Ch 13 Glossary

TERM

DEFINITION

AA

Attendant Allowance is to assist an eligible veteran, Members of the Forces, or a Member of a Peacekeeping Force with the cost of an attendant to help with such things as feeding, bathing, dressing and other activities of daily living.

AAT

Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Abstudy

Aboriginal Study Grants Scheme – provides a means-tested living allowance and other supplementary benefits to eligible secondary and tertiary students.

Acknowledgment of debt

A voluntary admission (in writing) by a person that he or she owes an amount of money.

AD(JR) Act

Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977

Administrative Charge

A one-off payment of $50 is applied to debts that are liable to have penalty interest applied to them.

Administrative Delay

A debt caused by administrative delay – i.e. delay in varying/cancelling a benefit, or a failure to action a client's advice in a timely manner - can be waived. Under 'Date of Effect' rules introduced from 13 July 1999, a debt caused by administrative delay is not likely to be waived.

Administrative Error

A debt is attributable to administrative error where the Australian Government is wholly responsible for causing the debt.

Advices

A letter is sent to a pensioner or trustee automatically by the computer generated advice system whenever a grant or variation of pension occurs. This letter advises the person of their obligations and provides them with details of current assessment plus their review rights.

AFA

See AVL

AFI

Application for increase

AFP

Australian Federal Police.

Agent

A person who has authority to act on behalf of another.

AGS

Australian Government Solicitor.

Amount raised

The amount of overpayment incurred and originally recorded as a debt.

Appeal (see also review)

The term given to action by a client/debtor to have a matter under dispute reviewed by another person or body - e.g. the AAT.

ARO

Authorised Review Officer

ASIC

Australian Securities and Investment Commission

ATO

Australian Taxation Office.

Austudy

Austudy Payment aims to provide income support for mature students, aged 25 years and older, who do not have adequate levels of income.

AVL

Asset Value Limit – i.e. the level of assets that a person can own before their rate of income support pension is affected.

AVO

Australian Valuation Office.

Bankrupt

An insolvent debtor whose property is transferred by a Court or trustee for division amongst creditors.

BAS

Business Activity Statement – a form which allows business to report most of their tax obligations to the ATO.

BeB

“Bring em Back”. The colloquialism that refers to age pensioners paid by DVA.

Beneficiary

A person in receipt of a payment under the VEA. Also a person who receives distribution from an estate.

Benefit

A payment made to a person under the VEA.

Bereavement Payment

A payment made to the surviving partner, estate or other appropriate person on the death of an income support pensioner. For further information refer to CLIK.

BOS

Business Operations and Support Section – Income Support

Breach

This occurs when a client does not comply with a requirement in the Act - e.g. a pensioner marrying and not telling the Department within the time specified.

BRI

British Retirement Income.

Cash Refund

An amount of money paid (by cash, cheque or money order) to the Department to repay all or part of an overpayment.

Caveat (on a property)

A notice issued in respect of real property which stops dealings in that property (e.g. sale) without the knowledge of the Department.

CCPU

Centrelink Centralised Processing Unit

CEI

Chief Executive Instruction

Centrelink

The major service delivery arm of Services Australia

http://www.centrelink.gov.au

Certificate of Disclosure

The paper agreement of what information the Secretary to the Department of Social Services can disclose to the Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

CHESS

Australian Stock Exchange electronic clearing house system

Civil recovery action

Legal action taken in the Courts of a State or Territory to recover overpayments. This action is distinct from prosecution action for a criminal offence.

Clearance Procedures

Procedures in place between DVA and Centrelink to prevent dual payments, and to ensure that backdated amounts are adjusted if a period of overlap occurs.

CLIK

Consolidated Library of Information and Knowledge - consists of ten separate electronic libraries combined into one consolidated product. CLIK on-line libraries are simply one or more documents (e.g. manuals, guides, handbooks, instructions etc) that have been made available electronically in a Windows PC-based hypertext application called E-Publish.

