Veteran Services Highlights – January to March 2025

2025 is off to a busy start for our Veteran Services team, who have been proud to lead and be involved in a number of initiatives to support veterans and their families. We’re pleased to provide this update for you, for Veteran Services highlights from January to March 2025.

Our services are possible thanks to the ongoing and generous support of RSL NSW and its sub-Branches; and from the support of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and all key donors and contributors. Together, we can offer meaningful support to more veterans and their families, every day.

During January to March 2025 we supported the veteran community by:

• Providing over $146,000 in financial assistance. 
• Assisting 78 veterans experiencing homelessness, and providing 408 nights of accommodation. 
• Helping 214 veterans to lodge 637 DVA claims. 
• Referring 34 veterans or partners into our employment program.
• Lodging 41 new VRB appeals, completing 64 Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mediation discussions and representing 14 full VRB Hearings. 
• Guiding 58 veterans through 6 horse handling and riding courses and logging 644 hours of volunteer activities at Spur Ranch. 

Click the images to enlarge them.

Wellbeing

Our wellbeing team provides support that ranges from financial assistance, employment, education support and wellbeing. During January to March 2025, we provided $146,500 of financial assistance.

RSL Employment Program

The start of 2025 marks one year since RSL LifeCare partnered with RSL Queensland to deliver the award-winning RSL Employment Program in New South Wales. We are proud to advise that the program has seen a 320% increase in jobs secured for veterans and partners when compared to the same three month period last year. Our team has also attended and presented at several different information sessions, including:

• 1 ADF transition seminar
• 4 Defence Partner information sessions
• 9 Open days/events 

Various organisations are signing up to the RSL Employment Program, showing a commitment to employ more veterans, with some offering paid trainee and apprenticeships for veterans and partners – watch this space for more updates soon.

Veteran and Family Hubs

2025 is off to a fantastic start for our Hubs, with grand openings of new centres, confirmation of new locations and many events which bring together the veteran community.

The Hubs are a true place of connection and community for our veterans and their families.  They can visit the Hub, and make use of the facilities as they need to, and also access the support offerings which are available to them – from claims and advocacy support, wellbeing and financial assistance, housing, education and more.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the key moments in our Hubs:

Queanbeyan Veteran & Family Hub

In April the newest Hub officially opened, with a Grand Opening celebration party.  More than 180 people attended, and we are thrilled to have a full team ready to support veterans and their families in the Queanbeyan and ACT region.

To stay up to date on our Queanbeyan Hub and to see more photos of the grand opening, click here. 

Northern Beaches Veteran Wellbeing Centre

More than 350 people attended the Veterans Expo in March 2025, which was held at RSL ANZAC Village.  This event brought together local support teams in one location, so that the local veteran community could easily engage with and see the range of supports available to them.  Click here to see more Expo photos – it was a fantastic day and we can’t wait for the next Expo!

To stay up to date on our Northern Beaches Wellbeing Centre, click here.

We currently have 6 operational Veteran and Family Hubs operating across NSW and ACT.  Click here to read about their updates for 2025 so far.

Spur Ranch

The team from Spur Ranch have been busy, taking part in many community events, including:

• Camden Australia Day Parade (26/01)
• Narrabeen Anzac Day march and service (23/04)
• Picton RAC Anzac Day service (24/04)
• Thirlmere Anzac Day dawn service (25/04)
• Picton Anzac Day march and service (25/04)

Below are some images from when the team attended the annual Anzac Commemoration Service at RSL ANZAC Village.  The team, with Apache leading the medical cart, marched throughout the village in honour of our veterans past and present.

Click the images to enlarge them.

Engaging with the local community – raising awareness & funds

In April this year, we held the annual Veteran Services Golf Day at beautiful Cromer Golf Course.  The camaraderie and good spirits of the day was felt by all, and collectively the event raised over $30,000 in support of veterans and their families.   Thanks again to our major Sponsor, Dee Why RSL, and all of our sponsors who provide ongoing support to us to enable us to help more veterans and their families. To see more golf action and photos from the day, click here. 

Our teams host and take part in a number of initiatives throughout the year, to commemorate veterans and their sacrifices, and also to raise awareness and funds in support of the veteran community.

The annual Anzac Day Dawn Service Bridge Climb is a very  moving commemoration event which leaves a lasting memory for participants. On Friday, 25 April, RSL LifeCare team members, in partnership with BridgeClimb Sydney, returned to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge for a special Anzac Day Dawn Service. This incredible experience is open to members of the general public, and we had over 50 people who attended or purchased tickets on Anzac Day, which raised over $4,000 for our veteran services.

