Dependents & Family Support
When a veteran's health or service affects the whole family, DVA recognises that families have entitlements too.
Surviving spouses and wholly dependent partners may be entitled to an ongoing partner service pension, bereavement payments, and access to the DVA Gold Card. These entitlements exist in their own right and don't require the veteran to have made claims before passing.
Dependent children have access to the Veterans' Children Education Scheme (VCES), which provides financial assistance through secondary and tertiary education. We help families identify every applicable entitlement and manage the process from start to finish.
Support available for partners and children
DVA's family support entitlements fall into two main categories: payments and healthcare for partners and spouses, and education support for dependent children.
How we help
We identify all applicable partner and dependent entitlements based on the veteran's service history and the family's circumstances.
We prepare bereavement payment applications and partner service pension claims, including all supporting documentation.
We assist with Gold Card applications for eligible surviving partners.
We support VCES applications for dependent children, confirming eligibility and preparing the required documentation.
What to expect when you work with us
Entitlement Review
We review the veteran's service history and the family's circumstances to identify every applicable payment, pension, and healthcare entitlement.
Documentation
We prepare the required forms and gather supporting evidence, including the veteran's service records and relevant medical and financial documents.
Application Lodgement
We lodge all applications with DVA and follow up on progress. We handle any requests from DVA for additional information.
Ongoing Support
We stay available to assist with reviews, changes in circumstances, and any follow-on applications that arise.
Common questions
Ready to get started?
Book a free consultation and we'll walk you through your options. No jargon, no pressure — just a straight conversation about what you may be entitled to and how we can help.
Book a free consultation