Kia ora Spencer,
 
Thank you for your request for official information. This will be managed
in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982,
which may include transfer to a more relevant agency or Minister.
 
The Ministry may publish the content of our response to your request on
the Ministry of Defence website ([1]www.defence.govt.nz). Your personal
information will not be published. More information on making an official
information request with the Ministry of Defence is available here:
[2]https://www.defence.govt.nz/contact-us/o....
 
Ngā mihi,
Ministry of Defence
 

Ministerial and Executive Services Branch
Manatū Kaupapa Waonga  - New Zealand Ministry of Defence
 
 
Defence House, 34 Bowen Street, PO Box 12703, Wellington 6144, New
Zealand

 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: SPENCER JONES
[[3]mailto:[FOI #32578 email]]
Sent: Wednesday, 15 October 2025 9:10 p.m.
To: Information <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Ministry of Defence Advice and
NZDF Data on Veteran Eligibility Reforms and Support (2020–2025)
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization.
Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe. If in any doubt, please
forward the email to [4][email address] and then delete the email from
your Inbox. Thank you
 
 
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
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.
 
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[5][FOI #32578 email]
 
Is [6][Ministry of Defence request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Ministry of Defence? If so, please contact us using this form:
[7]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
 
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[8]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
 
If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.
 
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 

Note:

The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the
Ministry. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use,
disclose, copy or distribute this message or the information in it. If you
have received this message in error, please email or telephone the sender
immediately. Thank you"

References

Visible links
1. http://www.defence.govt.nz/
2. https://www.defence.govt.nz/contact-us/o...
3. mailto:[FOI #32578 email]
4. mailto:[email address]
5. mailto:[FOI #32578 email]
6. mailto:[Ministry of Defence request email]
7. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
8. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

Kia ora Spencer,

 

Please find attached the letter responding to your Official Information
Act request.

 

Kind regards

Ministry of Defence

 

+------------+
||Ministerial|
||and |
||Executive |
||Services |
||Branch |
|| |
||Manatū |
||Kaupapa |
||Waonga  - |
||New Zealand|
||Ministry of|
||Defence |
|| |
||  |
|| |
||  |
|| |
||Defence |
||House, 34 |
||Bowen |
||Street, PO |
||Box 12703, |
||Wellington |
||6144, New |
||Zealand |
+------------+

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: SPENCER JONES
[mailto:[FOI #32578 email]]
Sent: Wednesday, 15 October 2025 9:10 p.m.
To: Information <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Ministry of Defence Advice and
NZDF Data on Veteran Eligibility Reforms and Support (2020–2025)

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization.

Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe. If in any doubt, please
forward the email to [1][email address] and then delete the email from
your Inbox. Thank you

 

 

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

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[2][FOI #32578 email]

 

Is [3][Ministry of Defence request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Ministry of Defence? If so, please contact us using this form:

[4]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[5]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Note:

The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the
Ministry. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use,
disclose, copy or distribute this message or the information in it. If you
have received this message in error, please email or telephone the sender
immediately. Thank you"

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[FOI #32578 email]
3. mailto:[Ministry of Defence request email]
4. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
5. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections