DATE OF ISSUE: 07 January 1993

STATUTORY "ONE-OFF" INCREASE JANUARY 1993 QUARTERLY ADVICES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction...............................................................14

Rates...................................................................14

Target Audience...........................................................14

Inserts...................................................................15

Associated Departmental Instructions............................................16

Regulation 45A certification...................................................16

Telephone Allowance - Indexation & Quarterly Payment...............................16

Rates of TA payment..................................................16

ADP Processing...........................................................17

Timetable................................................................17

Advices..................................................................17

Holding of daily advices................................................17

Despatch of Quarterly Advices...........................................17

Reprint of Selected Advices.............................................18

Liaison with Ferntree Computer Centre (NCC)......................................18

Contact numbers...........................................................18

Advices Paragraph Contents..................................................19

Sequencing of paragraphs..............................................19

Mock up samples...........................................................19

SERVICE PENSIONER................................................19

COUPLE WITH  FBs..................................................19

TA ONLY CASES....................................................22

- WAR WIDOW OR...................................................22

SERVICE PENSIONER................................................24

COUPLE WITHOUT...................................................24

The decision-making process..................................................37

Introduction...............................................................54

Associated Departmental Instructions............................................55

Regulation 45A certification...................................................55

Pensioners For Whom An Advice Will Be Generated.................................55

Telephone Allowance - Quarterly Payment........................................55

Rent Assistance Changes....................................................57

Managed Investment Changes.................................................57

Superannuation Funds.......................................................58

Pharmaceutical Allowance Changes.............................................58

Fringe Benefit Extension.....................................................58

Advices - General..........................................................59

Timetable..........................................................60

Holding of daily advices................................................60

Despatch of Quarterly Advices...........................................60

Reprint of Selected Advices.............................................60

Liaison with Ferntree Computer Centre (NCC)................................61

Contact numbers.....................................................61

Introduction

As part of the 1992 Budget, the Government announced that a "one-off" general increase  in pensions would occur with effect from 28 January 1993.  For DVA clients payment of the increase will occur  from 4 February 1993 being the first DVA pay-day following the effective date.

2.The increase in pension will consist of two components:

.a "one-off" increase in pension; and

.in addition, the indexation increase that otherwise would have occurred on the first pay-day after 20 March 1993, ie. 1 April 1993, will be paid four pay-days early on 4 February 1993.

3.All pensioners eligible for Telephone Allowance (TA) will also receive notification of the payment for 1 April 1993.

4.In addition, those Service Pensioners not in receipt of fringe benefits will receive notification of fringe benefit extension for April.  Those currently not eligible for TA under some other basis (e.g. TPI or WW1) will be asked to provide their telephone number on a personalised data collection form.

Rates

5.Revised pages for the Pension Payments Codebook, and new DP rate cards, will be issued prior to the pay-day by the Benefits Systems Management  & Support Section.

6.The new rates will be:

PENSION TYPE              PER FORTNIGHT

Service pension (not a member of a couple)              $312.10

Service pension (member of a couple)              $260.30 (each)

War Widow/ers              $312.10

+ Domestic Allowance              $24.00

T&PI              $571.70

INT              $394.50

EDA              $325.35

Items 1-6 of ss27(1) payments              $354.80

100% General Rate              $216.90

Target Audience

7.The above events will be integrated with the Quarterly Advices mailout exercise.  Where a service pension assessment is a joint assessment (i.e. married), a single joint advice will be produced.  Advices will be issued for the following circumstances:

.where SP is payable  (full SP including TA if eligible);

.where SP (no fringe benefits) is payable  (full SP advice, including notification of fringe benefit extension in April. Personalised telephone number update request if not already receiving TA);

.where DP pensioners without SP are eligible for TA (Reason for variation and TA advice);

.where War Widows are eligible for TA (Reason for variation and TA advice);

.where DP pensioners without SP are not eligible for TA (Reason for variation);

.where War Widows are not eligible for TA (Reason for variation).

Note:  The latter 2 categories will have advices produced via a unique method and in accordance with their own system rules document entitled "One-Off Increase January 1993 Disability Pensioners & War Widows System Rules".

9.Service pensioners who are assessed under a manual method of assessment (eg. War Widow with service pension, Hardship etc) and are eligible for TA will have a TA only advice generated.  Branch Offices will need to advise these pensioners of any pension increases, and for those without fringe benefits, Branch Offices will need to notify them of the fringe benefit extension in April.  In addition those service pensioners receiving notification of fringe benefit extension, and not already in receipt of TA, should also be asked to provide their telephone number. Attached is a sample letter to pensioners including a copy of the telephone allowance data collection form.