CMS

Claims Management System - is a part of the mainframe computer system. It is used to track Income Support and Disability Compensation case processing.

CO.CO

Client Options screen in Mainframe

Comcare

Comcare is an Australian Government statutory authority which administers the Commonwealth's workers' compensation scheme under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act). Comcare also administers the Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991 (OHS(CE) Act).

http://www.comcare.gov.au

Commission (The)

See Repatriation Commission

Compliance and Review

Compliance and Review Section, Income Support combines the Data Matching Investigations Unit (DMIU) and the Trusts and Companies Team (T&C Team). The section's work involves overpayment calculation and recovery and the attribution of private trust or company assets and income.

ComSuper

ComSuper, an Australian Government Business Unit, is responsible for the day to day administration of the CSS, PSS, Military Super and DFRDB superannuation schemes for members of the Australian Public Service, participating employers, and members of the Australian Defence Force.

http://www.comsuper.gov.au

Consolidated Revenue (fund)

This fund, established by the Constitution, consists of the revenues raised or received by the Government.

Correspondence Nominee

A correspondence nominee is a person, other than the social security customer, who may receive social security correspondence and (in most instances) may act on the customer's behalf as if they were the customer.

Cost effectiveness

The comparison between the amount likely to be received and the expense (in money, time and clerical effort) of taking recovery action.

Costs

As in "fines, fees and costs" or "civil costs". Costs are charges levied by a court for the administration of civil or criminal matters brought before it.

CPI

Consumer Price Index

CRASS

Calculate Retrospective Amount Sub-System

Creditor

A person to whom a debt is owing.

Current entitlement

A current entitlement refers to any Benefit, Pension or Allowance currently paid under the VEA to a beneficiary of this Department.

Data matching

A computer based method of comparing client information collected from other government Departments –(e.g. ATO) on matters such as income, Centrelink on relationship status etc. For more information refer to Clerical Procedures Manual.

Date of effect

The commencement date of the overpayment, or the commencement date of a pension variation.

DCAO

Dependent Child Add On - an additional component that was paid on top of the service pension in respect of dependent children. DCAO was transferred to Centrelink on 1 January 1998.

Debtor

A person who owes money to the Commonwealth.

Deceased Estate

All the assets (less the liabilities) which belonged to a debtor who has died.

Decree Absolute

The date that divorce becomes final.

Deductions

See “limitation” and “withholdings”.

Default (on repayments)

Where a debtor fails to make repayments when repaying by cash instalments.

Default Provisions

When a debtor is sentenced by a court after prosecution action, the court may order the debtor to pay fines, costs and/or restitution within a certain period of time. The court may also add that if the debtor fails to pay as directed, default provisions may be implemented. This usually means the debtor will be imprisoned for failure to comply with the court order.

Deferred Recovery

Decision by a delegate of the Commission not to proceed with recovery of an overpayment until a specified time in the future.

Delegate

A person personally authorised by the Repatriation Commission or the Secretary to exercise the powers conferred on them by the legislation.

Denunciation

Information provided by members of the public alleging the client is receiving a benefit that they are not entitled to or is providing false or misleading information to the Department, i.e. a "dob-in". For more information refer to “Denunciation Guidelines”.

Dependant

In relation to a veteran means a partner, or a non-illness separated spouse, or a widow(er) or a child of the veteran (section 11 VEA refers).

DFRB/DFRDB

Defence Force Retirement Benefit and Death Benefit.

DHSS

Department of Health and Social Security (UK).

DI

Departmental Instruction

DIA (D.I.A.)

Departmentally Initiated Action. A reassessment action undertaken by the department, e.g. global or batch runs are DIAs undertaken for a number of clients with income/assets that fall into a specific category, such as British Retirement Income revaluations and managed investment update.

DIR (D.I.R.)

Departmentally Initiated Review. A review or investigation action initiated by the department. It can include selective reviews.

