The Ex-Service Organisations Round Table (ESORT) met on Tuesday, 27 August 2024.
DVA update – Secretary Alison Frame
The Secretary updated members on several key areas of focus for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA). The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide is due to deliver its final report and recommendations to
the Government on 9 September 2024. The Department has undertaken significant preparatory work in order to try and be positioned to provide initial advice to Government as quickly as possible.
The Secretary noted that the Department has undertaken significant reform over the last five years and was hopeful the Royal Commission would acknowledge the positive changes already made to meet the evolving needs of the veteran community and will obviously set out further areas for reform and improvement.
ESORT members agreed to meet shortly after the release of the Royal Commission’s report to review the recommendations.
The Secretary noted work underway to improve DVA’s program management and capacity to detect, deter, and respond to instances of irregular provider behavior including fraud.
The Secretary noted DVA is working to improve the rate at which invoices are processed for veterans and service providers. DVA is asking providers to Ex-Service Organisations Round Table August 2024 process their invoices through DVA’s online portal, rather than lodging their invoices via email. The Department has put in place support material to guide providers through the process of submitting an invoice on the portal.
The Secretary also informed members that Ms Chantelle Stratford will join the Veteran, Family & Stakeholder Experience Group from Monday, 2 September 2024 for six months to lead the development of the Female Veterans Strategy.
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