Inserts

The January One-Off Increase quarterly advices may contain one or more of the following inserts:

ColourDescriptionAudience

.(Blue)1/3 A4 2 sided

Veterans' Health Week flyer all who receive an advice

.(Green)A4 2 sided those whose pensions are

Hospital Integration leaflet — administered by SA Branch                                                         Office

.(White)Business Reply Paid (BRP) those who receive a

Envelope -Telephone Allowance Data                                                         Collection form as part of                                                         their advice

.(Yellow)1/3 A4 2 sided  (008 number)

Recorded Information flyer those who live in the Sydney

Metropolitan area

Associated Departmental Instructions

10.Departmental Instruction B25/92 set out eligibility criteria and other details relating to TA, while DI B26/92 outlined general principles covering the issue of quarterly advices.  In addition, State Program Managers (Benefits) and System Support Officers have been provided with copies of the rules for this processing run, entitled One-Off Increase January 1993 Quarterly Advices System Rules and Components, and "One-Off Increase January 1993 Disability Pensioners & War Widows System Rules" which contain details of paragraph wording.

11.The Statutory Increase, TA  and Quarterly Advice processing is scheduled from Friday evening 15 January till Sunday 17 January 1993.  A processing timetable is included in this instruction.

Regulation 45A certification

12.The Assistant Secretary of both Benefits Planning & Management and IT Applications Branches in Central Office will attest to the correctness of the new data and the programs used to conduct the exercise.  Certificates in the terms of Finance Regulation 45A will be forwarded to the Authorising Officer in your Finance Branch.

Telephone Allowance - Indexation & Quarterly Payment

13.The first quarterly payments of Telephone Allowance (TA)  were made in July 1992.  Departmental Instruction B25/92 sets out the eligibility criteria and processing guidelines.  That instruction should be consulted as necessary, but references to processing dates should of course be ignored.  Significant dates for this exercise appear later in this instruction.

Rates of TA payment

14.The three rates of TA payment  are the same as for the 1 October pay-day, namely:

.The World War 1 rate is $165 pa ($41.30 per quarter);

.The Base Rate is $52.80 pa ($13.20 per quarter);

.The Half Base Rate is $26.40 pa ($6.60 per quarter).

15.The quarterly TA payment amount will be shown on a person's payment advice, in the paragraph  immediately following the payment details box.

16.There is no actual pension re-assessment in this exercise, so no fringe benefits variations should occur and hence no-one should gain or lose TA eligibility in the run.

ADP Processing

17.Detailed information regarding ADP Processing has been issued to State Systems Support Officers in a separate memorandum.  The Systems Support Officers will be issuing a local processing timetable and should be consulted on any matter concerning ADP Processing.

Timetable

18.Key time frames are summarised below. The processing runs will begin on the evening of  Friday 15 January or the next day.

DateEvent

Fri 15 Jan 1993 — Cut-off for pay period 15 (21 Jan), at usual time.

Fri 15 Jan — BAL re-assessment run; TA & Quarterly Advices

to Sun 17 Jan 1993 — processing runs.

Mon 18 Jan — New allowance rates on system.

Daily advices produced from today to be held till               Quarterly advices despatched.

Mon 18 Jan to — Examiner action on manual schedules for

cut-off for pay 16 — SP,WW & DP.

Mon 18 Jan to — Quarterly Advices progressively lodged with Australia

Fri 29 Jan — Post

Advices

Holding of daily advices

19.Daily payment advices, produced for pay period 16 (4 February 1993), should be held by Branch Offices until confirmation is received from the Quarterly Advices Project Manager in Central Office to release such advices. This will ensure that pensioners who have pension variations processed for pay-day 4 February will receive their daily advice after the quarterly advice rather than in advance of it.

Despatch of Quarterly Advices

20.The quarterly advices will be progressively lodged with Australia Post by the mailing house in Canberra, during the period 18 January to 29 January. As soon as each State's advices have been lodged, the CO Project Manager will advise your Branch's contact officer.

Reprint of Selected Advices

21.Any requests for reprints of individual Quarterly Advices should be referred through Branch Office System Support Officers to the Benefits Application Help Desk on (06)289 7828.

Liaison with Ferntree Computer Centre (NCC)

22.The Veterans Services Applications Branch will provide NCC with a schedule of computer runs for this exercise.  Benefits SM&S Section will supply an after hours contact number closer to the processing date.

