It's been 911 days since Anne lodged her claim with Veterans' Affairs. She's still waiting

Air force veteran Anne Taylor has been grappling with multiple health conditions while waiting two-and-a-half years for the Department of Veterans' Affairs to process her claims. Subscribe now for unlimited access. Save $100 + Bonus Tote All articles from our website & app The digital version of Today's Paper Crosswords, Sudoku and Trivia All other in your area Anne Taylor is a Canberra veteran who wants DVA to improve its claims processing. Picture by Keegan Carroll The 61-year-old has scars both physical and emotional from her three decades of service, including scarring on the lungs, occupational asthma and post-traumatic stress disorder. "You get exposed to stuff," Ms Taylor said. Attending a critical incident involving an F-18 aircraft crash with no survivors took a heavy toll. "It was something that I had buried for a lot of years and finally caught up with me after I lost other mates in aircraft crashes," she told The Canberra Times. Ms Taylor is among veterans raising concerns about DVA's claims processing times, which the Albanese government has claimed to have fixed. "These delays impact on your mental health and wellbeing," she said. "I go through an advocate because I find it very confronting, and it brings on a lot of anxiety when dealing directly with DVA." While Australians who need assistance from Services Australia can access support through a shopfront, Ms Taylor said, "you have to plan your day around calling DVA". "It's very hard to get a human to pick up," she said. "Everything's faceless. There's a portal where you can put in an inquiry, concern or complaint, but you may not get a response." She did not blame the staff working in the agency, who were "doing the best they can," but took issue with the systems and processes that forced veterans to keep re-submitting the same information, and delays that led to being told fresh medical evidence was needed. Ms Taylor said she had been advised that her claims could take another 18 months to finalise, meaning as long as four years in the DVA system from lodgement to finalisation. "That's just not acceptable," she said. "I'm speaking up because there are so many people in the same boat as me. "In the Air Force, you say 'we're flying blind' ... That creates uncertainty and it does play on your mental health." ACT independent senator David Pocock said he commended Labor for trying to improve DVA processing times but that "clearly some veterans are still waiting far too long". Waiting two-and-a-half years with potential for another year of delay was not "the level of service we should provide any Australian, especially people who have served our country". Veterans laid down their medals on the lawn outside Parliament House on Monday before meeting with Veterans' Affairs Minister Matt Keogh and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Mr Albanese told parliamentary question time ahead of his meeting: "Our veterans have stepped up for us, and we must step up for them." The government has so far resisted calls to scrap plans to impose a $5000 cap on veterans' allied health services. Opposition veterans' affairs spokesperson Michael McCormack pressed the issue in question time, saying the minister "has been unable to name a single ex-service organisation" that supported the changes. Mr Albanese said that his government "continues to consult" on the allied health changes, while defending the policy and saying it would not remove care over the cap where there was a clinical need. Senator Pocock has written to Mr Keogh proposing alternative policy options and asking the minister to attend a roundtable to hear first hand from veterans. "I am yet to receive a response," he said. ACT Liberal Senate candidate Nick Tyrrell said ACT Labor senator and Finance and Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher had told reporters during the 2025 election campaign that veterans' claims were being processed "in a matter of months". "Veterans tell me otherwise: they're being left on hold, and left waiting," Mr Tyrrell said. "And they'll be left begging if Labor goes through with its $5000 cap on allied health care." Ms Taylor also said her son's DVA education assistance took about eight months to be approved, compared with a study assistance application through Services Australia taking six to eight weeks. She called for an external, independent review of DVA claims processing and service delivery, along with "transparency, realistic timeframes, and accountability". "We need to ask whether the system is delivering the timely and prompt service that DVA itself says veterans should receive." The Prime Minister said his government's priority "is ensuring that veterans receive high-quality care that supports their health and their wellbeing". "The debt that we owe our veterans isn't one that can be paid in gratitude alone," he said. "It has to be paid by making sure that they get the services that they need." More from Health Be the first to know when news breaks. Your exclusive preview of David Pope's latest cartoon. Don't miss updates on news about the Public Service. Join our weekly poll for Canberra Times readers. Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. 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