What can I claim secondary to systemic sclerosis?
10 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list systemic sclerosis as a factor. If DVA has accepted your systemic sclerosis, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionSystemic sclerosis
- Conditions it may open10
- SourceRMA SoPs
- Chart Review$600 + GST
How a secondary claim works
Some Statement of Principles factors are not about service at all — they name another condition. Where DVA has already accepted your systemic sclerosis, and another condition's SoP lists systemic sclerosis as a factor, that part of the next claim is already established on your file. How a secondary claim works, in full →
Conditions that list systemic sclerosis as a factor
Quoted from the instrument. A pathway existing is not the same as a claim succeeding — each factor carries thresholds your record has to satisfy.
Cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
RH No. 45 of 2024 · BoP No. 46 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (10): “having one of the following systemic inflammatory disorders causing cerebral vasculitis at the time of clinical onset: (a) ankylosing spondylitis; (b) dermatomyositis; (c) inclusion body myositis; (d) polymyositis; (e) psoriatic arthritis; (f) rheumatoid arthritis; (g) systemic sclerosis (scleroderma); (h) Sjögren syndrome; or (i) systemic lupus erythematosus” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (10): “having one of the following systemic inflammatory disorders causing cerebral vasculitis at the time of clinical onset: (a) ankylosing spondylitis; (b) dermatomyositis; (c) inclusion body myositis; (d) polymyositis; (e) psoriatic arthritis; (f) rheumatoid arthritis; (g) systemic sclerosis (scleroderma); (h) Sjögren syndrome; or (i) systemic lupus erythematosus” [clinical onset]
Diverticular disease of the colon
RH No. 51 of 2025 · BoP No. 52 of 2025
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “having systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) before clinical onset” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Erectile dysfunction
RH No. 72 of 2022 · BoP No. 73 of 2022
Balance of Probabilities — factor (4): “having systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) at the time of the clinical onset of erectile dysfunction” [clinical onset] — factor (26): “having systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) at the time of the clinical worsening of erectile dysfunction” [worsening]
This condition has a Balance of Probabilities instrument only, so the same test applies whatever your service type.
Hiatus hernia
RH No. 60 of 2022 · BoP No. 61 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (7): “having systemic sclerosis at the time of the clinical onset of hiatus hernia” [clinical onset] — factor (15): “having systemic sclerosis at the time of the clinical worsening of hiatus hernia” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Ischaemic heart disease
RH No. 27 of 2025 · BoP No. 28 of 2025
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (25): “having one of the following systemic inflammatory rheumatological diseases at the time of clinical onset or clinical worsening: (a) ankylosing spondylitis; (b) dermatomyositis; (c) inflammatory bowel disease; (d) polymyositis; (e) psoriasis; (f) psoriatic arthritis; (g) rheumatoid arthritis; (h) Sjögren syndrome; (i) systemic lupus erythematosus; (j) systemic sclerosis” [onset and worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (17): “having one of the following systemic inflammatory rheumatological diseases at the time of clinical onset or clinical worsening: (a) dermatomyositis; (b) polymyositis; (c) psoriasis; (d) psoriatic arthritis; (e) rheumatoid arthritis; (f) Sjögren syndrome; (g) systemic lupus erythematosus; (h) systemic sclerosis” [onset and worsening]
Localised sclerosis
RH No. 61 of 2018 · BoP No. 62 of 2018
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “being treated with a drug or a drug from a class of drugs from the specified list of drugs at the time of the clinical onset of systemic sclerosis” [clinical onset] — factor (5): “being treated with a drug or a drug from a class of drugs from the specified list of drugs at the time of the clinical worsening of systemic sclerosis” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (1): “being treated with a drug or a drug from a class of drugs from the specified list of drugs at the time of the clinical onset of systemic sclerosis” [clinical onset] — factor (3): “being treated with a drug or a drug from a class of drugs from the specified list of drugs at the time of the clinical worsening of systemic sclerosis” [worsening]
Note: specified list of drugs is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Malignant neoplasm of the lung
RH No. 86 of 2023 · BoP No. 87 of 2023