Contact numbers

23.Any enquiries should be directed in the first instance to Peter Rogers in Policy Development & Implementation Section Victoria, on telephone (03)284 6663 -  Facsimile (03)284 6797. The Project Manager for this exercise is Tony Whelan in Canberra on telephone (06) 289 6684 -

Facsimile (06) 289 6553.

Kay Grimsley

Assistant Secretary

Income Support (benefits)

Attachment 1

Advices Paragraph Contents

This attachment summarises the sequencing and contents of paragraphs used in the One-Off Increase January 1993 advices.  Please note that * denotes content not applicable for DP no SP no TA & WW no TA.

Sequencing of paragraphs

PARAGRAPHCOMMENTS

Branch Office address & phone no.ALL (V,N,Q,S,W,T,NQ)

Date — ALL

File number — ALL (incl State indicator)

Name and address ALL

Salutation — ALL

Reasons for Variation:-ALL (except manual method

  -    "One-Off" Increase — of assessment cases)

Payment details heading — ALL

Payment variation/continuation  ALL

Payment box *ALL

Telephone Allowance paragraph *IF APPROPRIATE

Financial Obligations * All SP except some blinded

Authority to impose obligations *ALL SP

Changed Circumstances *ALL SP

Closing paragraph — ALL

Signature block — ALL (STATE SPECIFIC)

Attachment 2

Mock up samples

This attachment consists of three mock ups (examples) of the types of advices to be produced.

SERVICE PENSIONER COUPLE WITH  FBs AND TA

BRANCH OFFICE

              Centennial Plaza

280 Elizabeth Street

Sydney NSW 2000

Postal Address:

JOHN B CITIZEN — GPO Box 3994,

SARAH B CITIZEN — Telephone:Sydney NSW 2001

44 ANZAC AVENUE — Metropolitan residents: 213 7777

HOMEBUSH BAY 2140 — Country residents: 008 257251

18 January 1993

Your file number is NX123456

Dear Mr and Mrs CITIZEN

Increased rates of pensions

As part of the 1992 Budget, the Government announced an increase in service, disability and war widow/ers pensions.  The increase has two parts.  First, there will be a one-off increase in the rate of these pensions.  Second, the anticipated indexation increase due on 1 April will be paid four pay-days early.  Both parts of the increase will be paid on 4 February.

These increases are in line with the Government's strategy to provide improved financial assistance to veterans and their families.

Payment Details

The amount of pension you receive each fortnight is set out below. Payment at this rate will be made on 4 February 1993.

PAYMENTS TO (JOHN CITIZEN) and (SARAH B CITIZEN)

Disability pension at 80% rate   173.52

Service pension   260.30                 260.30

Pharmaceutical Allowance       2.60                    2.60

TOTAL FORTNIGHTLY PAYMENT $436.42              $262.90

Telephone Allowance payment

Your next quarterly Telephone Allowance payment of $6.60 each will occur on 1 April 1993. This amount is in addition to your fortnightly payments of pension and allowances, which are set out above.

Your Obligations to the Department

You must tell the Department within 21 days if your (combined) income rises above ($999) a fortnight. You must also tell us if the value of your assets rises above ($999999). You can do this by telephoning or writing to us or by visiting any Department of Veterans' Affairs office. The address and telephone number is shown at the top of this letter.  If you telephone, we may ask you to confirm information in writing or to send us certain documents which are related to the matter.

If you do not tell us of these changes you may be overpaid. There are penalties that apply for failing to fulfil your obligations or for providing false or misleading information.

The authority for this obligation is under Section 54 of the Veterans' Entitlements Act.  Please remember that obligations previously advised to you continue to apply.

Changes You Have Already Told Us About

If you have told us recently about a change to your income and assets or your domestic situation, it may not have been included when sending this letter.  If this is the case, we will be sending you another letter as soon as the change has been put into place.

If you have any questions about any of the above matters, please contact this office at the address or telephone number shown at the top of this letter.

Yours sincerely,

G K Stonehouse

Deputy Commissioner as

Delegate of the Secretary

TA ONLY CASES - WAR WIDOW OR DP (NO SP)

BRANCH OFFICE

              Centennial Plaza

280 Elizabeth Street

Sydney NSW 2000

Postal Address:

JOHN B CITIZEN — GPO Box 3994,

SARAH B CITIZEN — Telephone:Sydney NSW 2001

44 ANZAC AVENUE — Metropolitan residents: 213 7777

HOMEBUSH BAY 2140 — Country residents: 008 257251

18 January 1993

Your file number is NX123456

Dear Mr CITIZEN

Increase in rates of pension

As part of the 1992 Budget, the Government announced an increase in service, disability and war widow/ers pensions.  The increase has two parts.  First, there will be a one-off increase in the rate of these pensions.  Second, the anticipated indexation increase due on 1 April will be paid four pay-days early.  Both parts of the increase will be paid on 4 February.

