Veterans' Affairs

Te Tira Ahu Ika A Whiro

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It doesn't matter if you're young or old.
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If you're a qualifying veteran, you're entitled to a whole heap of support.
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You might already qualify and just not be aware of it.
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You'll be eligible if you served before the 1st of April 1974,
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or if you were deployed overseas with New Zealand's Armed Forces…
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… and served in what's called 'Qualifying Operational Service'.
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So it's a good idea to check your eligibility now.
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You might not need the support today, but you could later down the track.
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And if Veterans' Affairs can't help, they'll find someone who can.
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Visit the Veterans' Affairs website, and check your eligibility now.

0:00 Kia ora. My name is Tony.
0:02 I work at Veterans’ Affairs and I'm also a veteran.
0:05 I'd like to take a few minutes to talk you through the support Veterans’ Affairs can offer you if you're eligible.
0:11 At Veterans’ Affairs, we support New Zealand veterans who have qualifying service and a health condition that may be related to that service.
0:19 If you are eligible and your condition is accepted as being related to your service, you can access a whole range of support.
0:26 This can include covering the costs of your GP visits and prescriptions, and diagnostic tests like X-rays or scans.
0:33 If you need to travel for that treatment, we can help you with those costs as well.
0:38 We also support your rehabilitation, and that might mean working with an occupational therapist to help you recover, or making changesto your home or vehicle to enable you to improve mobility and get out and about.
0:50 If you're dealing with a mental health condition, we can support you with counseling and prescriptions.
0:55 If your situation is serious, we can also fund a number of counselling sessions while your application is being assessed, so you can start getting support straight away.
1:05 We also offer support through Rongoā Māori treatment.
1:08 Now we know work can be incredibly important for our veterans and if your condition affects your ability to work we may be able to provide financial support,
1:17 help you return to work, and provide equipment or adjustments to support you both at work and at home.
1:23 We know that difficult health conditions don't just affect you, they can affect your whānau too. So there's also support available for your family.
1:32 And if you need help around the home, we can assist with things like cleaning or lawn care so you can stay independent.
1:37 And please don't “soldier on” or just take the “harden up” approach with what you might consider to be a minor condition. Don't wait until things get worse before reaching out.
1:46 We support many veterans with things like back pain or hearing loss, and it's much better to ask for help early.
1:52 Veterans’ Affairs are here to support eligible veterans, and we're here for the long term.
1:58 The first step is to check your eligibility and then get in touch with us. You can check your eligibility here on our website.
2:05 If you have any questions, just give us a call and we can help you work through it. We'd really like to hear from you. Kia ora.