B04/1992 DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION RELATING TO A DECEASED PERSON AND HIS OR HER DEPENDANT

DATE OF ISSUE:  14 January 1992

DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION RELATING TO A DECEASED PERSON AND HIS OR HER DEPENDANT

Following representations from Legacy and the RSL late last month concerning the limitations imposed by D.I. B54/91 on the disclosure of personal information relating to a deceased person and his or her dependant, the D.I. was reviewed and a further approach was made to the Privacy Commissioner about this matter.

2.In line with the Privacy Commissioner's advice paragraph 9 of the D.I. has been amended to read as follows:

"The effect of the above conditions is that the Department may provide to ex-service organisations the following details of a deceased person:

(a)DVA File No.;

(b)Full name;

(c)Address;

(d)Service details (as on the Client Data Base) where applicable;

(e)Date of Death; and

(f)The deceased has/has not a dependant (delete which is not applicable)."

3.It should be noted that in providing the information contained in sub-paragraph (f) above the objective is simply to indicate the existence or non-existence of a dependant of the deceased concerned.  Therefore, the identity of the dependant must not be apparent from the information provided to the ex-service organisations.

Peter Hawker

National Program Director

Benefits Program

   January 1992