These increases are in line with the Government's strategy to provide improved financial assistance to veterans and their families.

Payment Details

The amount of pension you receive each fortnight is set out below. Payment at this rate will be made on 4 February 1993.

PAYMENTS TO (JOHN CITIZEN)

Disability pension at 80% rate   173.52

Pharmaceutical Allowance       5.20

TOTAL FORTNIGHTLY PAYMENT $178.72

Telephone Allowance payment

Your next quarterly Telephone Allowance payment of (variable 1)  will occur on (variable 2). This amount is in addition to your fortnightly payments of pension and allowances, which are set out above.

If you have any questions about any of the above matters, please contact this office at the address or telephone number shown at the top of this letter.

Yours sincerely,

G K Stonehouse

Deputy Commissioner as

Delegate of the Secretary

SERVICE PENSIONER COUPLE WITHOUT

FB's

BRANCH OFFICE

              Centennial Plaza

280 Elizabeth Street

Sydney NSW 2000

Postal Address:

JOHN B CITIZEN — GPO Box 3994,

SARAH B CITIZEN — Telephone:Sydney NSW 2001

44 ANZAC AVENUE — Metropolitan residents: 213 7777

HOMEBUSH BAY 2140 — Country residents: 008 257251

18 January 1993

Your file number is NX123456

Dear Mr and Mrs CITIZEN

Increased rates of pensions

As part of the 1992 Budget, the Government announced an increase in service, disability and war widow/ers pensions.  The increase has two parts.  First, there will be a one-off increase in the rate of these pensions.  Second, the anticipated indexation increase due on 1 April will be paid four pay-days early.  Both parts of the increase will be paid on 4 February.

These increases are in line with the Government's strategy to provide improved financial assistance to veterans and their families.

Payment Details

The amount of pension you receive each fortnight is set out below. Payment at this rate will be made on 4 February 1993.

PAYMENTS TO (JOHN CITIZEN) and (SARAH B CITIZEN)

Disability pension at 80% rate   173.52

Service pension   160.30                 160.30

Pharmaceutical Allowance       2.60                    2.60

TOTAL FORTNIGHTLY PAYMENT $336.42              $162.90

Fringe benefits eligibility

On 1 April 1993, the income and assets tests for fringe benefits will be abolished from that date and you will become eligible for fringe benefits. You will receive a Pensioner Health Benefits (PHB) card to replace your Pharmaceutical Benefits Concession (PBC) card at the end of March.  Your new PHB card will be issued automatically - you do not need to apply for it. However, the rules that apply to the Service Pensioner Benefits card (the red card) and the Personal Treatment Entitlement card (the yellow card) will continue to apply after 1 April.

With your new PHB card, you will be eligible to receive Commonwealth concessions such as reduced charges for pharmaceuticals, free hearing aids from the Australian Hearing Services, free eye tests from any optometrist who bulk bills, free postal redirection and concession travel on the Australian National Railways.

You may also be eligible for various concessions from your State and Local Governments, as well as local businesses and organisations.

If you are a telephone subscriber, you will be eligible for telephone allowance, which is intended to assist you with the rental charges for your telephone.  To find out if you are a "telephone subscriber" and how you can claim this allowance, please read the last 2 pages of this letter carefully.  You will need to fill out the form on the last page and return it to the Department in the enclosed envelope within 14 days.

Your Obligations to the Department

You must tell the Department within 21 days if your (combined) income rises above ($999) a fortnight. You must also tell us if the value of your assets rises above ($999999). You can do this by telephoning or writing to us or by visiting any Department of Veterans' Affairs office. The address and telephone number is shown at the top of this letter.  If you telephone, we may ask you to confirm information in writing or to send us certain documents which are related to the matter.

If you do not tell us of these changes you may be overpaid. There are penalties that apply for failing to fulfil your obligations or for providing false or misleading information.

The authority for this obligation is under Section 54 of the Veterans' Entitlements Act.  Please remember that obligations previously advised to you continue to apply.

Changes You Have Already Told Us About

If you have told us recently about a change to your income and assets or your domestic situation, it may not have been included when sending this letter.  If this is the case, we will be sending you another letter as soon as the change has been put into place.

If you have any questions about any of the above matters, please contact this office at the address or telephone number shown at the top of this letter.

Yours sincerely,

G K Stonehouse

Deputy Commissioner as

Delegate of the Secretary