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (29): “having systemic sclerosis at least 3 years before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the lung” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (23): “having systemic sclerosis at least 3 years before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the lung” [clinical onset]
Myocarditis
RH No. 17 of 2024 · BoP No. 18 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (8): “having one of the following systemic inflammatory diseases: (a) antiphospholipid syndrome; (b) coeliac disease; (c) dermatomyositis; (d) Graves disease; (e) Hashimoto disease; (f) IgG4-related disease; (g) inflammatory bowel disease; (h) mixed connective tissue disease; (i) polymyositis; (j) psoriatic arthritis; (k) rheumatoid arthritis; (l) scleroderma (progressive systemic sclerosis); (m) Sjögren syndrome; or (n) systemic lupus erythematosus; at the time of clinical onset or clinical worsening” [onset and worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (8): “having one of the following systemic inflammatory diseases: antiphospholipid syndrome; coeliac disease; dermatomyositis; Graves disease; Hashimoto disease; inflammatory bowel disease; polymyositis; rheumatoid arthritis; scleroderma (progressive systemic sclerosis); Sjögren syndrome; or systemic lupus erythematosus; at the time of clinical onset or clinical worsening” [onset and worsening]
Osteoporosis
RH No. 66 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having one of the following autoimmune diseases for at least the 1 year before clinical onset or clinical worsening; (a) ankylosing spondylitis; (b) dermatomyositis; (c) psoriatic arthritis; (d) rheumatoid arthritis; (e) systemic lupus erythematosus; or (f) systemic sclerosis” [onset and worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Trigeminal neuralgia or trigeminal neuropathy
RH No. 84 of 2024 · BoP No. 85 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (11): “having one of the following inflammatory connective tissue diseases: (a) mixed connective tissue disease; (b) Sjögren syndrome; (c) systemic lupus erythematosus; (d) systemic sclerosis (scleroderma); at the time of clinical onset or clinical worsening” [onset and worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (11): “having one of the following inflammatory connective tissue diseases: (a) mixed connective tissue disease; (b) Sjögren syndrome; (c) systemic lupus erythematosus; (d) systemic sclerosis (scleroderma); at the time of clinical onset or clinical worsening” [onset and worsening]
Other accepted conditions that also open cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions systemic sclerosis does.
What DVA means by systemic sclerosis
A claim is tested against the definition first. If the diagnosis on your file does not meet this wording, the factors below never get reached — so it is worth checking that what your doctor wrote matches what the instrument requires.
Systemic sclerosis, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, systemic sclerosis (also known as scleroderma): (a) means an autoimmune, fibrosing connective tissue disorder characterised by deposition of collagen in skin and internal organs, and microvascular lesions, especially in the skin, lungs and kidneys; and (b) excludes localised sclerosis, graft versus host disease with dermal fibrosis, and scleroderma-like conditions (for example, scleromyxoedema and eosinophilic fasciitis).
Note the exclusion. This instrument expressly excludes Localised sclerosis, graft versus host disease with dermal fibrosis, and scleroderma-like conditions (for example, scleromyxoedema and eosinophilic fasciitis). A diagnosis of that is not a diagnosis of systemic sclerosis, and a claim framed the wrong way fails on the definition before any factor is considered.
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(5) to 9(11) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, systemic sclerosis where it was already present before or during service. If service caused systemic sclerosis outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 25 of 2018 · BoP No. 26 of 2018 · 8 factors
What could support a claim for systemic sclerosis?
The Statement of Principles for systemic sclerosis names 1 other condition among its own factors. If any of these is already accepted on your file, it may be the factor that carries a systemic sclerosis claim — quoted here from the instrument.
Migraine
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (4): “being treated with an ergot alkaloid for migraine, for at least the ten years before the clinical onset of systemic sclerosis” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (8): “being treated with an ergot alkaloid for migraine, for at least the ten years before the clinical worsening of systemic sclerosis” [worsening]
Reviewed by Dr Thomas Perkins
Founding doctor, Veterans Health Centre · former RAAF aviation medical officer · 13 years working exclusively with ADF members and veterans. Full profile →
Systemic sclerosis accepted?
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