Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, along with war widows or widowers, are being offered free legal help to access disability pensions.
Legal Aid Queensland offers help all year round, but uses Anzac Day as an annual prompt to remind people about the War Veterans’ Legal Aid Scheme.
The program provides legal help for veterans and their dependents wanting to appeal a Veterans’ Review Board decision about their disability entitlements.
Legal Aid Queensland CEO Nicky Davies said she was concerned that veterans, especially those who served in the more recent conflicts, who applied for and were refused a disability pension may not know they can access free help to appeal the decision.
“It’s important veterans, including their widowers/widows and dependents know about this free service because having a disability pension application refused is not the end of the line,” Ms Davies said.
“Veterans don’t have to pay to appeal a decision about a disability pension they’ve applied for – we can provide them with the high-quality legal support they need.”
To be eligible for the scheme, veterans and widows/widowers need to show they or their former partner had performed service during war times, or in overseas operations, and suffered a disability, disease, or died as a result.
“Veterans will need to have had the Veterans’ Review Board decide against their war-caused claim or pension assessment and be at the point where they intend to appeal that decision to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal,” Ms Davies said.
“It’s at this point where we can step in to provide specialised legal support.”
Phone 1300 65 11 88.
