PIPS is a system used to process many Income Support and Veterans' Compensation cases.

According to Section 179 of the VEA, the Commission is a body corporate under the name of Repatriation Commission.

A service pension is an income support payment broadly equivalent to the social security age and disability support pensions. It may be paid once a veteran or partner has reached the nominated age or is incapacitated for work.

ISS is an income support payment that may be paid to eligible war widows and widowers under the VEA and persons receiving wholly dependent partners' compensation under the MRCA, and who satisfy the means tests. It is an indexed rate, increased twice-yearly in March and September in line with changes to the cost of living and/or average wages. Income Support Supplement (ISS) legislation commenced on 20 March 1995. It is a payment created to replace the ceiling rate income support age, carer, wife and disability support pensions, paid to war widows/widowers by Centrelink.

An age pension is a means tested income support payment paid by Centrelink  or DVA on behalf of the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. The majority of age pensions are paid through Centrelink. However, eligible veterans  who have an accepted disability or receive a Disability Compensation Payment from DVA, but do not have qualifying service, may be paid their age pension by DVA. Their partner may also receive their age pension from DVA, if eligible.

One element of the means test for income support pensions whereby the rate of pension payable to a pensioner reduces progressively as their assets increase above a certain threshold known as the assets value limit (AVL).

One element of the means test for income support pensions whereby the rate of pension payable to a pensioner reduces progressively as their income increases above a certain threshold known as the income free area (IFA).

A person may be regarded as permanently blind in both eyes where:

• there is a total loss of sight; or
• visual acuity after correction with suitable lenses is less than 6/60 in both eyes on the Snellen Scale; or
• where, in the written opinion of an ophthalmologist, the visual field deficits and/or combination of deficits results in a visual impairment which is the equivalent of a corrected visual acuity measure of less than 6/60 in both eyes.

The Commission Guideline CM5829: Determining 'permanently blind', 'no useful sight' and 'blinded in both eyes' may be instructive in making a blinded/blindness determination.

Rent Assistance is an allowance which may be paid to a service pensioner, income support supplement (ISS) or veteran payment recipient to assist in meeting the cost of rental accommodation.

To receive rent assistance a pensioner must be paying rent (other than Government rent) for accommodation in Australia, and the amount paid must exceed a certain threshold.

The Death Processing System (DPS) is a system used to process death-related cases for DVA clients.

A form of pension that is paid to the partner of a veteran where the veteran has died as a result of war service or eligible Defence Service.  War widow's/widower's pension is also paid to the partner of a veteran whose death was not war caused if the veteran was a ex-prisoner of war or if the veteran was receiving Extreme Disablement Adjustment (EDA) Rate, Special Rate (T&PI) or a rate increased in respect of certain war-caused injury or disease.

Disability compensation payment (known before 2022 as disability pension), for the purposes of service pension, income support supplement and veteran payment, means:

• a pension paid by way of compenstion for incapacity from war caused conditions, or peacetime, peacekeeping or hazardous service caused conditions (other than a war widow's or orphan's pension); or
• temporary incapacity allowance; or
• any other payment in respect of incapacity or death resulting from war or war-like operations in which the Crown has been engaged (usually paid by another Commonwealth country).

Please note that the Disability Compensation Payment is legally a pension by way of compensation under the VEA so that concessional benefits under state, territory and local government legislation to pensioners/pensions under the VEA are not denied.

Income support pension is:

• a social security pension
• a service pension;
• an income support supplement.

According to subsection 5J(1) of the VEA, an income stream includes:

• an income stream arising under arrangements that are regulated by the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993; or
• an income stream arising under a public sector scheme (within the meaning of that Act); or
• an income stream arising under a retirement savings account; or
• an income stream provided as life insurance business by a life company registered under section 21 of the Life Insurance Act 1995; or
• an income stream provided by a friendly society (within the meaning of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1996); or
• an income stream designated in writing by the Commission for the purposes of this definition, having regard to the guidelines determined under subsection 5J(1F) of the VEA;

but does not include any of the following:

• available money;
• deposit money;
• a managed investment;
  • an investment in a public unit trust;
  • an investment in an insurance bond;
  • an investment with a friendly society;
  • an investment in a superannuation fund;
  • an investment in an approved deposit fund;
  • an investment in an ATO small superannuation account;
• a listed security;
• a loan that has not been repaid in full;
• an unlisted public security; 
• gold, silver or platinum bullion; or
• a payment of compensation in relation to a person's:
  • inability to earn, derive or receive income from remunerative work; or
  • total and permanent disability or incapacity.