The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners

Levels of impairment are determined through the use of the American Medical Association: Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (AMA Guides). Like ACC, VANZ uses version 4. If you are trained to use AMA Guides, please provide a level of impairment as a percentage for total body disability for the War Pension Claims Panel to consider. If you are not, the Claims Panel will assess the percentage of disability based on your detailed descriptive diagnosis.

Medical practitioners are not asked to comment on causal links of conditions to service. This is the role of the Claims Panel, who have the benefit of being able to view the evidence presented in the context of the veteran’s service file.

The Claims Panel also determines the veteran’s eligibility, based on the evidence available, to a War Disablement Pension (WDP).

VANZ will meet the costs of medical examinations required for the purposes of a WDP.

Context and History

Veterans are the men and women who have served in the New Zealand Armed Forces in a war or emergency. Because of their military service, their healthcare can be different from those of other patients.

The New Zealand Government has recognised their obligation to these people through the provisions of the War Pensions Act 1954 (the Act). The Act is presently under review.

One of the entitlements outlined in the Act is that of a War Disablement Pension (WDP). This is a compensatory pension and is not an automatic entitlement. It is awarded for death or disability that can be shown as attributable to or aggravated by service. If granted, it is a lifelong payment made in recognition of the impact a medical condition has on the claimant’s quality of life. This entitlement is paid in addition to any other income or benefit the veteran receives, and is not generally counted as income when a veteran makes application for an income and asset tested entitlement.

All claims made are considered by a War Pension Claims Panel made up of a VANZ staff member and a representative of the RNZRSA. The Claims Panel operates under a legal framework when making their decisions.

There are times when the Claims Panel will want to see additional, historical medical information. Sections 3(2) of the War Pensions Regulations 1956 provides the Claims Panels, through the Secretary for War Pensions, with wide powers to demand the production of records without cost when assessing claims.

Although available to the Claims Panel, this regulation is infrequently used as most requests for information and production of records are promptly met.