C10/2001 RELEASE OF YOU and YOUR PENSION 2001 EDITION

Purpose

The purpose of this departmental instruction is to set out revised procedures for providing newly granted income support pensioners with the 2001 edition of You and Your Pension.

It also sets out the changes to the letters from the Integrated Advices system for new grants of service pension, income support supplement and social security age pension (paid by DVA).

Related Documents

This departmental instruction should be read in conjunction with:

• Stateline, You & Your Pension (All States) dated  July 2001.

Introduction

The hard copy of You and Your Pension was first printed in June 1998 and direct mailed to all pensioners in receipt of service pension and income support supplement.  The production of the book followed extensive consultation with veterans, ex service representatives and staff.

Objectives of You and Your Pension

The objectives of You and Your Pension are to:

• improve pensioner's understanding of their benefits, rights and obligations;
• reduce the worry many pensioners have about fulfilling their obligations;
• reduce workload through pensioners being better informed of the events they do and do not need to tell DVA about; and
• provide comprehensive information about the full range of DVA benefits and services available to income support pensioners.

The issue of the book with a covering letter (ie the new grant advice) is also a legal notification of obligations under section 54 of the VEA and sections 67 and 68 of the SSA.

Background

Prior to stocks of You and Your Pension running out, the book was sent with the new grant advices for newly granted service pensioners and income support supplement recipients.  Obligations were suppressed in the advices and pensioners were referred to the book for information about their benefits, rights and obligations.

Since stocks have run out, staff have reverted to advices which contain full obligations for new grants of service pension and income support supplement.  In some states, lists have also been kept of pensioners to whom the new  book can be sent.

Which letters have changed

There are changes to the new grant letters.  The letters that will change are:

• SP and ISS grants
• AP grants (the 2001 edition of You and Your Pension contains information for age pensioners paid by DVA)
• new grant of partner SP, vet already in payment

What the changes are for SP and ISS grants

The obligation paragraph has been changed so that when SP or ISS is granted, obligations can be suppressed and the book sent with the advice.  When obligations are suppressed, the following paragraph will be included in the grant letter:

Events you need to tell us about

You must notify within 14 days (28 days if you live overseas or receive remote area allowance) of changes to your circumstances which might affect the rate of your pension.  The attached booklet You and Your Pension is a notice under section 54 of the Veterans' Entitlements Act and sets out your obligations to ensure that your pension is paid at the correct rate.  If you do not tell us of any of these changes you may be overpaid.  We are entitled under the above Act to recover any overpayments.

The booklet also includes the following information:

• things you don't need to tell us about;
• additional allowances and benefits;
• the income and assets tests and how different types of income and assets are counted for pension purposes;
• your obligations and rights as a recipient; and
• other services available from Veterans' Affairs.

What the changes are for AP grants

The obligation paragraph has been changed so that when AP is granted, obligations can be suppressed and the book sent with the advice.  When obligations are suppressed, the following paragraph will be included in the letter:

Events you need to tell us about

You must notify us within 14 days (28 days if you are living overseas) of changes to your circumstances which might affect the rate of your pension.  If you become aware that you have received or are to receive a compensation payment, you must tell us within 7 days (28 days if you are living overseas).  The attached booklet You and Your Pension sets out your obligations to ensure that your pension is paid at the right rate.  If you do not tell us of any of these changes you may be overpaid.  We are entitled under social security law to recover any overpayments.

The booklet also includes the following information:

• things you don't need to tell us about;
• additional allowances and benefits;
• the income and assets tests and how different types of income and assets are counted for pension purposes;
• your obligations and rights as a recipient; and

• other services available from Veterans' Affairs.

What the changes are for new grants to partner SP

The following paragraph is a new paragraph for new grants partner SP.  It will be included in the letter when obligations are suppressed.

A copy of the booklet You and Your Pension should have previously been sent to your partner.  If you do not have a copy of the booklet you should contact the Department and request a copy.

Effective date

The revised letters will go into production effective from 23 July 2001.  Stocks of You and Your Pension should be available in the States from

20 July 2001.

Who is affected?

All new grants of service pension, income support supplement and social security age pension (paid by DVA) effective from 23 July 2001.

Procedures for requesting letters for new grants of SP, ISS and AP

When granting a new service pension, income support supplement or social security age pension, it will be necessary to suppress printing the full listing of obligations.  These obligations are contained in You and Your Pension.

The following table sets out the new procedures for requesting letters for new grants of SP, ISS and AP.

Step

Action

1

As part of the granting a new pension procedure go to the 'advice' screen in PIPS

2

Change the default selection of “full” under the obligations section to “suppress”.  This will:

• insert the paragraphs mentioned above
• suppress the pensioner's full listing of obligations from being printed in the Integrated Advices system letter

3

After the letter has been printed, include a copy of the booklet You and Your Pension with the letter package to be mailed to the pensioner.

Additional procedures for blind pensioners

For newly granted service pensioners, income support supplement recipients and social security age pensioners who are blind, it will be necessary to send an audio cassette version of You and Your Pension as well as the booklet.

If “blind” is selected in the 'adult details' screen of PIPS then an audio cassette should also be included in the letter package.

Where blind pensioners are members of a couple, one booklet and one audio cassette is required.

Note that the cassette is not yet available.  Advice about timeframe for availability of cassette will follow.

Stocks of You and Your Pension

Stocks of You and Your Pension may only be requested from the warehouse by the contact officer in each State Office.

Contact officer

The Income Support Branch contact officer for this exercise is:

Jill de Vaus     Telephone (07) 3223 8516