obvious the connection between your service and your condition seems. Not by common sense. By a specific legal instrument that lists the exact circumstances under which DVA can accept that a condition is related to service.

If your claim meets at least one SoP factor, DVA must accept it. If it does not meet any factor, DVA must reject it. The delegate has no discretion either way. Understanding how SoPs work is the single most useful thing you can do before lodging a claim.

What an SoP actually is

A Statement of Principles is a legislative instrument made by the Repatriation Medical Authority (RMA) under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986. The RMA is an independent statutory body of five medical practitioners appointed by the Governor-General. Their job is to determine, based on sound medical-scientific evidence, the factors that can connect a disease or injury to military service.

There are currently over 300 SoPs covering conditions from thoracolumbar spondylosis to PTSD to tinnitus to skin cancer. Every condition that DVA can accept liability for has an SoP. If a condition does not have an SoP, DVA cannot accept a claim for it (with very limited exceptions).

Each SoP contains a list of “factors” in section 9. These are the specific circumstances that must exist before DVA can connect your condition to your service. At least one factor must be met. You do not need to meet all of them. One is enough.

The two versions of every SoP

Every condition has two SoPs: one for the Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) standard and one for the Balance of Probabilities (BoP) standard. Which one applies depends on your service type, not the condition.

The practical difference matters. For thoracolumbar spondylosis, the RH SoP requires cumulative lifting of 100,000 kg within any 10-year period. The BoP SoP requires 150,000 kg plus a 25-year recency requirement. Same condition, different bar.

How to read an SoP

SoPs follow a standard structure. Once you know the layout, you can read any of them.

• Sections 1–6: Administrative. Name, commencement, authority, definitions. Skip to section 7.
• Section 7: Defines the condition. Tells you what diagnosis DVA requires and what’s excluded. If your diagnosis doesn’t match section 7, the SoP doesn’t apply.
• Section 8: RMA’s statement that medical-scientific evidence supports a connection. No action required.
• Section 9: The factors. This decides your claim. Each factor is numbered (9(1), 9(2), etc.). Split into clinical onset factors and clinical worsening factors.
• Section 10: The factor must be related to relevant service. Meeting a factor isn’t enough — the circumstances must have occurred during or because of your service.
• Schedule 1 (Dictionary): Defines specific terms. Read carefully. “Trauma to the thoracolumbar spine” has a precise SoP definition narrower than everyday language.

How factors work in practice

A veteran served as an infantry soldier for 12 years, regularly carrying packs of 25–40 kg. Five years after discharge, an MRI confirms thoracolumbar spondylosis. The veteran had warlike service, so the RH standard applies.

The advocate identifies Factor 9(14) in SoP No. 13 of 2023: carrying loads of at least 20 kg to a cumulative total of at least 3,800 hours within any 10-year period. The veteran averaged 8 hours of loaded carry per week over 10 years = ~4,160 hours. Threshold met. Claim accepted.

That’s how SoPs work. The factor sets the threshold. The evidence proves you met it. The delegate applies the standard of proof.

The factors veterans miss most often

Worsening factors

Every SoP contains both onset and worsening factors. If your condition existed before service, you’re not disqualified. You can claim under the worsening factors if service activities made it worse. The worsening factors typically mirror the onset factors with the same thresholds. Many veterans with pre-existing conditions assume they can’t claim. They can.

Factors that reference other conditions

Some factors require you to have another condition covered by a separate SoP. For example, thoracolumbar spondylosis Factor 9(1) RH requires having an inflammatory joint disease. If you have ankylosing spondylitis affecting your spine, that factor is met — but the ankylosing spondylitis itself needs to be connected to service under its own SoP. These chain connections are powerful but easy to miss.

The “inability to obtain appropriate clinical management” factor

Every SoP contains a worsening factor for inability to obtain appropriate treatment during service. If you couldn’t get proper care (remote posting, operational deployment, no specialist access), this factor may apply. It’s the catch-all worsening factor and it’s underused.

Lower thresholds in the RH SoP

Veterans who qualify for Reasonable Hypothesis sometimes don’t realise the RH threshold is lower. If your lifting calculation is 120,000 kg, that fails BoP (150,000 kg) but passes RH (100,000 kg). Knowing your standard of proof determines whether borderline evidence is enough.

Where to find SoPs

All current SoPs are published on the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au) and the RMA website (rma.gov.au). Search by condition name. Make sure you’re looking at the current instrument, not a repealed one.

How SoPs interact with your claim strategy

• Which conditions to claim. You might have claimable conditions under multiple SoPs. Missing one means leaving compensation on the table.
• Which factor to rely on. Many SoPs have multiple applicable factors. Pick the one with the strongest evidence.
• What evidence to gather. Once you know your target factor, evidence requirements become specific. The lifting factor needs cumulative weight calculations. The flying factor needs logged hours.
• Whether to claim onset or worsening. Different evidence requirements. For worsening, you need to show the condition existed before service and that a factor materially contributed to making it worse.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if my condition doesn’t have an SoP?

DVA generally cannot accept a claim for it. However, the RMA has a process for investigating new conditions and creating new SoPs. You or your advocate can request an investigation. In very limited circumstances, DVA can consider claims through the SoP Advisory Committee pathway.

Can the RMA change an SoP after my claim is lodged?

Yes. The RMA updates SoPs as new evidence emerges. The version in force at the date of decision applies. If an SoP change affects a previously rejected claim, it may be worth lodging fresh under the new instrument.

Do I need to identify the SoP factor in my claim?

Delegates are required to consider all relevant factors. But in practice, if you don’t identify the factor and provide directed evidence, the delegate may not connect the dots. Always identify your target factor and build evidence around it.

What’s the difference between clinical onset and clinical worsening?

Clinical onset is when the condition first appeared. Clinical worsening is when a pre-existing condition got materially worse. They use different factor sets in the SoP. If your condition started during service, use onset factors. If it existed before and service made it worse, use worsening factors.

How do SoPs relate to GARP M and impairment points?

SoPs determine whether DVA accepts liability (yes or no). GARP M determines how much compensation by assessing severity and assigning impairment points. They’re separate processes. A condition can be accepted under an SoP but rated at zero points if it’s not causing significant functional limitation.

Are SoP factors the same for MRCA and VEA claims?

The factors themselves are the same. What differs is the standard of proof (RH or BoP), which depends on service type. The service type determines which SoP instrument is used, not the legislation under which you claim.

Where can I get help understanding which factors apply to me?

Book a free discovery call. We map every condition to the relevant SoP, identify the strongest factors for your service type, and tell you exactly what evidence you need.