CSC Invalidity Class Appeals for ADF Veterans
Medically discharged and given a class of invalidity pension you believe is wrong? The Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation classifies invalidity benefits as Class A, B or C, and that classification decides what you are paid for the rest of your life.
A class is only as good as the medical evidence it was decided on. We reconstruct your degree of incapacity as at the relevant date, in the detail CSC needs, so the classification can be reconsidered on the medical facts.
At a glance
- Chart Review$600 + GST
- Assessment consultation$600 + GST
- CSC appeal report$600 + GST
- Commission on any benefit0%
What is a CSC class appeal?
When CSC accepts a member for an invalidity benefit it assigns a class — A, B or C — according to how much your conditions have reduced your capacity for civilian work. Class A carries the largest benefit, Class C the smallest. Veterans frequently find they have been placed in a lower class than their actual level of incapacity warrants, often because the medical material CSC had in front of it was thin, out of date, or written for a different purpose entirely. That classification can be reconsidered, and a reconsideration is decided on medical evidence. VHC produces that evidence: a Chart Review of the whole record, an assessment of your incapacity, and a written report setting out the class the findings support and why. $600 + GST per stage.
See what a CSC appeal looks like.
De-identified retrospective impairment assessments and letters of support, exactly as provided to the veteran for lodgement with CSC. Open any report to see how the impairment as at the date of discharge is rated and reasoned.
How a CSC class appeal works with us
There is no government funding for this work, so it is billed to you directly — and only stage by stage. We will tell you honestly, before you commit, whether your record supports a higher class.
Send us your CSC determination
The classification letter and the medical material CSC relied on. We read it against your record to see what was considered, and what was not.
Chart Review
Every page of your service and civilian medical record read and organised by condition, so the full picture of your incapacity is documented and dated.
Assessment
A consultation and examination establishing your degree of incapacity for civilian employment, using the same methodology CSC applies to the classification.
Your appeal report
A written report setting out each condition, the functional impairment it causes, and the class the evidence supports — ready for you to lodge with CSC.
A complete CSC class appeal — $1,800 + GST, no further fees. Never a percentage of your benefit.
DVA and CSC are different bodies, with different tests.
Veterans are routinely told the two are connected. They are not. They are separate frameworks, administered by separate organisations, asking separate questions — and an answer from one does not decide the other.
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
DVA deals with the consequences of service itself. It accepts liability for injuries and illnesses caused or aggravated by service, pays compensation for them, funds treatment and rehabilitation, and issues the Gold or White Card that pays for your ongoing healthcare.
Its question is one of causation: did your service cause or contribute to this condition? That is decided against a Statement of Principles.
Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation
CSC administers the military superannuation schemes — MSBS, DFRDB, ADF Super and ADF Cover. Where a member is medically discharged, CSC decides whether an invalidity benefit is payable and, if it is, what class applies.
Its question is one of capacity: how much has your condition reduced your ability to earn a civilian living? Causation is not the test, and a DVA acceptance does not answer it.
How the two run together
Because they are separate, a benefit from one does not shut off the other. An invalidity pension or a superannuation payout from CSC does not stop you claiming compensation from DVA, and DVA acceptance of a condition does not by itself set your CSC class. The practical overlap is the evidence: the medical work done properly for one is frequently the same material that supports the other. A Chart Review that documents every condition, dates it, and describes the functional loss it causes serves a DVA claim and a CSC classification alike — which is why it is worth having that record assembled once, and assembled well.
CSC appeals FAQ
Who can make a CSC invalidity claim?
Any current or former ADF member whose injuries, illnesses or conditions have reduced their capacity for civilian work. The question CSC asks is about capacity, not about whether the condition was caused by service — that is DVA’s test, and it is a different one.
How long does CSC take to decide?
It varies with the complexity of the file and how much material CSC has to gather itself. Rather than guess, we look at your record first and give you a realistic expectation once we can see what the reconsideration will involve.
Do you work with veterans outside Queensland?
Yes. We work with current and former ADF members Australia-wide. The Chart Review is done from your records wherever you are, and assessments are arranged by telehealth where an in-person examination is not practical.
What do I need to send you?
Your CSC determination and any medical material it relied on, your service and civilian medical records, and anything that shows how the conditions affect your day-to-day function and your ability to work. If you are missing something, we will tell you how to obtain it.
How does the process actually work?
We take you through it one stage at a time: the record is read and organised, your degree of incapacity is assessed, and the findings are written up as a report you lodge with CSC. Nothing is charged until a stage is delivered, and we tell you honestly if the evidence does not support a higher class.
Dr Thomas Perkins
The expert in veterans’ medicolegal medicine — Expert DVA Doctor.
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.
0429 146 039 reception@vhc.org.au
Book appointmentReady to appeal your class?
Start with a no obligation consult. We will tell you whether the evidence supports a higher class before you spend anything.