Blog › GARP series

GARP Chapter 13: Conditions Rated at Nil, Explained Simply

One table, one rating, and it is zero. But how a condition got parked here is worth checking, and getting it accepted anyway is worth doing.

Veterans Health Centre · 7 September 2026 · 3 min read

Chapter 13 is the shortest chapter in the Guide. One table, one rating, and the rating is nil.

What is it for?

Every accepted condition has to be assessed. Even the ones that no longer cause anything.

Chapter 13 is where they go. It covers:

an infection you fully recovered from
an injury you fully recovered from
a condition causing no current impairment

The rating is zero.

Why bother?

Two reasons, and they both matter to you.

First, it proves the condition was looked at. A missing condition looks like an oversight. A condition rated at nil under Chapter 13 is on the record as assessed.

Second, and more useful: conditions change. A knee that is fine today may not be fine in ten years. Having it accepted and on the file, even at nil, means that when it does deteriorate you are asking for a reassessment, not making a new claim from scratch.

The trap

Chapter 13 is only meant for conditions that would not score higher somewhere else. The Guide says so directly.

So before a condition gets parked at nil, the right question is: has the correct chapter actually been checked?

Things we see rated at nil that should not have been:

A "recovered" back injury that still stops you sitting for more than half an hour. That is Chapter 3.
Scarring from surgery that you cover up. That is Chapter 17.
An old injury that flares a few times a year. That is Chapter 15.
Reflux "controlled" on a daily tablet. That rates 5 under Chapter 6.
A removed kidney with normal function. That rates 5 under Chapter 9.

"It doesn't bother me much" is not the same as "no current impairment".

What this means for you

Check what has been rated nil on your assessment, and why.
Ask which chapter was checked before it was parked here.
Do not stop mentioning something just because it scored nothing last time.
Get it accepted anyway. A nil rating today is the doorway to a reassessment later.

Common questions

Is it worth claiming something that will score nothing?

Usually yes. Acceptance now makes any future deterioration a reassessment rather than a fresh claim with fresh evidence requirements.

Can a nil rating be changed later?

Yes. If the condition worsens, it is reassessed. Compensation requires the overall rating to rise by at least 5 points.

Does a nil rating count towards my total?

It adds nothing to the number. It does keep the condition live on your file.

Next in this series

Chapter 14: cancer.

Want a hand with yours?

If you have a permanent impairment assessment coming up, we do these every week. Call 0429 146 039 or email reception@vhc.org.au.

Dr Thomas Perkins

The expert in veterans’ medicolegal medicine — Expert DVA Doctor.

Dr Thomas Perkins with his RAAF squadron patches — Dr Thomas Perkins — RAAF aviation medical officer, 3 AME SQN and 2EHS patches behind him

In the consulting room at the Ipswich clinic

Every accepted condition examined face to face

Dr Perkins’ RAAF unit and deployment patches — Thirteen years of unit and deployment patches — 3 AME SQN, 2EHS, HOCU, Operation Resolute

Veterans Health Centre business card — Veterans Health Centre — Specialist Centre, 77 East St, Ipswich

Dr Thomas Perkins is the founding doctor at the Veterans Health Centre in Ipswich, Queensland, and the leading expert in veterans’ medicolegal work in Australia. He has spent over 13 years working exclusively with current and former Australian Defence Force members — treating conditions, writing reports, and navigating the DVA system alongside them.

With 100,000+ DVA claims submitted and over 2,000 Permanent Impairment Assessments completed, Dr Perkins brings a depth of experience that simply cannot be replicated from a textbook. He understands the Statements of Principles, the GARP tables, the imaging that proves what a physical examination alone cannot — and the difference that a properly written report makes at every level, from initial liability through to the VRB.

Every chart review, every diagnostic assessment, and every impairment rating is personally overseen by Dr Perkins. If you’re looking for a doctor who knows veterans medicine inside and out, you’ve found the right clinic.

Book appointment