Instalments of disability compensation payment and war widow's/widower's pension
Disability compensation payments and war widow's/widower's pensions are paid fortnightly in arrears. An instalment is payable in respect of the number of days in each fourteen day pension period for which the person is eligible and the pension is payable. (There is however no DCP/WWP entitlement in the payment/pension period in which the disability compensation payment recipient or war widow/er pensioner dies).
The instalment for the pension period will be payable on the next pension payday after the end of the pension. Variations to payments, pensions or allowances begin affecting the rate of payment from the day the determination is made. In the case of an application for increase in pension, the date of effect would normally be the date the application is received at an office of the Department in Australia.
In the case of a reduction the date of effect specified would normally be the first day of the pension period.
Disability Compensation Payment Eligibility
Income Support Effective Dates and Pension Periods
Daily entitlement
Daily entitlement is the amount of pension that is payable on a given day. This method of calculating pension instalments means that the pension for each payday will be made up of an amount for each day of the fourteen day pension period. The rate of pension payable to a person for a day is calculated by dividing the fortnightly rate of pension by 14. A system of daily entitlement will mean that:
- an instalment of pension can be made up of one or more pension rates, and
- pension variations may be effective from any day in the fortnight.
Allowances included in daily entitlement
Decoration allowance, clothing allowance, attendant allowance and recreation transport allowance are also paid fortnightly in arrears and on a system of daily entitlements.
Exception
Victoria cross allowance, loss of earnings allowance, temporary incapacity allowance and VCES payments are not paid using daily entitlements.
Dates of effect for new claims and increases in payments
Section 20 VEA Date of operation of grant of claim for pension
Section 21 VEA Date of operation of grant of application under Section 15
Section 114 VEA Commencement of payment of certain allowances
The following table outlines dates of effect for grants and increases of Veterans' Compensation payments:
Type of claim/payment | if | then the date of effect will be |
new claim for disability compensation payment
| the new claim for disability compensation payment is accepted | 3 months before the date of receipt at a DVA office.
|
increase in rate of disability compensation payment | the application for an increase in disability compensation payment is accepted | the date of receipt at a DVA office.
|
claim for war widow's/widower's or orphan's pension
| a death is accepted as related to service and the death occurred at least 3 months ago | 3 months before the date the claim was received at a DVA office.
|
a death is accepted as related to service and the death occurred less than 3 months ago | the day after the death.
| |
claim for:
| the application is made within 3 months of an injury or disease being determined as war-caused, and is accepted | the date on which the determination is made.
|
application is made at any other time and is accepted | the date on which the application is received at a DVA office.
|
Allowances paid with respect to a period
Some Vetetrans' Compensation allowances are paid with respect to a relevant period, or are paid as a lump sum. These periods and lump sum payments are outlined below:
- Temporary Incapacity Allowance is paid for a period of hospital or other institutional treatment for a war or defence caused disability. The period must be at least 28 days and commences from the date of hospitalisation. The period may include post discharge rest and recuperation.
- Loss of Earnings Allowance is paid for the period the veteran must be absent from work without sick leave pay due to their war-caused injury or disease.
- Vehicle Assistance Scheme provides lump sum payments to assist in purchasing a car, and to be used towards the cost of maintenance.
Date of effect for new or amended Statements of Principles
A new Statement of Principles or a SoP that amends an existing SoP takes effect when it is notified in the Australia Government Gazette. Notification in the Gazette counts as informing the public at large that new SoPs have been made.