Dear Ministry of Defence,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following information regarding the Ministry’s policy advice and New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) data on veteran eligibility under the Veterans’ Support Act 2014, focusing on issues from the Paterson Report (2018), including Recommendation 63 on broadening the “veteran” definition:

1. Eligibility and Transition Statistics (2020–2025):
• Annual NZDF data on serving personnel transitioning to veteran status, including numbers assessed for qualifying operational service and rates of exclusion due to non-operational roles.
• Breakdown of health/mental health referrals from NZDF to VANZ or ACC, with approval/denial rates for service-related conditions (e.g., PTSD, chronic injuries).

2. Paterson Report Implementation (NZDF/MoD Input):
• Copies of MoD policy advice or briefing papers (2023–2025) on implementing Recommendation 63, including cost-benefit analyses for universal eligibility covering all NZDF service members.
• NZDF internal reviews or consultations on the two-tier system (Scheme One vs. Two) and its impact on post-1974 veterans’ access to support.

3. Coordination and Gaps:
• Details of MoD/NZDF protocols for data-sharing with VANZ/ACC on eligibility (e.g., service records for claims), including any identified gaps from the 2019 Veterans’ Advisory Board Report.
• Number of NZDF-supported deployment reviews (post-2020) that affected eligibility, with anonymized examples of added/excluded operations.

Please provide data in electronic format (e.g., Excel or CSV) where possible, with sensitive information redacted. If any part is too broad or requires transfer (e.g., to NZDF), please advise and proceed accordingly.

This request aids community advocacy for veterans facing unmet needs due to eligibility barriers, resource constraints, and incomplete reforms.

Kind regards,
Spencer Jones