DVA supports the families of veterans in several ways: pensions and compensation for widowed partners and children of veterans whose deaths were service-related, a Gold Card for eligible dependants, education help for children, bereavement and funeral payments, and free counselling through Open Arms.
War widow(er)'s pension and orphan's pension
These VEA pensions compensate widowed partners and dependent children of veterans who died because of war or eligible defence service. They aren't taxed and aren't affected by other income, except other compensation. Pensions already granted continue after 1 July 2026, and DVA still grants them automatically without a claim when the veteran was receiving certain payments. Recipients get their own Gold Card.
War widows and widowers may also get Income Support Supplement, an income- and assets-tested pension, and the Energy Supplement.
Read about war widow(er)'s and orphan's pensions
Compensation for partners and children under the MRCA
For a service-related death, the MRCA pays compensation to dependants. DVA's rates from 20 September to 31 December 2026 include a weekly payment of $630.80 for a wholly dependent partner, and for each eligible young person a lump sum of $115,175.42 and $191.56 a week.
Gold Card entitlements for spouses and dependants
A veteran's Gold Card isn't transferred when they die. Partners and dependants get their own Gold Card only if they're eligible in their own right, such as war widow(er)'s pension recipients. Read about Gold Card eligibility for dependants.
Education help for children
From 1 July 2026, the MRCA Education and Training Scheme (MRCAETS) is the only DVA education scheme; children on the Veterans' Children Education Scheme moved to it without reapplying. It gives eligible children financial help, student support, and guidance and counselling. An eligible child is under 16, or 16 to 25 in full-time education, including apprenticeships, traineeships and cadetships.
Read about DVA education schemes
Bereavement and funeral payments
A bereavement payment is a one-off, non-taxable payment to help a surviving partner adjust after a veteran's DVA payments stop. DVA can also help with funeral costs: from 1 July 2026, it can reimburse funeral expenses of up to $15,530.09 for any service-related death, and pays a funeral allowance of $3,000.00 in the cases that were automatic under the VEA.
Counselling for families
Open Arms offers free counselling for immediate family members of anyone who has served in the ADF. Call 1800 011 046 at any time.
Read about mental health support
Checked against DVA's website on 25 September 2026.