DATE OF ISSUE:  16 April 1999

GENERAL INCREASE TO BRITISH PENSIONS PAID IN AUSTRALIA

1.The British Department of Social Security (BDSS) has advised that the British pensions paid in Australia will rise by 3.2%, in line with their Retail Price Index, and will come into effect from the payday in the week commencing 12 April 1999.

2.These changes will affect the EATS/Composite cases and any case where service pension is also in payment.  Age pension (BeB) cases will also be affected.  The new rates should be applied to EATS, Composite, all service pension and age pension cases where British disability pension is in payment.

EFFECTIVE DATES

3.This exercise is a manual process and arrears are to be paid to EATS/Composite cases, so the timetable is at your discretion.  However, the variation should be put into effect on payday 22 April 1999.  In service pension rent assistance, age pension cases overpayments should not be raised.

RATES CHARTS

4. A selection of rates converted to $A at both old and new rates are attached.

MANUAL CASES

5.The manual cases will be divided into those that are to be processed either through the Pension Payment System or through PIPS/PC.

6.The cases requiring manual examination will be identified by AL02 listings and the program $PPBBSPR which will list all service pension cases where British disability pension is in payment.  Action schedules (in the following groups) of cases requiring manual examination and variation by examiners will be produced on 14 April 1999.

Group ContentsReference Number

• Composite Cases

(with or without SP)100

• EATS Cases

(with or without SP)200

• Other Overseas pensions

(that may be affected)300

• Miscellaneous and joint cases — 900

Group 300 is to be processed via the PMF update transactions.  Groups 100 and 200 are to be processed via PIPS/PC.

7.The program ($PPBBSPR) will report on all those service pensioners who have British DP maintained in their assessment.  This report is to be actioned by amending the British DP amount recorded in each assessment.  Those cases are also to be processed through PIPS/PC.

MISCELLANEOUS AND JOINT CODES

8. Any case listed in group 900 will require action to remove the joint payment and/or miscellaneous pension code, in addition to the British pension adjustment.

CONTROL CARDS AND COMPUTER RUNS

9.The parameter cards for the computer runs are at Attachment A.  Would you please check the parameter cards to ensure that they are correct before processing commences.  Any changes should be reported to Kevin Chapman on (02) 6289 6749 to ensure that the appropriate amendments are made.  The computer processing will be performed by the Mainframe Support Unit (MSU).  A listing of all relevant cases will be forwarded to Benefits System Support Officers.

DATA ENTRY OF TRANSACTIONS FROM AL02 ACTION SCHEDULES EATS AND COMPOSITE CASES

PAY PERIOD CODES

10.The pay period number 22 (effective date 22 April 1999) should be entered.  The day within the pay period field may be left blank.

KEYFAST BATCH DESCRIPTION

11.The manual transactions for EATS/Composite cases should be entered using Keyfast batch description $PENSIO in normal daily production by cut-off for the next available payday.  Arrears may need to be manually calculated and entered as a one time amount.

CASES WITH SERVICE PENSION AND OR AN AUSTRALIAN

DP COMPONENT TO BE PROCESSED VIA PIPS/PC  (Groups 100, 200)

12. 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 on the CDB via PIPS/PC.  Due to the change in the British rate, these cases will be MS.

ADVICES

13.There will only be two circumstances where an advice is required and that will be in a limited number of cases.  The circumstances are when the British component is greater than the Australian, and in cases where the increased British DP reduces the amount of Rent Assistance payable (ie. in both situations, a payment variation is effected).  All reduced rate age pension cases will also be affected.

14.For variation cases requiring PIPS/PC action, a reason for variation should be entered on the Advices screen, and an advice indicator of 'Y' coded on action schedules.  For non-PIPS/PC actions, a variation advice indicator of 'A' should be coded on action schedules.

CONTACT OFFICER

15.The contact officer for this exercise is Lucy Berger on telephone: (02) 6289 6013.