Disability Compensation Payment (DCP)

Pensions payable under Parts II and IV VEA to veterans; and to members of the Defence or Peacekeeping Forces.

DiVA

Department of Veterans' Affairs Intranet

DMRS

Debt Management and Recovery System. The debtors' ledger located in VIEW.

DOCGEN2

Document Generation Project – Phase 2

DoD

Department of Defence.

http://www.defence.gov.au

DoE

See “Date of Effect”

DOF

Department of Finance.

http://www.finance.gov.au

DCP

See “Disability Compensation Payment”

DPP

Director of Public Prosecutions

http://www.cdpp.gov.au/

DPS

Death Processing System is a system used to process death-related cases for DVA clients

DSS

Department of Social Services.

DSW

Department of Social Welfare (New Zealand).

Dual Pension/Payments

Payments incorrectly received from two sources- e.g. income support from both DVA and Centrelink, or a compensation payment plus DCP for the same disability.

Duplicate cheque

See “replacement cheque”.

DVA

Department of Veterans' Affairs

http://www.dva.gov.au

EA

Education Allowance non-means tested payment paid under the VCES and are designed to provide financial assistance towards the cost of an eligible child's education.

Earnings

Amount earned from such sources as casual employment or self-employment. Also includes allowances and fees paid such as directors fees, trustee fees etc.

Earnings Credit

An amount that a person can earn from wages/salary which is not taken into account under the income test for income support pension purposes. The earnings credit scheme was abolished on 20 March 1997.

EATS

Empire Air Training Scheme – P9/C9 CLIK Policy Library

EDA

Extreme Disablement Adjustment.

Effective Dates

Commencement date of the overpayment, plus variation dates within the overpayment period.

Eligibility

Refers to a person meeting the legislative requirements for a pension, allowance or benefit e.g. for a person to be eligible for age service pension the person must be a veteran; and have rendered qualifying service; and have reached pension age.

Entitlement

The right in law to a benefit or the correct amount to be paid to a pensioner.

EOB

End of Bereavement Period

Event

An event or change in a person's circumstances that affects the payment, or rate of payment of a pension, allowance or benefit.

Excess Payment

Payment made of a pension or allowance which should not have been made if the information was available at the time, but which was not caused by a breach of the Act – e.g. excess payments which occur upon the transfer from Centrelink age to DVA service pension.

Executor/Executrix

A person or body nominated by a person (testator) in their Will to give effect to the terms of the Will.

Expunge a debt

To renounce all legal claim to recover the debt.

Finalised

As in “overpayment finalised” – refers to an overpayment which is either fully recovered, transferred out or waived.

Financial circumstances

A debtor's income, assets and liabilities. See also “statement of financial circumstances”.

Financial hardship

Where repayment of a debt will cause a debtor hardship – i.e. they do not have the capacity to repay.

Fine

An order by a court to pay money by way of penalty upon conviction for criminal offences against the VEA, or Crimes Act 1914.

FOI

Freedom of Information. Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 a person can request access to information held by the department.

Formulated Rate

The formula for calculating the rate of fortnightly deductions or withholdings from a debtor's ongoing entitlement, in order to recover the debt.

Fraud

Deliberate misrepresentation of fact, deceit, intention to deceive, or deliberate non-disclosure of facts for the purposes of obtaining a benefit that would not be payable otherwise (whether oral or in writing). For more information refer to Prosecution Guidelines.

FTB

Family Tax Benefit – helps families with the cost of raising children.

GA

Guardians Allowance

Global runs

Reviews of all income support pensioners who hold certain type of income – e.g. Commonwealth superannuation or managed investment runs.

Good Faith

A payment is received in good faith if there is no fault on the part of the person and the person did not know or could not reasonably have been expected to know that there was no entitlement to the payment made in error.

Gross amount

The amount before any deductions are taken – e.g. gross income prior to deductions for expenses.

