They served in uniform but now veterans are being let down by a bureaucratic wrinkle that means those who look after them are being paid "charity" wages, according to a Government MP.
The Department of Veterans Affairs pays allied health workers, like occupational therapists and physiotherapists, only when they meet clients face-to-face.
But the National Disability Insurance Scheme pays the same professionals for everything they do, like paperwork, travel, research and anything directly connected with their clients' care.
That's forcing many into a heartbreaking choice between caring for clients who've served their country or taking higher pay to care for other needy Australians.
"I just want fair pay for occupational therapists who are choosing to look after our veterans," said occupational therapist Donna Griffin, who is based in Gympie in regional Queensland, told AM.
She cares for 76-year-old Robert "Blue" Bellis, who served for 23 years in conflicts in Vietnam and Malaysia.
After leaving the army Mr Bellis lost a son, one wife to a road accident and another to a brain aneurysm and now lives alone.
"My life isn't what I want it to be, but it's quite liveable and at my age of 76, I'm doing alright," Mr Bellis said.
And for that he credits Mrs Griffin and the other allied health workers who help him deal with his bad knees and health in general.
"It's not the physical things they do, it's also the mental things they do, like a visit out of the blue to say 'g'day, how ya going?'" he said.
He said he could not understand why Mrs Griffin was paid less than an occupational therapist doing the same job but funded by the NDIS.
"This lady is now putting it in on less pay and probably doing a better job because she wants to do it," he said.
"The dedication is there."
The local federal MP, Government backbencher Llew O'Brien, has been campaigning on the issue.
"It shouldn't be the case that occupational therapists and allied health are seeing this as charity work," Mr O'Brien said.
"That is a real indictment on the minister and the Government."
He said he had raised the issue with Veterans Affairs Minister Darren Chester but his appeals have not been met with action.
"I really feel like I'm not being listened to on this issue and it's really disappointing," he said.
The Department of Veterans Affairs said a review of the system was underway.
The ABC understands Mr Chester was working on a budget proposal to deal with the issue, but it was shelved when the May budget was postponed until October.
