10 Mistakes That Cost Veterans Impairment Points

These are the ones we see over and over. None of them are the veteran's fault. All of them cost money.

1. Saying "I don't do that any more"

The Guide says this outright for heart and lung claims. That answer is no use.

They need to know what you can do, and what happens when you do it.

Not: "I don't do stairs."

Say: "One flight. Then I'm puffing and have to stop."

2. Out of date tests

Hearing tests and lung function tests must be under six months old.

Turning up with a two-year-old test means it cannot be used. This is the most common avoidable loss in the whole process.

3. Not mentioning pain at rest

If your joints hurt after you stop using them, that is an extra score. On top of everything else.

If it wakes you at night, it scores higher again.

Almost nobody volunteers this. It is worth up to 15 points.

4. No diary for things that come and go

Migraines. Seizures. Flare-ups. Vertigo.

Chapter 15 pays on days lost per year. The bands are 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, 70 and 100 days.

Nineteen days and twenty days can be different ratings. Without a diary, nobody knows which you are.

5. Leaving off the small stuff

Daily thyroid tablets. Reflux controlled by a tablet. A removed kidney with normal function. Dry eyes needing drops. Sunspots being burnt off.

Each is worth 2 to 5 points. Small numbers matter most when your total is low.

6. A vague medical report

This is the expensive one.

If a non-accepted condition is part of the problem, someone has to decide the split. "About half." "About a third."

A report that says "likely multifactorial" forces a guess. Guesses land low.

A report that says "the accepted injury contributes about two thirds, because..." does not.

7. Letting the lifestyle rating default

If you do not fill in a lifestyle form, DVA sets it from your points. That gives you the minimum.

Fill it in. It changes your payment as much as your points do.

8. Claiming one condition at a time

If you have already been paid, a new claim only pays if your overall rating rises by at least 5 points.

One small condition on its own often will not clear that step. Three together might.

9. Not asking about apportionment

If you have two accepted conditions in the same body system, this can increase your rating.

The Guide guarantees it can never make things worse. Almost nobody asks.

10. Being stoic

This is the biggest one, and it is not really a mistake. It is training.

You spent years being told not to complain. Then you sit in a room where accurate reporting is the entire point.

You are not asking for sympathy. You are giving a measurement. Give the real one.

What to do about it

• Book your tests before the assessment, not after
• Start a diary today if anything comes in attacks
• Write down your metres and your minutes
• Ask your specialist to state the contribution split in words
• Always fill in the lifestyle form yourself
• Take someone who will not let you play it down

Next in this series

When to ask for a reassessment.

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 the Guide 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).