Australia Veterans getting shafted too

Vet Affairs under fire over compo
By Melissa Jenkins
July 21, 2008 02:56pm

VETERANS Affairs has been sharply criticised for its "sloppy, ill-considered" handling of compensation claims from sick air force maintenance workers.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) has so far paid out almost $68 million to servicemen who became ill from working inside fuel tanks of the RAAF's strike bombers.

Acting Commonwealth Ombudsman Vivienne Thom said her office received 102 complaints about the way the department had handled compensation claims.

Seven of the claims were still to be finalised, she told a parliamentary committee inquiry in Canberra today.

The department kept "insufficient documentation" and did not have guidelines on how to deal with claims, she said.

Emails and notes were not kept on file about how the department considered evidence in each case and similar evidence appeared to be treated inconsistently, Dr Thom said.

Claims, especially complex matters, were often delayed and claimants were not always informed of progress.
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