Hardship

See “financial hardship”.

IDU

Investment Database Unit

http://sharepoint/servingourcustomers/incomesupport/idu/Pages/InvestmentDatabaseUnit.aspx

IFA

Income Free Area – the level of income that a person can have before their rate of income support pension is affected.

Income

Personal earnings (salary or wages), profits, interest, dividends etc. Also see definition in sub-section 5H(1) VEA.

Income support pension

Refers to service pension and income support supplement.

Instalment

A regular payment of a fixed amount to repay an overpayment by way of cash payments as distinct from withholdings from pension.

Instrument (DSS)

See Certificate of Disclosure

INT

Intermediate Rate of disability compensation payment is paid to compensate a veteran who, because of incapacity resulting from eligible service, is unable to resume or continue paid work for: 50 per cent or more of normal time; or 20 hours or more per week.

Interface

The automatic, overnight transfer of computer data.

Interstate Transfer

The transfer of an overpayment to another State Office.

Intestate

One who dies without leaving a valid will.

IPP

Information Privacy Principles – 11 principles under the Privacy Act 1988 which set down standards for the collection, use, and storage of personal information collected by Australian Government Departments.

IPS

Integrated Payments System is accessed through VIEW. IPS has the capacity to deliver a wide range of one-off and recurring payment types, as well as making payments to banks and keeping a history of payment data.

Irrecoverable at law

A debt is “irrecoverable at law” where recovery is barred by the expiration of the statutory limitation period or there is insufficient evidence to prove the existence of a debt.

ISS

Income Support Supplement is a means tested income support payment paid only to certain war widows/widowers. The rate of ISS payable is limited to a “ceiling rate”, and is indexed each March and September.

ITR

Income Tax Return.

ITSA

Insolvency Trustee Service of Australia

JEOP

Journal entry overpayment.

Judgement Debt

The confirmation of a debt by a court.

LBP

Lump sum bereavement payment

Lien

See “caveat”.

Limitation

See “withholdings”.

Loss of basic eligibility

A person's failure to satisfy/or continue to satisfy, the basic criteria on which eligibility for benefit is based.

LSG

DVA's Legal Services Group

http://sharepoint/supportingbusiness/legalservicesgroup/Pages/Legal%20Services%20Group.aspx

Maintenance Income

Income received by a person from another source in respect of a dependent child.

MCRS

Military Compensation and Rehabilitation Scheme

MICRI

Military Compensation and Rehabilitation Instruction

Ministerial/Member's Representation

An inquiry from a member of Parliament on behalf of the debtor who has a grievance regarding some aspect of the overpayment.

MIs

Managed Investments

Misrepresentation

A statement made by a client which conveys a false or wrong impression. For more information refer to Prosecution Guidelines.

Mortgagee

The person who receives the benefit of a mortgage.

Mortgagor

The person who owns the property, but owes money to the body holding the mortgage.

MoU

Memorandum of Understanding

MTAWE

Male Total Average Weekly Earnings

Negative Arrears

An amount of money owed to the Commonwealth by a person who received more money than they were entitled to receive.

(Net) amount

The amount gained after deductions from a gross amount.

NFCU

National Fraud Control Unit

Notification period

The period of time a person has, under section 54 VEA, to notify DVA of an event or change of circumstances

Notification provision

Provisions in the VEA requiring the beneficiary to notify the department within a specified period of a change in circumstances which may affect their entitlement.

Obligation

Binding agreement or duty, enforceable under law. Also refers to notification provisions above.

ODM

Original Decision Maker

Offence

A breach of law under the VEA or SSL.

Off-rate

The rate of pension that the client was actually being paid at the time of the overpayment.

Ombudsman

The Ombudsman can investigate complaints about administrative actions of Australian Government Departments, make recommendations, and report to the Prime Minister and the Parliament if their recommendations are not acted upon, but cannot substitute their decision for the department's decision.

