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Support for families of those with service in Viet Nam

There may be a number of support options available to you if you're the family of someone who served in Viet Nam.

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Who can get this

You may be able to get support if you’re related to someone with qualifying operational service in Viet Nam. You must be their:

  • spouse 
  • partner, or
  • child

Qualifying service explained
What you can get

Ex gratia payment for surviving spouse or partner

If you're the surviving spouse or partner of someone who has Qualifying Operational Service in Viet Nam, you may qualify for an ex gratia payment of NZD$25,000.

To be eligible, your spouse or partner must have passed away from either:

  • chloracne
  • Hodgkin's disease
  • non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
  • soft tissue sarcoma
  • chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, including hairy-cell leukaemia and other chronic b-cell leukaemia’s
  • Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)
  • Hypertension.

Your spouse or partner must not have been paid an ex gratia payment for any of the conditions specified.

More information on the ex gratia payment

Ex gratia payment for natural-born children

If you're the natural-born child of someone who has Qualifying Service in Viet Nam, you may qualify for an ex gratia Payment of NZD$30,000.

To be eligible, you need to have been diagnosed with either:

  • acute myeloid leukaemia
  • adrenal gland cancer
  • cleft lip
  • cleft palate
  • spina bifida.

If a child then passes away from any of the conditions specified, their immediate family may be able to claim an ex gratia payment of NZD$30,000.

Counselling

We may be able to provide funding to access psychological counselling for the family of those with Qualifying Operational Service in Viet Nam.

Family includes:

  • children, including whāngai, adopted children, stepchildren and grandchildren raised as the service person's children
  • spouse or partner, including ex-spouse or ex-partner.

Genetic counselling and genetic testing may also be available to children of those with Qualifying Operational Service in Viet Nam. The child must be:

  • the natural-born child of the service person, and
  • conceived after Viet Nam service.

Vietnam Children's Card

The Vietnam Children's Card is for children of Viet Nam veterans, including whāngai, adopted children, stepchildren and grandchildren raised as children. Its purpose is to identify you as such to medical professionals. To access it, you must be registered as the child of a Viet Nam veteran.

Funding from the Viet Nam Veterans & Families Trust

You may be able to get funding from the Viet Nam Veterans & Families Trust. This trust aims to help those most in need in the Viet Nam veteran community.

Funding from the Viet Nam Veterans & Families Trust(external link)
How to apply
Find out more

Last Modified: 13 June 2019
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