When do the VEA, MRCA and DRCA apply to claims?

This depends on your answers to two questions:-

When did your injury occur or your disease commence? You should get medical advice about the commencement date of a disease (See FAQ No 7: Clinical onset and clinical worsening).
What type of service were you engaged in on the date when the injury occurred or the disease commenced?

With these two matters in mind the table below sets out which of the VEA, MRCA or DRCA applies to your circumstances. You need to go to the type of service first and then the date.

Type of service when injury or disease occurred	Date of service when injury or disease occurred	What legislation applies to my claim?
Warlike, non-warlike and operational service	Up to and including 6 April 1994	VEA
	7 April 1994 to 30 June 2004	VEA and DRCA
	1 July 2004 to today	MRCA
Peacekeeping, hazardous and British nuclear test service[1]	3 January 1949 to 30 June 2004	VEA and DRCA
Peacetime service for a continuous full-time period of 3 years or longer	Up to and including 6 December 1972	DRCA (including provisions grandfathered from 1930 and 1971 compensation Acts)
	7 December 1972 to 6 April 1994	VEA and DRCA
	7 April 1994 to 30 June 2004	DRCA
	1 July 2004 to today	MRCA
Peacetime service and: - You enlisted prior to 22 May 1986; and - You continually served up to and after 7 April 1994	7 April 1994 to 30 June 2004	VEA
Peacetime service – continuous full-time less than 3 years OR part-time	Up to 30 June 2004	DRCA
	1 July 2004 to today	MRCA
Peacetime service – - continuous full-time less than 3 years; and - discharged on medical grounds	up to 7 April 1994	VEA

For confirmation of your eligibility for one of these Acts, it is recommended that you contact the Department of Veterans’ Affairs by telephone on 1800 555 254, or via the website: www.dva.gov.au.

[1] Peacekeeping, hazardous and British nuclear test service is included as non-warlike service from 1997 onwards