RJ HAY

BRANCH HEAD

INCOME SUPPORT

    April 1999

ATTACHMENT A

CCHYNO.X.CNTL

MEMBER AL02

Z1200 — ALL3023802380

Z1100 — ALL3223802380

Z2200 — ALL3323802380

Z2100 — ALL0040014003

Z2200 — ALL0050015004

Z2300 — ALL0057005700

ATTACHMENT B

BRITISH PENSION GENERAL INCREASE CHARTS

EXCHANGE RATE VARIATION FROM 2.43 TO $A2.74

OTHER RANKS - DISABILITY PENSION - EFFECTIVE 12 April 1999

OFFICER - DISABILITY PENSION - EFFECTIVE 12 April 1999

EXCHANGE RATE $A2.74

OFFICERS - SERVICE RETIRED PAYOR SERVICE PENSION - EFFECTIVE 12 April 1999

EXCHANGE RATE $A2.74

SUPPLEMENTARY ALLOWANCES OFFICERS and OTHER RANKS - DISABLEMENT EXCHANGE RATE $A2.74

	Effective	12-Apr-99	Effective	12-Apr-99
UNEMPLOYABILITY SUPP.	OFFICERS		OTHER RANKS
	OLD RATE	NEW RATE	OLD RATE	NEW RATE
	P.F.	P.F.	P.F.	P.F.
Personal Allowance	376.45	388.54	376.20	388.26
Wife or Adult dependant	212.19	219.12	212.08	218.93
1st eligible child	54.33	54.33	54.25	54.25
2nd & subsequent child	62.01	62.22	61.92	62.20
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	115.19	118.76	115.08	118.64
2.Full day attendance- Basic	230.37	237.41	230.16	237.28
- Intermediate	345.45	356.17	345.24	355.93
- Exceptional	460.64	474.93	460.32	474.57
COMFORTS ALLOWANCE	OFFICERS		OTHER RANKS
	OLD RATE	NEW RATE	OLD RATE	NEW RATE
	P.F.	P.F.	P.F.	P.F.
Higher Rate	98.69	102.05	98.64	101.93
Lower Rate	49.40	50.97	49.32	50.96
CLOTHING ALLOWANCE	OFFICERS		OTHER RANKS
	OLD RATE	NEW RATE	OLD RATE	NEW RATE
	P.A.	P.A.	P.F.	P.F.
Higher Rate	389.08	402.78	14.92	15.45
Lower Rate	389.08	402.78	14.92	15.45
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	74.62	77.04	74.53	76.99
Qualifying)   > 40 but < 50 yrs	47.19	48.76	47.13	48.77
Date)   > 50 yrs	23.54	24.38	23.56	24.39
AGE ALLOWANCE	OFFICERS		OTHER RANKS
When the degree of pensioned disablement is :	OLD RATE	NEW RATE	OLD RATE	NEW RATE
	P.F.	P.F.	P.F.	P.F.
a. 40% to 50% - inclusive	40.57	41.93	40.55	41.92
b. > 50% but not > 70%	62.74	64.74	62.75	64.66
c. > 70% but not > 90%	89.44	92.17	89.32	92.06
d. over 90%	125.59	129.37	125.49	129.33

MISCELLANEOUS

EXCHANGE RATE $A2.74

	Effective	12-Apr-99	Effective	12-Apr-99
RENT ALLOWANCE (Maximum)	OFFICERS		OTHER RANKS
	OLD RATE	NEW RATE	OLD RATE	NEW RATE
	P.F.	P.F.	P.F.	P.F.
	173.51	179.61	173.99	179.47
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	52.46	54.33	52.61	54.25
- Age 70 and over	100.56	104.15	100.83	104.12
- Age 80 and over	149.74	155.23	150.15	155.08

DEPENDANTS OF DECEASED MEMBERS

EXCHANGE RATE $A2.74

				Effective	12-Apr-99
WIDOWS  ** HIGHER RATE **				OLD RATE	NEW RATE
******M.O.D.  Payment Included  ******				P.F.	P.F.
CLASS V				759.71	784.18
IV, III,  II,  I,  WO1				761.36	785.82
Lt Comdr,  Capt,  Major,  Sq Ldr				770.98	795.68
Lt,  Lt,  Capt, Fl Lt				769.09	793.79
Sub Lt,  Lt,  Flying Off   Pilot Off				767.41	792.00
Comms Off				764.46	788.95
WIDOWS  ** M.O.D. PAYMENT **				OLD RATE	NEW RATE
Special award for Widows whose husbands completed				P.F.	P.F.
service on or before 31 March 1973.				299.94	309.61
CHILDREN OF WIDOW OR REMARRIED WIDOW				OLD RATE	NEW RATE
				P.F.	P.F.
1st ELIGIBLE CHILD				77.88	78.72
2nd and SUBSEQUENT CHILD				85.53	86.60
TOTAL ORPHANS and MOTHERLESS CHILDREN				OLD RATE	NEW RATE
				P.F.	P.F.
TOTAL ORPHANS   1st CHILD				87.71	88.81
2nd and SUBSEQUENT ORPHANS				95.36	96.79
INFIRM & > 18 -				353.58	366.05