Change to the list of Statements of Principles and accepted late-onset conditions, October 2024

The Statements of Principles (SOPs) are a tool to determine if an injury, illness, or death is service-related.

On 31 October 2024, 22 replacement Statements of Principles and four new Statements of Principles, two revocations without replacement, and one minor amendment Statement of Principles come into force in New Zealand.

Replacement SOPs

• cardiomyopathy
• cerebrovascular accident (stroke) [name has changed from cerebrovascular accident]
• hepatitis E infection [name has changed from hepatitis E]
• malignant melanoma of the skin
• malignant neoplasm of the bile duct
• malignant neoplasm of the gallbladder
• mesothelioma
• myasthenia gravis
• tinea
• traumatic contusion or haematoma [name has changed from external bruise]
• tuberculosis.

New SOPs

• duodenal ulcer and duodenal erosion
• gastric ulcer and gastric erosion.

Revocations without replacement

• gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer.

Minor amendment SOP

Balance of Probabilities version only of:

• cerebrovascular accident (stroke).

Accepted late-onset conditions

Accepted late-onset conditions are conditions that could be accepted as being linked to specific exposure or events occurring during qualifying operational service.

They are applied to veterans with qualifying service after 1 April 1974 only.

Explanation of qualifying service

Their purpose is to ensure that families of veterans whose death was the result of a late-onset malignancy or other physical or mental disorder receive entitlements under the Veterans’ Support Act 2014.

Changes to the list of accepted late-onset conditions

The list of accepted late-onset conditions has been updated as a result of name changes:

• cerebrovascular accident has been renamed cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
• hepatitis E has been renamed hepatitis E infection.

These changes align with the name changes that have occurred through the adoption of the relevant revised SOPs for these conditions.

More information

The Statements of Principles (SOPs) are a tool to determine if an injury, illness or death is service-related.

More information on Statements of Principles

For more information on these amendments, you can read:

Gazette Notice No 2024-sl4788(external link)

The Australian Government Repatriation Medical Authority’s website(external link)

Veterans’ Support Amendment Regulations (no 3) 2024(external link)