C06/1998 EXCHANGE RATE ADJUSTMENTS TO BRITISH DISABILITY PENSIONS (EATS & COMPOSITE) PAID IN AUSTRALIA

Advised by:

Advice has been received from the British Department of Social Security (BDSS) to the effect that the exchange rate to be used for payment of the British component of Disability Pensions ( EATS and COMPOSITE) in Australia has been reviewed.

New Rate

The new rate is to be put into effect on payday No. 70, 26 February 1998.  The exchange rate will vary from $A2.27 to $A2.43 to one Pound Sterling (British pension rates charts are at Attachment B).  The variation applies to the EATS and Composite cases.

Hong Kong

In the past, the exchange rate adjustments to British disability pension applied to Hong Kong cases.  Since the Chinese takeover, the Hong Kong Treasury has advised that the British exchange rate variations are not relevant to Hong Kong disability pensions.  Disability Compensation Branch in National Office is responsible for reviewing the procedures that apply to Hong Kong pensions including calculating the Hong Kong exchange rate.  Until a new method is agreed, please continue to use current methods.

For further information on this subject please contact Peta Stevenson on (02) 6289 6176.

Manual Examination

There will be no cases processed automatically.  All cases will be listed for manual examination.

Service Pension Cases

Action schedules of cases requiring manual examination and variation by examiners can be obtained by contacting Murray Chynoweth on (02) 6289 6799.  They will be made up of the following groups:

Group Content

Group Reference

Composite cases (with or without SP)

100

EATS cases (with or without SP)

200

Other overseas pensions (which may be affected)

300

Pay Period Codes

Pay Period No. 70 (effective date 26 February 1998) should be entered.  The day within the pay period field may be left blank.

Keyfast Batch Description

The manual transactions for EATS and Composite cases should be punched using keyfast batch description $PENSIO by cut off for payday No. 70,

26 February 1998.

Control Cards

Control card formats for computer runs are at Attachment A.

SPOC

When single officer processing is in operation any reference to the delegate should be read as the single officer.

Client Data Base (CDB)

For all cases involving EATS, Composite or Service Pension, whether automatic or manual method of assessment, the new rate of British pension must be updated via PIPS/PC.  Due to the change in the British rate, these cases will be “MS” and determined by the delegate, or through manual authority on PIPS/PC only.

D408/ Schedules

It will not be necessary to prepare a D408, or equivalent in these cases; the schedule produced for dual SP/EATS/COMP cases to record the changes to the PMF may be used as an authority provided each record on that schedule is endorsed with the consecutive number automatically produced by PIPS/PC and is signed by the delegate determining the case prior to transmission to Payment Administration.  All such cases can be identified from the manual schedules  (i.e. group 100, 200) and the new British rates should be deducted from the examiners' entries on those schedules.

NOTE:  ALL entries on these schedules must be in Australian Dollars.

CR.PS System

The Correspondence Rules and Paragraph Specifications system will generate an advice in cases where a payment variation is made.  Examiners should action cases in the following manner:

Cases

What to do

Continuations

Unless the total payment varies, the PIPS/PC Advices screen should be accessed and production of an automatic advice suppressed.  The advice Indicator on the Action Schedule should be set to “Z”.

Variations

Where a variation in total payments results the PIPS/PC Advice screen should be accessed and the Supress Income/Asset List Indicator set to “Y”.  This will result in production of a variation advice with no income and asset details.  The Advice Indicator on the Action Schedule should be set to “Y”.

Computer Processing

Computer processing will be performed by the Mainframe Support Unit in Business Delivery.  For a list of all relevant cases please contact Murray Chynoweth on (02) 6289 6799.

Contact Officer

The contact officer for this exercise is Tiffany McIntyre (02) 6289 6398.

***

BRITISH   PENSION

***

***

     RATES   CHARTS

***

************************************

EXCHANGE RATE VARIATION FROM

2.27

TO

$A2.43

OTHER RANKS - DISABILITY PENSION-EFFECTIVE

26-Feb-98

OLD

NEW

             CLASS

%

RATE

RATE

P.F.

P.F.

V, IV, III, II, I, WO1

20%

97.34

104.20

30%

146.01

156.30

40%

194.68

208.40

50%

243.34

260.50

60%

292.01

312.60

70%

340.68

364.69

80%

389.35

416.79

90%

438.02

468.89

100%

486.69

520.99

OFFICER - DISABILITY PENSION - EFFECTIVE

26-Feb-98

Exchange Rate $A

2.43

RANK

1 Midshipman or Comm Off Navy

  2 Lt. Army

    3 Capt. Army

OLD

NEW

      4 Major Army

RATE

RATE

         5 Lt. Col Army

%

P.F.

