Skip to main content
  • Get support
    The support you may be able to get depends on your circumstances.
    Currently serving
    While serving, the NZDF will take care of your health and wellbeing issues. If you have qualifying service, we may be able to provide you with home help. Register now with Veterans’ Affairs, and when you need some support, we’ll be ready to help you.
    Ex-serving
    We can provide you with health, rehabilitation and financial support if you have a condition related to your service. We can also provide home help assistance and financial support for you to commemorate your service.
    Family and whānau
    How we can support you, your family and whānau.
    Non-military personnel
    Non-military personnel can have Qualifying Operational Service in certain circumstances.
    A-Z list of services and entitlements
    View all of the services and entitlements available to qualifying veterans and their family and whānau.
  • Remembrance
    We're proud to honour the service of the veteran community.
    Services Cemeteries and plaques and headstones
    We help look after Services Cemeteries. We're also able to contribute towards plaques and headstones.
    Commemorative funding
    There are two types of financial contributions available from the Commemorative Fund.
    Medals and service records
    The NZ Defence Force's Personnel Archives and Medals team ​administer medals and hold most New Zealand military service records.
    ​When someone dies
    We may be able to provide support when someone who had Qualifying Service dies.
    Your family's military history
    Learning more about your family's military history is a great way to honour their service.
    Certificate of Appreciation and Veterans' Pins
    The Certificate of Appreciation and Veteran's Pin recognise operational service.
    NZ Post Stamps
    This series of stamps explores the stories of 6 veterans deployed after 1995. You can purchase the stamps on the NZ Post website.
  • Eligibility
    To be eligible to receive support from us, you — or certain family members — need to have Qualifying Service.
    Check your eligibility
    Check the support, services, or entitlements you may be able to get from us.
    Qualifying Service
    To get support from us you — or certain family members — need to have Qualifying Service.
    Living outside NZ
    You can still get support from us even if you live outside NZ.
    Eligibility criteria for family and dependants
    You may be able to get support if you're the spouse, partner, child or dependant of someone with Qualifying Service.
    Veterans of foreign militaries
    Veterans' Affairs New Zealand was established to support New Zealand veterans.
  • For clients
    We put veterans and our clients at the heart of everything we do.
    If you have a question at any stage, please contact us — we're here to help.
    How we'll work with you
    We'll work with you to help you get the best support available.
    Your treatment card
    Your treatment card helps you get no-cost treatment and medication for your approved conditions.
    Your rights and responsibilities
    ​We want to make sure you have the best possible experience when you deal with us.
    Payments
    Information on payment rates and dates.
    How we make decisions
    We use a number of tools and processes to make decisions. This helps ensure each decision we make is fair and treats our clients consistently.​
    Living outside NZ
    You can still get support from us even if you live outside NZ.
    Other benefits
    You may be able to access a range of discounts and benefits. Not only that, your family may get access too.
    Information about claims
    Information on processing times, how to make a claim, and what happens next.
  • For providers
    Information for providers of services to Veterans' Affairs and our clients.
    Treatment cards and letters
    To help you identify our clients, we issue treatment cards and letters.
    Invoicing us
    How to invoice us to ensure we pay you quickly and correctly.
    Treating our clients
    Information for healthcare professionals providing treatment to our clients.
    Councils and local authorities
    Guidance for councils and local authorities relating to services cemeteries and memorials
    Forms
    Forms for our clients, family and whānau, and our providers.
    Audiologists
    Schedules of fees, invoicing and application instructions, and information for treating hearing needs.
    How military service affects the health of veterans
    Veterans can experience physical and mental health conditions disproportionately compared to the general public. Different NZDF 'operations' may be linked to higher rates of specific conditions. Understanding a veteran's service can help you to understand their health.

Chat with Pat—Winter 2018

Pat Povey is a familiar reassuring face—or voice—to many who interact with Veterans’ Affairs.

Pat Povey, Manager Veterans’ Services

Starting off as a Case Manager, she later became a Case Management Team Leader. Pat is now the Manager Veterans’ Services and looks after the case management, enquiry line and rehabilitation teams. VA News sat down recently with Pat in the first of a new quarterly series—Chat with Pat.

VA News: It’s a busy time of year for you and your team Pat. Thank you for sitting down with us. As we reach the middle of the year, what’s the focus for you and your teams?

Pat: Our priority is to get support such as medical alarms in place as quickly as possible. We’re particularly mindful of this given the risk of falls during the winter months here in New Zealand.

VA News: What’s been one of common misconceptions you’ve heard recently?

Pat: I’ve been hearing a lot lately that you need to have a condition accepted as service-related to get support from us. This isn’t quite correct. While you need—in most situations— to have a service-related condition to receive impairment or income compensation from us, we have a number of other ways we can provide support. The Veterans’ Independence Programme provides a number of services to veterans with qualifying service, such as lawn and garden maintenance or medical alarms. The exact services a veteran can get depend on their unique circumstances, so it’s best to get in touch with us to talk about how we might be able to help. We’re also able to provide financial contributions to support veterans returning to their place of qualifying service. I always enjoy hearing stories and seeing pictures from veterans who have revisited the places where they’ve served New Zealand. It can really provide a sense of closure.

VA News: We’re now approaching the middle of winter here in New Zealand. During the winter months a lot of kiwis visit their local medical centre. What is your top tip for veterans to discuss with their health care professional?

Pat: Tell them you’re a veteran if you haven’t already. I’d really encourage veterans to talk to their doctor, community nurse or needs assessor. Let them know you are a veteran as there may be support we can provide over and above that available from their local District Health Board.

VA News: Great tip Pat—thanks. Any final thoughts for our readers?

Pat: While you need—in most situations—to have a service-related condition to receive impairment or income compensation from us, we have a number of other ways we can provide support. If you haven’t spoken to us in a while, please do not hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions or concerns.

Date

09 July 2018

Tags
Last Modified: 13 June 2019
Print