AUGUST 2004

Medical Reviews of Accepted Disabilities

How long have you had your War Disablement Pension? Has it ever been medically reviewed?

Other than noise induced hearing loss, which currently cannot normally be reviewed, there are many disabilities that have attracted a War Disablement Pension that have not been looked at in years. Most conditions will deteriorate in time, your arthritic knees will become stiffer, you might have developed complications because of your diabetes, or your Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease no longer lets you walk very far.

If you have not had your disability reviewed by a doctor in the last five years, or lesser period if your condition has deteriorated, please ask War Pension Services, your local RSA Welfare and Pensions Officer or me here at RNZRSA for a “Review of War Disablement Pension Application” form. Once you receive the form please complete it and provide the necessary information and have your doctor note whether your condition has deteriorated, and then return it direct to War Pensions.

Whilst you have that form, you will see that one page asks you to note down any new disabilities that you might have, and for which you could test your eligibility for a War Disablement Pension. If you have anything that has cropped up since you last had your disabilities checked out you could fill out that page as well.