Update: The next ex gratia payment date for eligible veterans is 1 November 2022
Update: The next ex gratia payment date for eligible veterans is 1 November 2022
On 30 November 2021, it was announced that two new conditions have been added to the list of Prescribed Conditions eligible for an ex gratia payment under the 2006 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Following that announcement, 933 ex gratia payments have been made by Veterans’ Affairs; 883 to veterans and 50 to surviving spouses/partners. These payments include those made on 1 November 2022, with a total of NZD$36.91m to date.
The first group of ex gratia payments were made on 22 February 2022, with further payments made in March, May, June and September 2022.
Payment date for New Zealand, Australia, and Cook Island bank accounts
The next ex gratia payment date for eligible veterans and surviving spouse/partners is 1 November 2022. 19 veterans and 5 spouses will receive this payment.
If your application for the ex gratia payment has been approved, you will receive written advice from us before the payment is made.
Payment date for other international bank accounts
Ex gratia payments to other international bank accounts will be made no later than five days after 1 November 2022.
Complex applications
We'll keep assessing applications for ex gratia payments. Some applications are more difficult to obtain the information we need.
Our usual criteria for assessing urgency apply to all applications. We prioritise the following applications as urgent:
- Terminal illness
- Mental health
- Financial hardship or income-related
All other applications including new ex gratia payment applications will be assessed as quickly as possible.
Contact us if you're eligible
If you served in Vietnam and have been diagnosed with one of the Prescribed Conditions, but you are not a current client of VA, please contact us to discuss how to apply for the ex gratia payment.