ADF Discharge Entitlements: Your Complete Guide to Benefits and Compensation
Leaving the Australian Defence Force can feel like stepping into the unknown: where do you start, and what are you actually owed? Understanding your ADF discharge entitlements early helps you secure the compensation, superannuation, and support programs you've earned, whether you're discharging medically or completing your service. In this guide, we'll show you exactly what you're entitled to, how to claim it, and the key actions to take before your discharge date so nothing slips through the cracks. Read on to move forward with confidence and make the most of every benefit available to you.
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What Are ADF Discharge Entitlements?
ADF discharge entitlements are the benefits, compensation, and support services available when you leave service. These entitlements vary based on your discharge type, length of service, and whether you have service-related injuries or conditions.
Your entitlements may include:
Financial compensation through DVA for service-related conditions
Superannuation invalidity benefits if you're unable to work
Medical treatment for accepted injuries
Career transition training
Relocation support
The key is knowing which benefits apply to your situation and how to access them properly.
Types of ADF Discharge and How They Affect Your Entitlements
There are three main modes of separation:
resignation (you request to leave)
retirement (you leave due to age or completion of long service)
termination of service (the ADF initiates your discharge).
Your discharge category significantly impacts what entitlements you can access and how quickly you receive them.
Medical Discharge
A medical discharge is an involuntary termination of employment by the ADF on the grounds of permanent or at least long-term unfitness to serve, or unfitness for operational deployment. This type of discharge typically provides access to the most comprehensive entitlements.
The ADF, not DVA, handles the medical discharge process. When you're medically discharged, the Medical Employment Classification Review Board (MECRB) examines your medical condition and service records to determine if you can continue in Defence service.
DVA is not involved in any way with the ADF's decision to discharge or retain you. That's purely an administrative matter between you and the Department of Defence.
Once the MECRB recommends discharge, you'll have access to DVA compensation for service-related conditions (which you need to claim), superannuation invalidity benefits through the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation, and automatic eligibility for the highest level of career transition support.
Here's what matters most: you should lodge your DVA initial liability claim well before your discharge date. This avoids income gaps during transition.
Voluntary Discharge
Members who resign or complete their period of service may still be entitled to benefits if they have service-related injuries or conditions. Many veterans don't realise they can claim DVA compensation even after voluntary discharge. If you meet eligibility requirements, you have the same access to compensation as anyone else.
Your entitlements may include:
Superannuation based on your service length
Career transition assistance depending on years served
DVA compensation if you have accepted service-related conditions
The challenge with voluntary discharge is that veterans often miss out on benefits. They don't understand the claims process or wait too long to apply.
Administrative Discharge
Administrative separations, including discharge for disciplinary reasons, may affect your entitlements differently. While superannuation entitlements typically remain intact, access to some DVA benefits may depend on the specific circumstances of your discharge and whether you have service-related conditions.
DVA Compensation: Your Primary Financial Entitlement
If your condition is related to service on or after 1 July 2004, support is available under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA). This legislation provides the framework for most current veterans' compensation claims.
DVA doesn't handle your discharge; the ADF does. But DVA does provide compensation and support for service-related injuries and conditions once you've left service.
Permanent Impairment Payments
Permanent impairment compensation is available when you have a service-related injury or condition that won't significantly improve with treatment. You must meet a minimum threshold of 10 impairment points under MRCA to qualify for compensation. Below 10 points, no compensation is payable.
Our Permanent Impairment Claims service helps veterans navigate the complex assessment process. We ensure you receive the full compensation you're entitled to. The assessment considers both your level of impairment and any lifestyle restrictions caused by your service-related conditions.
The rates of compensation benefits that may be payable under MRCA are current from 20 September 2025 to 31 December 2025, with additional payments available for severely impaired veterans with eligible dependants totalling $111,173.19.
Incapacity Payments
Incapacity benefits are payments for economic loss due to the inability or reduced ability to work because of an injury or disease accepted as service-related under MRCA. These regular payments replace lost income when you can't work due to service-related conditions. They're not automatic; you need to claim them.
Following a medical discharge related to an accepted service injury or disease, DVA policy aligns with the MECRB decision, providing medical certification for up to 12 weeks of incapacity from the date of discharge.
After this period, you'll need medical certificates from treating doctors to demonstrate continuing incapacity for civilian work.
Incapacity payments continue for as long as you remain unable to work due to your service-related condition and continue rehabilitation efforts. These payments are taxable when the income they replace would have been taxable.