We gave away 2 double passes to veterans to enjoy this experience also.  One of our winners, Dallas, shared his experience with us below:

“As a former Australian Contingent Commander in Sudan (ASC 13, 2011), I felt honoured to overlook  the departure point (at the Opera House) of the NSW Contingent to Sudan in 1885. It was truly amazing to be part of the Anzac Day Dawn Service at the top of our Sydney Harbour Bridge to remember all those who have served and continue to serve our country in the Australian Defence Force, and their families who support them.” – Dallas Delaney

Our team also works closely with our partner charity RSL NSW for the annual ANZAC Appeal collections in the Sydney CBD and were once again part of the Lest We Forget concert on Anzac Day in Sydney.

Housing support for veterans and their families

Providing safe transitional housing for veterans and supporting our veterans with long term housing pathways is a key focus for our Homes for Heroes team.

This quarter, our team has continued to help veterans experiencing homelessness and provided veterans with stable accommodation in the program. The team has also supported veterans in the community through our outreach support, linking veterans with wrap around supports and assisting them with long-term residential rehab program goals.

We have had a number of veterans successfully transition into long-term housing options, either in retirement living facilities or the private rental market. We continue to facilitate free clinical psychology support for veterans in the program as well as through outreach supports to help veterans rehabilitate well and help them to realise what is important for them to live a positive life – be that reconnecting with family and friends, embarking on a new career or building new skills. We have a growing number of veterans who volunteer their time to support other veterans in the program. Some tasks that volunteers have taken on include cooking fresh meals, doing BBQ’s on the weekend, sitting together with our veteran residents, and connecting and fostering a sense of belonging with their peers.

Homes for Heroes veterans took part in the Anzac Commemoration Service at RSL ANZAC Village, Narrabeen. One of our veterans laid a wreath during the service and another veteran drove the RSL LifeCare Range Rover to the Sydney CBD March with his son sitting alongside him.

In February, RSL LifeCare was successful in receiving a $1.5million grant as part of the federally funded Veterans Acute Housing Program to enhance our Homes for Heroes program. This funding will further develop and improve access to our transitional housing service for veterans. A peer network and research-informed approach to support will enable our team to deliver greater outcomes for our veterans.

Leading in Veterans Care

As a leading support organisation for veterans, our team members take pride in ensuring their knowledge and skills are current.

Our Claims Advisors continue to help more veterans, and we are increasing the capacity of the team so that we can keep up with the increased support requirements of the Veteran & Family Hubs. Since the beginning of 2025, four new Claims Advisors have joined our team and are developing their skills and knowledge to support more veterans and their families through the DVA Claims process. Veterans deserve to have easy access to professionals, and our team is here to help.

Simplifying Veterans’ Appeals: The Single Review Pathway 

Starting from 21 April 2025, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) is introducing the Single Review Pathway to streamline the appeals process for veterans. This initiative harmonizes the review procedures across all three major legislative acts governing veterans’ benefits. 

What’s changing with the Single Review Pathway: 

• All appeals, regardless of the governing act, will begin with a review by the Veterans’ Review Board (VRB). 
• Eliminates the need for internal reconsideration for DRCA claims, providing a more straightforward appeal process. 
• The VRB offers a less formal and more supportive environment compared to the ART, aiming to make the appeals process more accessible and efficient for veterans.

How do the changes impact appeals:

• Decisions made before 21 April 2025: 
  • The existing appeal processes will remain in place. 
  • Timeframes for lodging appeals under the current system will still apply. 
• Decisions made on or after 21 April 2025: 
  • The new Single Review Pathway will be applicable. 
  • All initial appeals will be directed to the VRB. 

This reform aims to provide a clearer, more consistent, and veteran-centric approach to handling appeals, ensuring that veterans and their families can navigate the system with greater ease and confidence. 

For more information, visit the DVA’s official page on the Single Review Pathway: https://www.dva.gov.au/single-review-pathway 

Spotlight on new support resources for veterans

New GambleAware resources for veterans and their families

Veterans, people who serve or have served in the Australia Defence Force, are almost twice as likely to experience gambling harm compared to the general population.

To support veterans and their families, the Office of Responsible Gambling has created a range of new and targeted GambleAware resources, offering practical information, tips on how to spot the signs of gambling harm and ways to get support when it’s needed. All resources are available now for download on the GambleAware website.

The resources were co-designed with the NSW Office for Veterans Affairs, RSL LifeCare, RSL NSW, Open Arms and Bravery Trust.

Our efforts are proudly supported by funds from RSL NSW and its sub-Branches. The services we provide would not be possible without the generous support of our donors.  

If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. 

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