C12/2008 Enhanced Allowances - changes to Utilities Allowance, Seniors Concession Allowance and Telephone Allowance

Purpose

The purpose of this Departmental Instruction is to inform staff of amendments to the Veterans' Entitlements Act1986 (VEA) regarding changes to utilities allowance (UA), seniors concession allowance (SCA), and telephone allowance (TA) and the associated changes to the Consolidated Library of Information and Knowledge (CLIK) and DVA Fact Sheets.

Background

The Government committed in its “Making ends Meet” election campaign to:

• increase SCA from $218 per eligible person per year to $500 per eligible person per year paid in quarterly instalments;
• increase UA from $107.20 a year per single income support pensioner to $500, and from $107.20 a year per pensioner couple to $500, paid in quarterly instalments;
• extend eligibility for utilities allowance to all income support pensioners, regardless of age; and
• increase TA from $88 to $132 a year for eligible singles and from $44 to $66 a year for each eligible member of a couple for TA recipients with a home internet connection.

The implementation date for these initiatives was 20 March 2008.

Legislative changes

Legislative changes for these measures were included in the Social Security and Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Enhanced Allowances) Act 2008.

http://www.comlaw.gov.au/ComLaw/Legislation/Act1.nsf/0/6B6C543E5A03FF5FCA2574180018EC1E/$file/0052008.pdf

This Act also includes updates to the telephone allowance provisions of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.

Policy updates – Fact sheets

The fact sheets listed below have been updated to reflect the changes to the VEA and MRCA, and policy associated with these changes for UA, SCA and TA.

• IS 01 – Service Pension Overview
• IS 03 – ISS Overview
• IS 05 – SS Age Pension Overview
• IS 12 – SS Age Pension Allowances
• IS 13 – Telephone Allowance
• IS 14 – Income Support Allowances
• IS 16 – Utilities Allowance
• IS 21 – Service and SS Age Pension rates
• IS 22 – ISS rates
• IS 25 – Service and SS Age Pension rates and limits summary
• IS 26 – ISS rates and limits summary
• IS 30 – Pension rates, limits and allowances summary
• IS 47 – Eligibility for SS Age Pension
• IS 77 – Travelling Overseas
• IS 126 – Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
• IS 127 – Seniors Concession Allowance
• IS 137 – The things you need to tell us about
• IS 138 – The things you have to tell us about SS Age Pension paid by 
•                            DVA
• IS 159 – Indexation of IS Pensions and Allowances

Policy updates CLIK – Utilities Allowance

Policy in relation to changes to UA has been updated in the following areas of CLIK:

• Pt5/ Ch12/ S1 – Eligibility for Utilities Allowance
• Pt5/ Ch12/ S2 – Payability of  Utilities Allowance
• Pt5/ Ch12/ S3 – Administration of Utilities Allowance
• Glossary Index – Utilities Allowance (UA), UA test day

Policy updates  CLIK - Seniors Concession Allowance

Policy in relation to changes to SCA has been updated in the following areas of CLIK:

• Pt5/ Ch11/ S1 – Eligibility for Seniors Concession Allowance
• Pt5/ Ch11/ S2 – Payability of Seniors Concession Allowance
• Pt5/ Ch11/ S3 – Administration of Seniors Concession Allowance
• Pt5/ Ch7/ S1 – CSHC Overview
• Pt9/ Ch7/ S3 – Indexation timetable
• Glossary Index – Seniors Concession Allowance (SCA), SCA test day

Policy updates  CLIK - Telephone Allowance

Policy in relation to changes to TA has been updated in the following areas of CLIK:

• Pt7/ Ch2/ S1 – Overview of Telephone Allowance
• Pt7/ Ch2/ S2 – Eligibility Criteria for Telephone Allowance
• Pt7/ Ch2/ S3 – Payment of Telephone Allowance
• Pt5/ Ch7/ S1 – CSHC Overview
• Pt11/ Ch4/ S3 – Effect of Going Overseas on Payment of Allowances
• Glossary Index – Telephone Allowance, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC)

Form changes

Updates are required to forms, and these are being undertaken by the Income Support Improvement & Solutions section.  Until these changes have been completed, when issuing a claim form, please include a copy of the 'Application for Increase to Telephone Allowance for Internet' form that is available on the intranet by following this link : Fact Sheets and Forms

Contact

Any queries should be directed to Chris Johnston, Income Support and Aged Care Policy, on 14773.