Migraine is one of the most under-claimed conditions we see. Veterans treat it as something they simply have, rather than something connected to service — even when it began after a head injury, alongside an accepted neck condition, or in the same period as a diagnosed mental health condition.
Why it shows up in veterans
Head injury and concussion, cervical spine conditions, disrupted sleep from shift work and operations, and psychological stress all feature in migraine claims. Where a neck condition or a mental health condition has already been accepted, migraine is frequently claimable as a consequence of it.
What the Statement of Principles requires
DVA measures every claim against a Statement of Principles (SoP) — a legally binding instrument setting out the only factors that can connect a condition to service. These are the pathways that most often apply, in plain language; the full instrument is linked below.
Head injury or trauma
Injury to the head before the clinical onset of migraine, including the concussive injuries common in service.
Specified treatments and exposures
Treatment with a nitric oxide donor at the time of onset or worsening is a listed factor, among other specified exposures.
Obesity
Being obese for at least five years before the clinical worsening of migraine is a listed factor.
Inability to obtain appropriate clinical management
A frequently applicable pathway where service prevented proper investigation and management of headache.
This is the plain-English version. Read every factor of the Migraine Statement of Principles exactly as the Repatriation Medical Authority wrote it.
How DVA approaches the impairment assessment
Frequency, duration and severity drive the rating, along with how much of your functioning migraine removes — days lost, work capacity, and the effect on daily activity. A headache diary and a neurologist's report carry real weight here, because migraine leaves nothing to see on imaging.
The evidence that decides it
Most initial liability decisions currently take DVA around 145 days on average, and roughly a third of that is the Department waiting on information. Lodging complete is the single biggest thing within your control.
- A neurologist or GP report confirming the diagnosis and pattern
- A headache diary recording frequency, duration and severity
- Records of any head injury or concussion in service
- Evidence of any accepted neck or mental health condition it followed
Questions veterans ask about Migraine
My migraines started after discharge. Does that matter?
Not necessarily. What matters is whether a listed factor was met because of service — a head injury, an accepted condition it followed from, or inability to obtain clinical management while serving.
I only get a few a year. Is it worth claiming?
Yes. Acceptance secures funded treatment, and migraine frequently worsens over time. Impairment can be reassessed if it does.
Related conditions
Migraine commonly sits alongside conditions that are themselves claimable, and the relationship works in both directions.
Ready to look into a Migraine claim?
Book a no-obligation consult and we will go through whether your circumstances meet the SoP factors, what evidence would strengthen your case, and what to expect next.
This page is general information, not medical, legal, or financial advice. Statement of Principles factors, thresholds, and program details are current as at the update date above but can change — always confirm against your own determination letter and the current SoP instrument. For medical concerns, speak with a qualified health professional; for legal advice, a solicitor experienced in military compensation law.
