Police officers in Australia, including AFP appointees, are asked to confront trauma, violence and risk in the service of the community, yet they are not supported in the same way as military personnel who hold a Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) White Card.
When the job leaves lasting physical or psychological harm, police are pushed into complex workers’ compensation systems that demand proof, paperwork and persistence at the worst possible time. There is no equivalent White Card for police officers, no simple, guaranteed pathway to care, and no recognition that the injuries of policing often follow long after the uniform comes off.
The Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA) continues to campaign strongly for an AFP Blue Card, modelled directly on the DVA White Card, to provide similar non-liability access to mental health treatment and other wellbeing benefits for current and former operational AFP appointees.
This has been a key priority in our 2022 and 2025 federal election manifesto and ongoing advocacy; however, it has not yet been introduced by the government.
Unfortunately, this leaves AFP appointees and police officers across the country reliant on workers' compensation (e.g., Comcare), employer programs, and association/union assistance, which are more claim-based, adversarial, and limited compared to veteran entitlements.
Veterans receive a dedicated, government-backed system that recognises the long-term impacts of service. Police officers get nothing, and they deserve the same recognition for the risks they face daily.
As a quick comparison:
DVA White Card Holders (Veterans):
•Free treatment for accepted service-related medical conditions, including consultations with doctors and specialists. Provided through the DVA.
•Access to Non-Liability Health Care for mental health, cancer (including malignant neoplasm) or pulmonary tuberculosis without the need to prove the condition was caused by service. Provided through the DVA.
•Access to allied health services such as physiotherapy, pathology, diagnostic imaging and community nursing. Provided through the DVA.
•Subsidised or no-cost pharmaceuticals under the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, with concessional pricing until the Safety Net is reached. Provided through the DVA.
•Dental and optical treatment related to accepted conditions where the provider accepts the White Card. Provided through the DVA.
•Access to aids, equipment, assistive devices and home modifications where there is a clinical need. Provided through the DVA.
•Travel to and from medical appointments, or reimbursement of travel costs, when the travel relates to treatment for accepted conditions. Provided through the DVA.
•Counselling and mental health support through Open Arms and other DVA-funded programs. Provided through the DVA.
•Access to support services such as Veterans’ Home Care, subject to assessment and eligibility. Provided through the DVA.
•Vehicle registration discounts or exemptions in some states and territories.
•Public transport concessions or free travel on specific days in some jurisdictions.
•Fishing licence fee waivers and recreational licence concessions in some states.
•Utility rebates and concessions for water, energy and council rates, depending on state schemes and eligibility rules.
•Ambulance cover or subsidised emergency transport in states that extend this benefit to veterans.
•Access to hearing services vouchers through national programs when combined with recognised veteran status.
AFP Appointees and Police Officers:
These benefits are tied to employment and workers’ compensation claims.
They cover work-related injuries and illnesses, including medical and rehabilitation costs, wage replacement, and limited mental health support through employee assistance programs or association and union welfare schemes.
Access depends on proving the injury or illness was caused by work. This creates a higher administrative burden, more disputes, and delays. It does not provide broad, lifelong or non-liability coverage.
That must change. In 2026, the Federal Government has a clear choice to make.
Stand with the police officers who stand for Australia.
Commit to a practical, compassionate reform by trialling an AFP Blue Card for all operational AFP and ACT Policing appointees.
A Blue Card would deliver early access to care, cut red tape, and recognise that the harms of policing are real and often cumulative.
This is the moment to act and support those who protect the community.