Processing During the Bereavement Period

Last updated: 26 May 2008

Pensioner initiated reviews during the bereavement period

This topic details the policy of processing pensioner initiated reviews (PIR) during the bereavement period.    

Single pensioners and PIR processing

Single pensioners should have any outstanding pensioner initiated reviews processed during the bereavement period, as if they had not died. This may have an impact on their pension entitlement during this period.

Partnered pensioners and PIR processing

The following guidelines apply to pensioner initiated review processing during the bereavement period for partnered pensioners.

Note: These guidelines provide consistency in the treatment of pensioners under the provisions of section 53K VEA and section 53L VEA during the bereavement period. Most importantly, for the bereaved pensioner they provide the benefit of an extended obligation period to notify of the death of their partner and any changes in circumstances that may have occurred during the bereavement period.

Lump sum amounts received during the bereavement period

Lump sum amounts received by a partnered pensioner during the bereavement period are held in the pension assessment for 12 months. The date of the event for the commencement of this 12 month period is the day after the bereavement period ends (day 99). This date of event then determines the date of effect for the pension change, depending on whether or not notification of the change is received within the allowed notification period.

Partnered pensioners and PIR effective dates

For events occurring in the bereavement period, the following table provides a guide to determining the date of effect.    

Partnered pensioners and PIRs notified in advance

The pension period provides the defining date rather than the date of death, due to the way the bereavement calculation is performed. The bereavement payment calculation is based on the rate of pension that the person and the person's partner were receiving on the last day of the last pension period that ended before the partner died.    

Partnered pensioners and retrospective reductions

Negative PIRs with a date of effect on or before the last day of the last pension period immediately prior to the death, and notified after the death, may affect either the bereavement payment or the ongoing rate of the surviving pensioner. If the bereavement payment has already been paid, the bereavement payment itself cannot be altered. However, the ongoing rate of the surviving pensioner should be reassessed and necessary adjustments made.    

Negative PIRs with a date of effect after the last day of the last pension period prior to the death and before the day of death should have an effective date of day 99 if notified within the bereavement period.