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6.10.3 Rates of Veterans Supplement

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Last amended 
1 January 2022

    

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Overview

Veterans supplement (VSup) was introduced in September 2009 as part of the Secure and Sustainable Pension Reforms. Veterans supplement is paid at either the low rate or the high rate, depending on whether the person has eligibility under section 118A VEA or section 118B VEA or both.      

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A person may have dual eligibility for veterans supplement if they meet the criteria under both section 118A VEA and section 118B VEA. In such cases, the person is paid at twice the fortnightly rate (or the high rate) of veterans supplement. Where a person is eligible under one, but not both, of these VEA sections their fortnightly rate of veterans supplement is referred to as the low rate.

If a person with dual eligibility for veterans supplement becomes eligible for energy supplement after reaching pension age, they will lose eligibility under VEA section 118B. They will therefore move from the high rate of veterans supplement to the low rate of veterans supplement.

A person who is receiving an income support payment from either DVA or Centrelink is not eligible for veterans supplement. This is because they receive pension supplement as part of their income support pension or benefit. Pension supplement includes an equivalent payment to veterans supplement.    

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Rates for Veterans Supplement

This table lists the applicable rates of veterans supplement.      

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Situation

Eligible under

VEA provision

Veterans Supplement Rate

Gold Card holder receiving:

  • Disability Compensation Payment;
  • Special Rate;
  • Extreme Disablement Adjustment; or
  • Increased by a Specific Disability Amount items 1-8

and do not receive an income support payment from DVA or Centrelink.

118A and 118B (dual eligibility)High
War widow not receiving Income Support Supplement and under qualifying age.118BLow

White and orange card holders with no income support payment from either DVA or Centrelink.

118A

Low

Receiving DVA orphan's pension.

118A

Low

The veterans supplement was introduced on 20 September 2009 as part of the Government's Secure and Sustainable Pension Reform package. It is a fortnightly payment that replaces pharmaceutical allowance and/or telephone allowance for compensation recipients who are not in receipt of an income support supplement. There are two rates, the veterans supplement low rate and the veterans supplement high rate. The low rate replaces one of the allowances and the high rate replaces both. The low rate is indexed every January to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The high rate is always twice the amount of the low rate.

 

 

The pension supplement is added to a person's maximum basic rate. The pension supplement is calculated as a 'combined couple' rate. The 'not a member of a couple' rate is 66.33% of the 'combined couple' rate. The member of a couple rate is 50% of the combined couple rate. From 1 July 2010, the minimum pension supplement amount will be able to be claimed on a quarterly basis rather than on a fortnightly basis.