ATTACHMENT E - EXAMPLE LETTER ADVISING RESIDENT OF UNSUCCESSFUL QUALIFYING SERVICE CLAIM

							Commonwealth Department of Veterans' Affairs
						VICTORIAN STATE OFFICE
Contact			Telephone				300 Latrobe St
Reference			Facsimile				Melbourne   VIC   3000
							Postal Address:
							GPO Box 87A
							Melbourne   VIC   3001
							Telephone:  (03) 9284 6000
							Country residents:   1800 113 304
							Facsimile: (03) 9602 5709
	_
							March 1998

Dear

I am writing to you about the application for service pension qualifying service which you have made for the purposes of exempting your disability pension from assessment as income for aged care fee purposes.

OUTCOME OF YOUR CLAIM

On (enter date) a delegate of the Repatriation Commission decided that you have not rendered qualifying service as required by the Veterans' Entitlement Act 1986.

BASIS OF DECISION

(example only)

In your case you would have rendered qualifying service if you served, while allotted for duty or with a unit that was allotted for duty, in the operational area Vietnam (Southern Zone) during the period from 31 July 1962 to 11 January 1973 inclusive.

Your service records show that you were not allotted for service in the operational area stipulated above.

(end of example)

DISABILITY PENSION WILL BE ASSESSED

As you do not have qualifying service, your disability pension will henceforth be assessed as income in determining the level of fees you have to pay to the (enter “nursing home” or “hostel”) where you live.

CENTRELINK RESPONSIBLE FOR
INCOME ASSESSMENT

As your disability pension will be assessed as income, Centrelink will now take responsibility for the assessment of your income for the purposes of determining the level of fees you have to pay to the (enter “nursing home” or “hostel”) where you live.

We will arrange for the income information you have already provided to DVA to be transferred to Centrelink so that you do not have to provide your income details again.

RIGHT OF REVIEW

If you do not agree with this decision, you may apply to have it reviewed by a Pension Review Officer at this office.

TIME LIMIT FOR REVIEW

If you decide to apply for a review of the decision that you do not have qualifying service you must do so within three months of being notified of this decision.  A request for a review must be in writing and set out the reasons for seeking a review.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 you may have access to your personal files or any other non-exempt documents.  You may also inspect the manuals, guide-lines, rules and instructions which may be used by officers in making decisions relating to members of the public.  For further details contact the Department and ask for the Freedom of Information Section.

CONTACT NUMBERS

If you have any questions about any of the above matters, please contact me on the telephone number at the top of this letter, or if you reside outside the metropolitan area, toll free on 1800 (enter number).  If you telephone, we may ask you to confirm information in writing or to send us certain documents that are related to the matter.

Yours Sincerely

(enter name) )

for DEPUTY COMMISSIONER