Omission

An unintentional failure to comply with notification provisions.

OMU

Overpayment Management Unit, set up in each State Office for the investigation/calculation and recovery of overpayments.

On-rate

The rate of pension to which the person was actually entitled.

Overpaid Tax

Once a debt has been repaid in full, the person may be eligible for a tax refund for the financial year(s) in which the overpayment occurred.

Overpayment

An amount of money owed to the Commonwealth by a person who received more money than they were entitled to receive.

Payability

Refers to the rate of benefit payable to a person – i.e. a person may lose payability without losing basic eligibility for income support pension.

PAYE

“Pay As You Earn”

PAYG

“Pay As You Go” payment summary

Payment Nominee

A payment nominee is a person (including a body corporate), other that the social security customer, to whom the whole or part of the customer's payment can be made under the direction of the Secretary.

Payment Notice

Used to request payment from any “person” who holds money for, or on account of, a debtor – e.g. the debtor's employer, financial institution, or the ATO.

Pecuniary Benefit

Refers to monetary benefits such as pension, funeral benefits, special assistance, reimbursement of travelling expenses and cash payments under the Veterans' Children Education Scheme.

Penalty Interest

Penalty interest can be applied to debts if the debtor is no longer in payment and fails to enter into, or breaks an existing, repayment arrangement.

PIPS

Pension Information Processing System is a system used to process many Income Support and Disability Compensation cases.

PIR (P.I.R.)

Pensioner Initiated Review.

Portion

Rate of deduction from the pension.

Primary payment

Primary payment is the social security income support payment that relates to the payment of Defence Force Income Support Allowance.

Probate

The proving of a will. Acceptance by the Supreme Court that the deceased's will is valid and the last will in existence.

Property

Anything that is capable of being owned.

Property - Real Property or Realty

A freehold interest in land.

Prosecution

Legal action for a criminal offence. For more information refer to Prosecution Guidelines.

PSP

Partner Service Pension – means tested service pension payable to an eligible partner or widow(er) of a veteran.

QAO

Quality Assurance Officer

RA

Rent Assistance is an allowance which may be paid fortnightly to a service pensioner or income support supplement recipient to assist in meeting the cost of rental accommodation.

RAA

Remote Area Allowance helps to meet additional costs associated with residence in remote areas.

Recovery

Receipt by the department of moneys which were previously overpaid.

Recovery Plan

The automated debt recovery system, that is part of IPS Receivables.

Relevant Date

Date on which an event that affects the rate of payment takes, or has taken, place.

Relevant Event

Change of person's circumstances that affects entitlement to a benefit - e.g. increase in income.

Remittance

A payment made to this department, usually by cash refund.

Rent Threshold

The minimum amount of rent that a person has to pay before being considered for possible entitlement to rent assistance.

Reparation Order

An amount a debtor is ordered by a Court to pay as compensation following a successful criminal prosecution. Also known as "restitution".

Repat Act

Repatriation Act 1920

Repatriation Commission

The Repatriation Commission is responsible under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (the Act) for granting pensions, allowances and other benefits, and providing treatment and other services through its hospital and institutions or through community facilities to veterans, their dependants and other eligible persons.

Repayment Advice Card

Records the debtor's details and is used by the RPM and the OMU for processing the repayment.

Replacement Cheque

A cheque paid to a beneficiary who has reported a scheduled (original) payment as stolen, missing or not received.

Representation

See "Ministerial/Member's Representation". May also be used in the context of "Ombudsman Representation".

Restitution

See "Reparation Order".

Reversal of Write-off

Commencing recovery action on a debt which was previously written-off.

Review

To examine an overpayment record to determine whether a particular event has taken place or to carry out a specific action.

RIP

Rent increased pension.

ROOLS

Review of Overpayment Letters.

RPM

Receiver of Public Moneys.

