How booking works
Tell us which jobs around the house you need help with. We match them to what your DVA approval covers and book a regular time that suits you.
Still waiting on DVA? You can contact us while your application is in progress.
Veterans in Durack
Durack had 3,730 residents at the 2021 Census, and 148 people aged 15 and over there had previously served in the Australian Defence Force (ABS).
Of them, 11% were aged 65 or over and 41% were under 45.
Durack is in the Palmerston council area.
Homes in Durack
At the 2021 Census, 95% of the 1,271 occupied homes in Durack were separate houses, 3% were semi-detached, terrace or townhouses, and 2% were flats or apartments (ABS). If your approval includes the yard, we also do lawn mowing and gardening and gutter cleaning.
45% of homes were rented. You can get Household Services whether you own or rent. For garden work, DVA looks at whether your lease makes the yard your responsibility.
15% of households were one person living alone. When DVA decides what help is reasonable, it considers what the people you live with could do, so say in your claim if you live alone.
Support for veterans near Durack
- Veterans' and families' hub: Veteran & Family Wellbeing Centre in Stuart Park, about 14 km away.
- Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling has an office in Winnellie, about 10 km away, and answers 1800 011 046 at any time.
- RSL South Australia supports veterans across the Northern Territory.
Enquire about household services
Tell us what you need help with.
How DVA cleaning and gardening work
DVA pays for cleaning, lawn mowing and gardening, window cleaning and gutter cleaning through Household Services, when a condition DVA has accepted as linked to your service stops you doing that work yourself. A Gold or White Card doesn't approve it on its own. The help has to be in a written determination that sets the tasks, the amount of help and the dates it covers.
Jobs you did yourself
Household Services replace work you used to do and can't manage now because of your accepted condition. If you always paid a cleaner or gardener before your injury or illness, DVA won't take that over, and it won't approve help because of ageing on its own. DVA also considers what the people you live with could reasonably do, but it doesn't expect them to give up work, study, sport or community commitments to take on extra housework.
What DVA won't pay for
DVA's policy treats anything to do with trees, painting and repairs, plumbing and electrical work, pest control, landscaping and taking away big rubbish as home maintenance, not household services. Washing the car, walking the dog and packing boxes to move house aren't covered either. On a rural block, DVA only funds mowing of up to 2 hectares around the house.
How to apply
Claim with DVA form D9319, Claim for Household Services Compensation. Say which jobs you did yourself, which you can still manage and which you can't do safely now. Email it to [email protected], post it to GPO Box 9998, Brisbane QLD 4001, or make the claim by phone. DVA may then arrange an assessment with an occupational therapist. Let DVA arrange it, because it can't pay for an assessment you book privately.
Your approval
DVA's policy is that new approvals and renewals run for five years, unless a shorter period suits your situation. Check the task, the amount of help, how often and the start and end dates. "Two hours per fortnight" means two service hours every two weeks, not two visits, and hours for one task can't be moved to another unless your approval says so.
Booking with AusVeterans
Under Household Services you choose your own provider. Once your approval includes the work, send us your DVA file number, claim reference, TRN and a copy of your current approval letter. We invoice DVA directly through its Provider Upload Page, within your approval, so you don't pay. Visits can only go ahead while your approval is current.
If you get help from another program
Veterans' Home Care, the NDIS, My Aged Care and local councils can also fund help at home, but the same help can't be paid for twice. Once DVA approves Household Services for you under the MRCA, you can't also get Veterans' Home Care domestic assistance or home and garden maintenance. Compare Veterans' Home Care and Household Services.
Common questions
What household services are available?
Cleaning, lawn mowing, gardening, window cleaning and gutter cleaning.
Do I need DVA approval?
DVA approval is required for funded Household Services. You can also contact us while your application is in progress.
Does a Gold Card mean DVA pays for a cleaner?
No. A Gold or White Card doesn't by itself approve help at home. Cleaning or gardening has to be approved in a written Household Services determination.
Can I get Household Services if someone else lives with me?
Yes, it's possible. DVA considers what the people you live with could reasonably do, but it doesn't expect them to give up work, study, sport or community commitments to do extra housework.
How long does an approval last?
DVA's policy is that new approvals and renewals run for five years, unless a shorter period suits your situation. Your determination shows the start and end dates.
Can I get Household Services and Veterans' Home Care?
Not for the same help. Once DVA approves Household Services under the MRCA, you can't also get VHC domestic assistance or home and garden maintenance. Respite care is only available through VHC.
What do you need from me to start?
Your DVA file number, claim reference, TRN and a copy of your current approval letter, plus the services you need and your suburb.