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GARP Chapter 22: Your Lifestyle Rating, Explained Simply

A second number, 0 to 7, that changes your payment as much as your points do — and the only part of the process you get to fill in yourself.

Veterans Health Centre · 7 September 2026 · 6 min read

Your payment is not decided by impairment points alone. There is a second number, and this is it.

The lifestyle rating runs from 0 to 7. It can change your weekly payment substantially at the same number of points.

It is also the only part of the whole process you can fill in yourself.

What it measures

Four areas, all equally weighted:

Personal relationships — social, family, intimate
Mobility — getting about, driving, transport
Recreation and community — hobbies, sport, clubs, volunteering
Work and home — employment and domestic tasks

The Guide is clear that pain, poor sleep, poor memory and poor concentration all have to be taken into account.

The maths

There are five tables. Work and home each get one, and you take the higher of those two. Add that to the other three scores. Divide by four. Round, with 0.5 going up.

Because you divide by four, one very bad area on its own moves the average by less than you would think. Scoring honestly across all four is what counts.

Three ways it can be done

Option 1 — you assess yourself. You fill in a Lifestyle Rating Self Assessment Form.

Option 2 — DVA sets it from your points. This happens if you do not fill anything in. It gives you the minimum consistent with your impairment level.

Option 3 — you fill in the Lifestyle Questionnaire and DVA works out the rating from your answers plus everything else on file.

Choose Option 1 or 3. Option 2 is the default for people who did not engage, and it gives you the floor.

What happens if DVA disagrees with your self-assessment

Worth knowing, because it is not symmetrical.

If they think you underrated yourself, they substitute a higher rating.
If they think you overrated yourself, you get a second chance — you are offered the Lifestyle Questionnaire, and the rating is worked out from that.

They cannot simply cut your number without giving you that opportunity.

How to fill it in properly

Two mistakes to avoid.

Do not be stoic. The scale descriptions are specific. Rating 2 for relationships is "social contacts and activities are reduced". Rating 4 is "most relationships are unsatisfying, much less time spent socialising than before". If that is you, do not tick 1 because you feel you should cope.

Do not overreach either. Rating 7 means all relationships are prevented. If DVA thinks the rating is inconsistent with your impairment level, you end up back at the questionnaire.

Answer it honestly and it should land where it belongs.

A useful exercise before you fill it in

Write two lists. What you did in 2015. What you did last month.

Sports and hobbies you have dropped
Friends you have stopped seeing
Places you no longer drive to
Jobs around the house someone else now does
Family events you have skipped

The gap between those two lists is the lifestyle rating. Most veterans are surprised by it once it is on paper.

Interim payments

If your conditions have not stabilised and an interim payment is being calculated, the lifestyle rating is set by a fixed method rather than by your choice. Once everything is stable, the three options above apply.

What this means for you

Always choose Option 1 or Option 3. Never let it default.
Write the two lists first. 2015 and last month.
Include pain, sleep and concentration. The Guide requires them to be counted.
Answer honestly, not stoically. Read the descriptions and pick the one that fits.
Get help filling it in if you tend to play things down.

Common questions

Does the lifestyle rating really change the money?

Yes, substantially. At the same impairment points, a higher lifestyle rating produces a higher weekly amount.

Can DVA reduce my self-assessed rating?

Not directly. They must first offer you the Lifestyle Questionnaire and work the rating out from that.

What if I am retired and work does not apply?

Work and home are compared and the higher is used, so a retired veteran is not disadvantaged.

You can see how points and lifestyle interact on our free DVA payout calculator.

Next in this series

Chapter 23: turning points into dollars.

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.

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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.

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