RTA

Recreation Transport Allowance may be paid to veterans suffering from severe war or defence-caused disabilities (such as amputations and blindness) that affect mobility, to promote their access to recreational activities.

SAF

Small Australian Prudential Regulatory Funds (or Small APRA Funds).

SDA

Specific Disability Amount

SHs

Shares.

SI

Statutory Increase.

SIRs

Specific Issue Reviews is a term which defines a range of circumstances for periodic re-assessments by the department.

SMSF

Self-Managed Super Funds.

SP

Service Pension - means tested pension payable to eligible veterans who have rendered qualifying service. It is payable to those who have reached pension age, or to those who are considered permanently incapacitated for work due to medical factors.

Special rate

Special rate of disability compensation payment. Formerly known as Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Rate (T&PI).

SRCA

Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988.

SSA

Social Security Act 1991.

SSAA

Social Security (Administration) Act 1999.

SSAT

Social Security Appeals Tribunal.

SSL

Social Security Law – includes the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999; the Social Security Act 1991;and the Social Security (International Agreements) Act 1999.

Standard Rate

The Centrelink equivalent of DVA's "formulated rate".

Statement of Financial Circumstances (D2708)

Used to ascertain the capacity of the debtor to repay the debt.

Statement of Liquidated Claim

Used where the amount can be fixed or calculated, as in the case of a pension overpayment.

Statute Barred

See "Statutory Limitation Period".

Statute of Limitations

The period allowed by legislation for commencing civil action to recover a debt – i.e. 6 years from the date when the debt was raised, or from the date on which an officer of the department first became aware of the circumstances that gave rise to the overpayment.

Statutory Increase (SI)

Regular adjustments to the rate of basic payment (i.e. indexation increases).

Temporary payment at Special rate

Disability compensation payment payable to eligible persons who are incapacitated from war caused or defence caused injuries; and if the injury was permanent would qualify for Special rate. Formerly known as Total Temporary Incapacity Pension (TTI).

TFN

Tax File Number. Guidelines exist under the Privacy Act 1988 to ensure that TFNs are collected and used only for tax purposes.

TR

Tax Return - see also "ITR".

TRIM

Total Records Information Management is a software application developed by TOWER Software that enables paper and electronic record management.

Unlawful or unauthorised payment

A payment to which a person is not legally entitled because of a specific restriction in the legislation, or the lack of legislative authority - e.g. payments made after death.

VAN

Veterans' Affairs Network

VCES

Veterans' Children Education Scheme.

VEA

Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.

VetAffairs

The Veterans' Affairs Newspaper provides regular, up-to-date, information of interest to the veteran community, including important information about government policies, programs and initiatives.

VIEW

Veterans' Information and Enquiry Window. The system front end that client details are displayed/view.

VRB

Veterans' Review Board - can review a primary decision made by a delegate of the Repatriation Commission to grant, vary, reduce or cancel DCP, WWP or AA.

Wages

Set amount earned from employment on a part-time or permanent nature, paid by an employer for a certain period worked.

Waiver

Action taken to give up the right to recover a debt permanently – i.e. recovery cannot be pursued and the debt ceases to exist.

WinPORS

Windows Based Pensioner Overpayment Recovery System - a stand-alone computer system designed to record overpayments and their recovery. The system provides financial information (i.e. the amount of debt), the cause of overpayment, how the overpayment was detected, plus the method and time taken to recover.

Withholding

Holding back part or all of a client's ongoing payment of pension or allowance to recover an overpayment.

Write-off

Action taken to discontinue recovery of a debt or to discontinue any action being taken to initiate recovery of a debt. It is not the renouncement of all legal claims to recover the debt at law.

Write-off Reversal

See "Reversal of Write-off".

WUV

State Assistance Scheme for the 1940-1945 Victims of Persecution

WWP

War Widow(er)'s Pension

Y&YP

The You and Your Pension booklet is a legal notification of obligations for these DVA pensioners.