Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Dan Tehan said the $166.6 million provided in this year’s Budget to implement the first stage of modernising the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ (DVA) processes and IT system would improve client satisfaction with DVA as results of the 2016 Client Satisfaction Survey were released today.
The 2016 Client Satisfaction Survey of more than 3,000 randomly selected DVA clients, including veterans, war widows/ers, carers and dependants, found an overall satisfaction rating with DVA services of 83%.
(ED. See the 2016 Executive Summary here. Note: For Historical comparison the 2014 results for overall satisfaction (89%) were marginally below the ratings recorded in the 2010 (93%) and 2008 (92%) surveys.comparison. The 2014 Survey results can be seen here)
Mr Tehan said the survey had found DVA needed to continue addressing the specific needs and concerns of younger veterans, especially during their transition from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to civilian life.
“The Government is committed to improving the DVA claims process for veterans and making the transition to civilian life for ADF personnel as stress-free as possible,” Mr Tehan said.
“That’s why in this year’s Budget the Government provided $166.6 million to deliver better support and services for veterans, underpinned by digital access, streamlined processes and modern technology.
“We also provided $2.7 million to support the Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Program that will help ADF personnel find post-service employment that utilises their unique talents.”
Results from the 2016 survey are available on the DVA website here www.dva.gov.au/client-satisfaction-survey.
Media enquiries:
Minister Tehan’s Office: Byron Vale, 0428 262 894
Department of Veterans’ Affairs Media: 02 6289 6203
Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service (VVCS) can be reached 24 hours a day across Australia for crisis support and free and confidential counselling. Phone 1800 011 046 (international: +61 8 8241 45 46). VVCS is a service founded by Vietnam veterans.