Advised by:

Advice has been received from the British Department of Social Security (BDSS) to the effect that the exchange rate to be used for payment of the British component of Disability Pensions ( EATS and COMPOSITE) in Australia has been reviewed.

New Exchange Rate

$A2.74.  The previous rate was $A2.43 to one Pound Sterling.

(British pension rates charts are at Attachment B)

Rate Effective From

16 November 1998.  Arrears will need to be calculated back to this date.

Cases Affected

The variation applies to the EATS and Composite cases.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong cases are not affected by the exchange rate adjustment to British Disability Pensions.  Disability Compensation Branch in National Office is still reviewing the procedures that apply to Hong Kong pensions including calculating the Hong Kong exchange rate.  Until a new method is agreed, please continue as per Peta Stevenson's instructions until further notice.

For further information on this subject please contact Peta Stevenson on (02) 6289 6176.

Manual Examination

There will be no cases processed automatically.  All cases will be listed for manual examination.

Service Pension Cases

Action schedules of cases requiring manual examination and variation by examiners can be obtained by contacting Carol Walsh on (02) 6289 6729.  They will be made up of the following groups:

Group Content

Group Reference

Composite cases (with or without SP)

100

EATS cases (with or without SP)

200

Other overseas pensions (which may be affected)

300

Pay Period Codes

Pay Period No. 16 (effective date 28 January 1999) should be entered.  The day within the pay period field may be left blank.

(Note:  The rate change is from 19 November 1998 and arrears will need to be calculated for each case)

Keyfast Batch Description

The manual transactions for EATS and Composite cases should be punched using keyfast batch description $PENSIO by cut off for payday No. 16,

28 January 1999.

Control Cards

Control card formats for computer runs are at Attachment A.

SPOC

When single officer processing is in operation any reference to the delegate should be read as the single officer.

Client Data Base (CDB)

For all cases involving EATS, Composite or Service Pension, whether automatic or manual method of assessment, the new rate of British pension must be updated via PIPS/PC.  Due to the change in the British rate, these cases will be “MS” and determined by the delegate, or through manual authority on PIPS/PC only.

D408/ Schedules

It will not be necessary to prepare a D408, or equivalent in these cases; the schedule produced for dual SP/EATS/COMP cases to record the changes to the PMF may be used as an authority provided each record on that schedule is endorsed with the consecutive number automatically produced by PIPS/PC and is signed by the delegate determining the case prior to transmission to Payment Administration.  All such cases can be identified from the manual schedules  (i.e. group 100, 200) and the new British rates should be deducted from the examiners' entries on those schedules.

NOTE:  ALL entries on these schedules must be in Australian Dollars.

CR.PS System

The Correspondence Rules and Paragraph Specifications system will generate an advice in cases where a payment variation is made.  Examiners should action cases in the following manner:

Cases

What to do

Continuations

Unless the total payment varies, the PIPS/PC Advices screen should be accessed and production of an automatic advice suppressed.  The advice Indicator on the Action Schedule should be set to “Z”.

Variations

Where a variation in total payments results, the PIPS/PC Advice screen should be accessed and the Suppressed Income/Asset List Indicator set to “Y”.  This will result in production of a variation advice with no income and asset details.  The Advice Indicator on the Action Schedule should be set to “Y”.

Computer Processing

Computer processing will be performed by the Systems Delivery Unit in Business Delivery.  For a list of all relevant cases please contact Carol Walsh on (02) 6289 6729.

Contact Officer

The contact officer for this exercise is Lucy Berger (02) 6289 6013.

Effective 19-Nov-98

Effective 19-Nov-98

UNEMPLOYABILITY SUPP.

OFFICERS

OTHER RANKS

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

Personal Allowance

333.86

376.45

333.64

376.20

Wife or Adult dependant

188.18

212.19

188.08

212.08

1st eligible child

48.19

54.33

48.11

54.25

2nd & subsequent child

54.99

62.01

54.92

61.92

CONSTANT ATTENDANT

OFFICERS

OTHER RANKS

ALLOWANCE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

1.Up to half-day attendance

102.15

115.19

102.06

115.08

2.Full day attendance -Basic

204.31

230.37

204.12

230.16

-Intermediate

306.37

345.45

306.18

345.24

-Exceptional

408.52

460.64

408.24

460.32

COMFORTS ALLOWANCE

OFFICERS

OTHER RANKS

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

Higher Rate

87.52

98.69

87.48

98.64

Lower Rate

43.81

49.40

43.74

49.32

CLOTHING ALLOWANCE

OFFICERS

OTHER RANKS

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.A.

P.A.

P.F.

P.F.

Higher Rate

345.06

389.08

13.24

14.92

Lower Rate

345.06

389.08

13.24

14.92

INVALIDITY ALLOWANCE

OFFICERS

OTHER RANKS

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

Age on)< 40 yrs

66.18

74.62

66.10

74.53

Qualifying)> 40 but < 50 yrs

41.85

47.19

41.80

47.13

Date)> 50 yrs

20.88

23.54

20.90

23.56

AGE ALLOWANCE

OFFICERS

OTHER RANKS

When the degree of pensioned disablement is:

OLD RATE

P.F.

NEW RATE

P.F.

OLD RATE

P.F.

NEW RATE

P.F.

a.40% to 50% - inclusive

35.98

40.57

35.96

40.55

b.> 50% but not > 70%

55.64

62.74

55.65

62.75

c.> 70% but not > 90%

79.32

89.44

79.22

89.32

d.over 90%

111.38

125.59

111.29

125.49

Effective 19-Nov-98

Effective 19-Nov-98

RENT ALLOWANCE (Maximum)

OFFICERS

OTHER RANKS

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

153.88

173.51

154.31

173.99

AGE ALLOWANCE

OFFICERS

OTHER RANKS

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

P.F.

Widows-Age 65 but under 70

46.53

52.46

46.66

52.61

Age 70 and over

89.18

100.56

89.42

100.83

Age 80 and over

132.80

149.74

133.16

150.15

Effective

19-Nov-98

WIDOWS **HIGHER RATES**

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

******M.O.D.  Payment Included  ******

P.F.

P.F.

CLASS V

673.76

759.71

IV, III, II, I WO1

675.22

761.36

Lt Comdr,  Capt,  Major,  Sq Ldr

683.76

770.98

Lt,  Lt,  Capt, Fl Lt

682.08

769.09

Sub Lt,  Lt,  Flying Off   Pilot Off

680.59

767.41

Comms Off

677.98

764.46

WIDOWS **M.O.D. PAYMENT**

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

Special award for Widows whose husbands completed service

P.F.

P.F.

on or before 31 March 1973.

266.01

299.94

CHILDREN OF WIDOW OR REMARRIED WIDOW

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.F.

P.F.

1st ELIGIBLE CHILD

69.07

77.88

2nd and SUBSEQUENT CHILD

75.85

85.53

TOTAL ORPHANS and MOTHERLESS CHILDREN

OLD RATE

NEW RATE

P.F.

P.F.

TOTAL ORPHANS   1st CHILD

77.79

87.71

2nd and SUBSEQUENT ORPHANS

84.57

95.36

INFIRM & > 18 -

313.58

353.58