Healthcare Through Gold and White Cards
Veterans with sufficient impairment points or specific service history may qualify for DVA healthcare cards. Veterans who have served in the ADF may be eligible for a DVA White Card or DVA Gold Card for healthcare services at DVA's expense.
Our Gold and White Cards service helps you understand eligibility requirements and how to access these benefits.
The Gold Card requires 60 or more MRCA impairment points and provides comprehensive healthcare coverage.
The White Card covers treatment for accepted service-related conditions only.
You don't apply directly for a Gold Card. Instead, you need to reach 60 impairment points through your DVA claims. We help you maximise your impairment assessment to reach this threshold.
Superannuation Benefits: Understanding Your CSC Entitlements
The Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation (CSC) may provide superannuation invalidity benefits when, after ADF medical transition or a retrospective invalidity assessment, you're classified as having reduced capacity for relevant civilian employment. These benefits are separate from DVA compensation and work alongside your other entitlements. Still, they do interact: DVA incapacity payments are reduced dollar for dollar by the Commonwealth-funded portion of any superannuation invalidity pension (your own contributions aren't counted in this offset).
Invalidity Classifications
Class A: severe impairment that essentially restricts you from relevant civilian employment (typically the highest level of support).
Class B: moderate incapacity; you may have some capacity for civilian work but still qualify for an invalidity benefit.
Class C: not fit for ADF duty but generally fit for civilian employment with minimal restriction; no invalidity pension is payable.
How Invalidity Benefits Work
Calculation: Benefits are based on your scheme's rules and usually reflect your salary and service; formulas differ across schemes and between Class A and Class B.
Duration and review: Payments continue while you remain classified as Class A or B and are subject to periodic medical reviews; they may change or cease if you’re reclassified (for example, to Class C). Reentering the ADF cancels the invalidity pension.
No double dipping: You can't be paid twice for the same incapacity; the systems are designed to work together, not duplicate payments.
Retrospective Invalidity Claims
If you were discharged without going through the medical transition process, you may still be able to claim invalidity benefits retrospectively.
CSC has reported a significant increase in retrospective invalidity applications and is experiencing processing delays.
The assessment asks whether grounds existed at the time of discharge for medical transition; evidence focuses on the medical conditions and incapacity present at that date.
The process can be slow and complex, so ensure your evidence is complete and aligned to the discharge timeframe.
Career Transition Assistance Scheme (CTAS)
The Career Transition Assistance Scheme helps ADF members move into civilian employment through training and related support, with benefits determined by your length of service and reason for separation. CTAS has three levels:
Level 1 (under 12 years)
Level 2 (12–18 years)
Level 3 (18+ years or compulsory separation reasons, including medical unfitness).
Medical discharges qualify for CTAS Level 3 regardless of service length.
CTAS support includes a Career Transition Training (CTT) contribution toward approved training and career transition/coaching services (for example, CV and job‐search coaching) to help translate military experience into civilian roles. The level of support you receive is set by your service and discharge type.
What can be funded (approved and capped):
Tertiary subjects aligned to your post-service goals
Trade qualifications and licenses
Professional development courses
Relocation and Removal Entitlements
If you cease continuous full-time service, including retirement, retrenchment, or completing a period of engagement, you may be eligible for a removal benefit under PACMAN, subject to the policy's exclusions. Removal benefits can assist you in relocating to a chosen location in Australia, though member contributions or other conditions can apply.
What the Entitlement Can Include
Transport of your furniture and effects/portable household items
Related allowances, such as disturbance allowance and temporary accommodation allowance
Eligible travel costs for you (and dependants, where applicable)
Important Caveats
Restrictions do apply based on your service history and discharge type; for example, some members who cease CFTS are not eligible, limits can apply when relocating from a family benefit location, and special rules may apply for involuntary separation through a member's fault.
The Importance of Your Discharge Documentation
Your discharge paperwork matters. The recorded reason for separation can affect Defence and CSC outcomes, such as CTAS tiering and CSC invalidity assessments, and may influence how others interpret your service history. DVA compensation is decided on evidence of service connection rather than the discharge label itself, but accurate records make claims simpler.
If your paperwork shows "at own request" when service-related health issues were present, you could miss out on CTAS Level 3 support and complicate CSC invalidity pathways. It will not stop a DVA claim, but you may need stronger medical and service evidence to prove the link to service.
What to do:
Review your discharge documents carefully before they are finalised.
If you are being medically discharged, make sure this is clearly recorded.
Do not resign solely to "make it faster" if you have service-related conditions; medical transition can unlock higher support.
If you have already separated and the reason is wrong, ask about correcting the recorded reason after discharge.
