B15/1991 EXTENSION OF ELIGIBILITY TO SPOUSES OF FEMALE VETERANS - SERVICE PENSION ARRANGEMENTS

DATE OF ISSUE: 05 APRIL 1991

EXTENSION OF ELIGIBILITY TO SPOUSES OF FEMALE VETERANS - SERVICE PENSION ARRANGEMENTS

Until the legislation to extend eligibility to male spouses of female veterans, has received Royal Assent, an informal claim for pension as a husband cannot be accepted as at present as there is no legal basis for lodging the claim.

2.If an informal claim is received from a male spouse it should be treated as correspondence, not as an informal claim.  These 'claims' or any correspondence concerning eligibility should be kept separately from other correspondence to assist in identifying those people who may wish to apply for service pension once the legislation is passed.

3.It is proposed that once the legislation has passed through both houses of Parliament, but before Royal Assent, all married female veterans who are in receipt of service pension, along with those people who have corresponded with the department regarding eligibility, will be advised of the legislative changes.  The advice will include a claim for service pension for the spouse.

4.While claims will be automatically issued to married female veterans by Central Office, any other requests for claims will need to be issued directly by Branch Offices.

5.To ensure that these clients are not disadvantaged by the delay from the time of announcement to Royal assent, all claims for pension by the male spouse of a female veteran, lodged within three months of the date of Royal Assent will be granted pension from 22 January 1991.  If for some reason the spouse is not eligible on 22 January 1991, ie; income in excess, pension should be paid from the first day that he becomes eligible to receive pension from DVA.  Provision for this lodgement period will be contained within the legislation.

PETER HAWKER

NATIONAL PROGRAM DIRECTOR

BENEFITS

March 1991