What is the Disability Compensation Payment (formerly known as Disability Pension)?
A Disability Compensation Payment is paid to compensate a veteran, member of the Forces, member of a Peacekeeping Force or Australian mariner for injuries or diseases caused or aggravated by war service or certain defence service on behalf of Australia.
Categories of Disability Compensation Payment
There are four categories of the disability compensation payment:
- General Rate,
- Extreme Disablement Adjustment,
- Intermediate Rate, and,
- Special Rate.
General Rate
The General Rate is the scale of compensation that takes into account the medical impairment and life style effects of an accepted condition or conditions. It does not have regard to whether or not a veteran is employed.
Extreme Disablement Adjustment
The Extreme Disablement Adjustment compensates a person who is extremely disabled and in receipt of the 100 per cent general rate disability compensation payment, but whose accepted disabilities have further degenerated after age 65.
Intermediate Rate
The intermediate rate provides a rate of pension to bridge the gap between the general rate and the special rate for former serving members capable of part-time or intermittent work only.
Special Rate
The special rate of disability compensation payment provides compensation to a person who is unable to resume or continue in paid work for periods of more than eight hours per week due to:
- total and permanent incapacity, or
- total and temporary incapacity.
Specific Disability Allowance
The Specific Disability Allowance increases the rate of Disability Compensation Payment paid for certain war-caused or defence-caused amputations, or amputations and/or loss of sight.