P.F.

20%

97.43

104.30

30%

146.10

156.40

40%

194.86

208.59

50%

243.53

260.70

60%

292.20

312.80

70%

340.96

364.99

80%

389.63

417.09

90%

438.39

469.29

100%

487.06

521.39

OFFICERS

SERVICE RETIRED PAY OR SERVICE PENSION - EFFECTIVE

26-Feb-98

   EXCHANGE RATE

$A2.43

OLD

NEW

RATE

RATE

P.F.

P.F.

20%

97.43

104.30

30%

146.10

156.40

40%

194.86

208.59

50%

243.53

260.70

60%

292.20

312.80

70%

340.96

364.99

80%

389.63

417.09

90%

438.39

469.29

100%

487.06

521.39

SUPPLEMENTARY  ALLOWANCES

OFFICERS and OTHER RANKS - DISABLEMENT

   EXCHANGE RATE

$A2.43

Effective

26-Feb-98

Effective

26-Feb-98

UNEMPLOYABILITY SUPP.

OFFICERS

OTHER RANKS

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

Personal Allowance

301.00

322.21

300.78

321.98

Wife or Adult dependant

169.70

181.66

169.57

181.52

1st eligible child

45.01

48.19

44.95

48.11

2nd & subsequent child

50.85

54.43

50.85

54.43

CONSTANT ATTENDANT

OFFICERS

OTHER RANKS

ALLOWANCE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

1.Up to half-day attendance

92.03

98.52

91.94

98.42

2.Full day attendance - Basic

183.98

196.94

183.87

196.83

- Intermediate

276.01

295.46

275.81

295.25

- Exceptional

368.04

393.98

367.74

393.66

COMFORTS ALLOWANCE

OFFICERS

OTHER RANKS

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

Higher Rate

79.06

84.63

79.00

84.56

Lower Rate

39.53

42.32

39.50

42.28

CLOTHING ALLOWANCE

OFFICERS

OTHER RANKS

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.A.

P.A.

P.F.

P.F.

Higher Rate

310.99

332.91

11.93

12.77

Lower Rate

310.99

332.91

11.93

12.77

INVALIDITY ALLOWANCE

OFFICERS

OTHER RANKS

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

Age on       )         < 40 yrs

59.73

63.94

59.70

63.91

Qualifying  )         > 40 but < 50 yrs

37.70

40.36

37.68

40.34

Date           )         > 50 yrs

18.89

20.23

18.84

20.17

AGE ALLOWANCE

OFFICERS

OTHER RANKS

When the degree of pensioned

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

disablement is :

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

a. 40% to 50% - inclusive

32.48

34.77

32.46

34.75

b. > 50% but not > 70%

50.24

53.78

50.17

53.70

c. > 70% but not > 90%

71.57

76.61

71.51

76.55

d. over 90%

100.39

107.47

100.33

107.41

   MISCELLANEOUS

   EXCHANGE RATE

$A2.43

Effective

26-Feb-98

Effective

26-Feb-98

RENT ALLOWANCE (Maximum)

OFFICERS

OTHER RANKS

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

139.22

149.04

139.15

148.96

AGE ALLOWANCE

OFFICERS

OTHER RANKS

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

Widows - Age 65 but under 70

42.05

45.02

42.00

44.96

                Age 70 and over

80.63

86.31

80.59

86.27

                Age 80 and over

120.15

128.62

120.08

128.55

DEPENDANTS OF DECEASED MEMBERS

   EXCHANGE RATE

$A2.43

Effective

26-Feb-98

WIDOWS  ** HIGHER RATE **

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

******M.O.D.  Payment Included  ******

P.F.

P.F.

CLASS V

607.61

650.44

          IV, III,  II,  I,  WO1

608.75

651.66

Lt Comdr,  Capt,  Major,  Sq Ldr

616.53

659.99

Lt,  Lt,  Capt, Fl Lt

615.05

658.40

Sub Lt,  Lt,  Flying Off   Pilot Off

613.66

656.91

Comms Off

611.30

654.39

WIDOWS  ** M.O.D. PAYMENT **

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

Special award for Widows whose husbands completed service

P.F.

P.F.

on or before 31 March 1973.

239.87

256.78

CHILDREN OF WIDOW OR REMARRIED WIDOW

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.F.

P.F.

1st ELIGIBLE CHILD

64.26

68.79

2nd and SUBSEQUENT CHILD

70.18

75.12

   TOTAL ORPHANS and MOTHERLESS CHILDREN

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.F.

P.F.

TOTAL ORPHANS   1st CHILD

72.27

77.36

2nd and SUBSEQUENT ORPHANS

78.10

83.61

INFIRM & > 18 -

283.76

303.76