GARP Chapter 15: Conditions That Come and Go, Explained Simply

If you take one chapter away from this series, make it this one.

Chapter 15 is for conditions that come and go. Migraine. Epilepsy. Asthma attacks. Vertigo. Crohn's flares. Gout. Cluster headaches.

Every other chapter asks how you are most of the time. If you are fine between attacks, those chapters give you almost nothing — even if you lose 60 days a year.

Chapter 15 fixes that.

How it works

Three questions:

1. How bad is an attack? Scored 0 to VI.
2. How long does it last? Four bands.
3. How many days a year does it cost you?

Severity and duration are combined into a letter code, A through J. Then the letter and the number of days a year meet in a table, and out comes your rating.

How bad — the severity levels

• 0 — minor, easily tolerated
• I — irritating, rarely stops you finishing anything
• II — distressing, but few activities prevented; still independent
• III — many activities affected, some self-care restricted, often need to lie down
• IV — major restrictions, partly dependent on others
• V — cannot care for yourself; managed at home only with great difficulty, or admitted to hospital
• VI — total incapacity, unconscious or delirious

How long — the duration bands

• Transient — up to 5 minutes
• Short — 5 to 30 minutes
• Medium — 30 minutes to 4 hours
• Prolonged — more than 4 hours

An attack lasting more than 24 hours counts as more than one affected day. So a two-day migraine is two days, not one attack.

How often — and why it matters so much

The frequency bands are: 2+, 5+, 10+, 20+, 40+, 70+ and 100+ affected days a year.

Those thresholds are hard edges. Nineteen days a year and twenty days a year can be different ratings.

Some real examples from the table:

• Severe, prolonged attacks (code I) on 100+ days a year — 70 points
• The same attacks on 40 days — 50 points
• Medium-length, moderately severe attacks (code D) on 40 days — 10 points
• The same on 100+ days — 20 points

This is why the diary matters more than anything else you can do.

Different types of attack are scored separately

If your attacks fall into clearly different groups — say, minor migraines twice a week and severe ones once a month — they are grouped separately and each group gets its own rating.

Do not average them yourself. Record them as two different things.

The step almost everyone forgets

Step 10. There is a rating for what you give up between attacks to avoid triggering one.

• You do not drive because of the seizures.
• You do not go to the pub because of the lights.
• You have stopped travelling because of where the toilets are.
• You will not go anywhere without someone with you.
• You avoid heat, or exercise, or alcohol, or crowds.

That is a separate score. Ask for it.

You get the higher of two ways

The Guide says that unless the intermittent nature clearly overwhelms the system-specific effects, or the other way round, both methods should be used and the higher taken.

So an asthma claim should be looked at under Chapter 1 and Chapter 15. A migraine claim under Chapter 5 and Chapter 15. If only one was done, that is a fair question to ask.

What this means for you

• Keep a diary for twelve months. Date, how long, how bad, what you could not do, whether you needed help.
• Count affected days, not attacks. A long attack is several days.
• Split different types of attack into separate groups.
• List what you avoid between attacks. That is Step 10.
• Ask for both chapters to be applied and the higher taken.
• Say if you have been admitted to hospital. That usually points to a high severity level.

Common questions

What counts as an affected day?

A day the attack takes from you. If it lasts two days, that is two affected days.

My attacks are controlled by medication now. Anything?

Rate what actually happens now. But the avoidance rating and the underlying condition are still assessed.

Is a diary really necessary?

It is the single most valuable document you can bring to an assessment for an intermittent condition. Twelve months of dates beats any description.

Next in this series

Chapter 16: activities of daily living.

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.

More reading

What is the GARP? · The chapter map · DVA Claims: PI points calculator · Permanent Impairment Assessments · DVA claims · SoP library

This is general information for Australian veterans. It is not legal advice. It explains Chapter 15 of the Guide to Determining Impairment and Compensation 2026 (F2026L00595), which started on 1 July 2026. The full rules are on the Federal Register of Legislation. Check your own situation with DVA on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).