Why Timing Matters: Lodging Claims Before Discharge
Lodge your DVA claim before you leave service whenever you can. You are allowed to claim while serving, and doing so makes it easier to gather evidence because your ADF medical records and recent assessments are readily accessible.
Early lodgement helps reduce the risk of gaps; incapacity payments generally start after liability is accepted, but DVA can begin processing your claim before discharge, and treatment may be available while you wait via programs like Provisional Access to Medical Treatment (PAMT) and Non-Liability Health Care for mental health.
Typical DVA processing takes several months, and complex matters, especially Permanent Impairment, can take longer.
Starting early improves your chances of having decisions and supports in place when you transition.
Common Mistakes That Cost Veterans Their Entitlements
Even well-prepared veterans can miss out on support because of small missteps during transition. Use this guide to spot common pitfalls, understand why they matter, and take simple actions to protect every entitlement you have earned.
Failing to Claim All Eligible Conditions
Don’t stop at the obvious injury. List every condition you believe is service-related, including mental health, sleep disorders, and secondary/consequential conditions. Provide a diagnosis and evidence for each.
Not Understanding DVA vs CSC
DVA covers compensation/treatment for service-related conditions; CSC provides superannuation invalidity based on civilian work capacity. You may receive both, but DVA incapacity is reduced dollar for dollar by the Commonwealth-funded portion of any CSC invalidity pension.
Accepting Inadequate Medical Evidence
Outcomes hinge on evidence quality. Use condition-appropriate assessments (e.g., audiology for hearing loss, DSM-5 psychiatric reports for PTSD) and documentation suitable for GARP M for Permanent Impairment. Experienced advocates can help you obtain the right reports.
Waiting to Apply
There's generally no strict time limit, but delays make proof harder. Records get archived and memories fade. Lodge as early as you can.
How We Help Veterans Maximise Their Entitlements
We are an independent advocacy service that works for veterans, not DVA. Our role is to help Australian veterans navigate DVA claims, enabling you to access every entitlement you are eligible for.
What We Do for You
Map your service history and health to identify every condition that may be service-related, not just the obvious ones
Guide the complete claims pathway, from initial assessment through Permanent Impairment claims and healthcare card applications.
Coordinate condition-appropriate medical evidence with providers who understand DVA requirements and can document impairment accurately.
Prepare and lodge submissions, manage correspondence and deadlines, and keep your claim moving with complete, consistent information.
Explain how DVA compensation and CSC superannuation interact so you understand the whole picture of your entitlements.
How We Work
Provide evidence first, not inflated claims; our focus is on an accurate record of your impairment and needs.
Clear communication, plain language, and regular updates so you always know what is happening.
A transparent, professional fee that reflects the expertise applied to your claim; our accountability is to you
FAQs: ADF Discharge Entitlements
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Yes, you can claim DVA compensation for service-related conditions even after voluntary discharge. The key is proving the injury or condition is connected to your ADF service. Many veterans successfully claim years after discharge, though earlier claims are generally easier to prove with fresh medical evidence and accessible service records.
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Superannuation payments typically process within weeks of discharge. DVA compensation claims can take several months to over a year, depending on complexity. Some permanent impairment claims take 6 to 9 months, though timeframes vary based on DVA workload and how efficiently your claim is managed. Lodging your DVA claim before discharge significantly reduces waiting times.
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Your guaranteed entitlements depend on your discharge type and service history. All separating members receive their accumulated superannuation and may qualify for relocation support. If you have service-related injuries or conditions, you may be entitled to DVA compensation, but this requires a successful claim assessment. Nothing is automatic—you need to claim it.
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You have the right to request reconsideration of rejected DVA decisions and can appeal through the Veterans' Review Board if necessary. Professional guidance significantly improves success rates for reconsiderations and appeals. We can help you understand why your claim was rejected and what additional evidence might support a successful reconsideration.
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This depends on your individual circumstances, financial goals, and impairment level. Lump sums provide immediate capital for major expenses like home modifications or paying down debt. Regular payments provide ongoing income security. We can help you evaluate which option best suits your situation, considering your age, financial obligations, and long-term needs.
Take Control of Your Entitlements
Knowing your ADF discharge entitlements is the first step to securing the compensation, super, career support, and healthcare you have earned. While Defence manages your separation, we gather the evidence and handle the DVA process so you do not miss out. Ready for a smoother transition that respects your service and sets you up for civilian life. Contact Veterans First Consulting for a free eligibility review and clear next steps.
Simplify Your DVA Claim: Get the Compensation You Deserve
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