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8.2.4 Payment of Disability Compensation Bereavement Payment
Disability compensation bereavement (formerly known as Disability pension bereavement) payments paid by lump sum
Once the total disability compensation payment bereavement payment is calculated, the payment is paid to the partner or the deceased veterans' estate in a lump sum.
Effect on lump sum of released payments of disability compensation payment
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In many circumstances, payments of disability compensation payment, or a recoverable allowance are released to the deceased after their death, before payment can be stopped. The following table illustrates how the lump sum is affected.
Member of a couple
If the disability compensation payment or allowance is paid to... | Then the amount released is... | And the partner... |
A financial institution, into an account in the veteran's name | Deducted from the lump sum payment | Is given a letter to gain access to the released money, and is paid the difference between the lump sum calculated and the amount released. |
A financial institution, into a joint account | Deducted from the lump sum payment | Is paid the difference between the lump sum calculated and the amount released. |
A residential care facility | Recovered from the facility | Is paid the total calculated lump sum. |
Single Member
If the disability compensation payment or allowance is paid to... | Then the amount released is... | And the deceased veterans' Estate... |
A financial institution, into an account in the veteran's name | Deducted from the lump sum payment | Is paid the difference between the lump sum calculated and the amount released in the form of a cheque made out to the deceased veterans' estate. |
A residential care facility | Recovered from the facility | Is paid the total calculated lump sum in the form of a cheque made out to the deceased veterans' estate. |
A bereavement payment is an amount payable in respect of a deceased pensioner that represents a continuation of the pensioner's entitlement for a period following the death (the bereavement period).
The payment can be made as:
- a lump sum in advance, or
- a continuation of the deceased person's pension instalments, or
- a combination of both, or
- a portion of the rate of pension payable to the surviving member of a couple identified as a separate amount only for taxation purposes.
A person's 'partner' is someone who is a member of a couple with that person.
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.