Purpose of Instruction

The purpose of this Departmental Instruction is to provide information about the Pounds Sterling exchange rate variation exercise.

Introduction

Following the recent variation in UK - Australian exchange rates, DVA will apply a new exchange rate for the assessment of the rate of income support & disability pensions for those in receipt of all income paid in Pounds Sterling:

• war disablement pensions (British DP, including EATS and Composite)

• social security pensions
• official public service pensions
• armed forces superannuation pensions
• British other income (all other British income)

New exchange rate A$2.3981

The exchange rate used to convert Pounds Sterling to Australian Dollars for income support assessment purposes has changed from one Pound Sterling = A$2.3381 to one Pound Sterling equals A$2.3981 (ie A$1 =0.4170£).

This rate reflects the average of the “on demand airmail buying rate” for the two weeks to 7 April 2006.

Date of effect

25 April 2006

Effective from 25 April 2006 the current exchange rate will change.

On pension payday 11 May 2006 (pay period 49) pensioners will receive a full instalment at the new assessed rate.

Date of processing run

Processing to implement the new exchange rate is scheduled for the evening of Monday 24 April 2006.

Automatic

processing

Amounts recorded as foreign super type non-government British other income (07), British Social Security Pension (08) or British Official Public Service/Forces Pension (09) will be varied by applying the exchange rate to the pounds sterling amount recorded, to determine the new rate of pension in Australian dollars. The income support payment will then be reassessed automatically.

Manual cases

Cases with actions in submission or determined status will not be processed automatically and will be frozen. These cases will be listed on the manual listing for follow up action, and CMS/PIPS cases will be created automatically for action.  Any cases processed through PIPS should be reassessed with effect from 25 April 2006 for payday 11 May 2006.

Non-Government British other income (07)

Previously non-government British other income (07) was refreshed every six months in March and September with other foreign currencies (GROOVER).  As a result of a review of British pensions approved by the Repatriation Commission all sterling payments will be adjusted in uniform exchange rate variations.  British other income (07) will now be reassessed automatically in this and future exchange rate variations.  All other currencies will continue to be updated every six months using GROOVER.

British DP Cases

Income Support pensioners who are in receipt of ISS, age pension (AP) or service pension with rent assistance (SPRA); and, who also receive disability (war) pension direct from Britain should have that disability pension converted to $A using this exchange rate.  ISS, AP and SPRA should be recalculated by doing a PIPS assessment.  These cases can be extracted through AIS by each state.

Note: If DP has already been assessed as income in determining hardship cases it should not also be assessed as income for RA.

EATS and Composite cases

EATS and Composite cases are subject to the daily exchange rate variation of plus or minus 2.5%.

These cases can be extracted through AIS by each state and recalculated by doing a PIPS assessment.  Attached is a spreadsheet that shows the amount per fortnight in Australian dollars to be applied for the varying United Kingdom amounts.

For further details refer to Departmental Instruction DI C — 22/2005 issued by Veterans' Compensation.  Any queries in relation to the exchange rate for EATS and Composite cases should be directed to Kerryn Sutherland on (02) 6289 6102.

Advice letters

The advice letters for this exercise will be joint advices where both members of a couple are in receipt of pension from the British government and their pension payment varies.  Age pensioners will receive separate advices.  The letter will advise the new exchange rate and the amount of income.  An advice will only be produced for cases where a variation in payment results.

IBM GSA implications

IBM GSA will produce the data and transmit this online in postscript format to SALMAT.

Overseas, Special Register and Enclosure Advices

Overseas cases for all states apart from TAS clients, Special Register, treatment changes and reduction to nil cases will be separated by IBM GSA and despatched to State Offices for manual distribution.  This arrangement is the same as for daily advice letters.

Tasmanian Clients with Overseas Postal Address

Tasmanian State Office clients who have an overseas postal address will have the full overseas address printed on their advice letters.

The advice letters for Tasmanian overseas clients will be printed enveloped and sent from the mailing house.

Mail out of bulk advices

SALMAT will print and prepare the advices for lodgement with Australia Post by 5 May 2006.

Contact officers

The Income Support Branch contact officer is:

Amy Curry:   (02) 6289 6734

The Veterans' Compensation contact officer for EATS and Composite cases is:

Kerryn Sutherland:   (02) 6289 6102

Jeanette Ricketts

Branch Head

Income Support

18 April 2006

18 April 2006

From

To

$ in £

£ in $

25 April 06

0.4170

2.3981

30 August 05

10 April 2006

0.4277

2.3381

2 August 05

29 August 05

0.4398

2.2738

21 June 05

1 August 05

0.4263

2.3458

1 February 05

20 June 05

0.4126

2.4237

4 January 05

31 January 05

0.4004

2.4975

23 November 04

3 January 05

0.4202

2.3798

12 October 04

22 November 04

0.4065

2.4600

20 July 04

11 October 04

0.3938

2.5394

6 July 04

19 July 04

0.3828

2.6123

25 May 04

5 July 04

0.3961

2.5246

2 March 04

24 May 04

0.4200

2.3810

25 November 03

1 March 04

0.4308

2.3213

2 September 03

24 November 03

0.4168

2.3992

27 May 03

1 September 03

0.4064

2.4606

29 April 03

26 May 03

0.3929

2.5452

04 March 03

28 April 03

0.3816

2.6205

03 September 02

03 March 03

0.3620

2.7624

06 August 02

02 September 02

0.3503

2.8547

23 July 02

05 August 02

0.3643

2.7450

09 July 02

22 July 02

0.3758

2.6610

11 June 02

08 July 02

0.3928

2.5258

28 May 02

10 June 02

0.3830

2.6110

19 March 02

27 May 02

0.3723

2.6860

8 January 02

18 March 02

0.3612

2.7685

11 December 01

7 January 02

0.3709

2.6961

30 October 01

10 December 01

0.3588

2.7871

2 October 01

29 October 01

0.3430

2.9155

7 August 01

1 October 01

0.3701

2.7020

24 July 01

6 August 01

0.3803

2.6295

15 May 01

23 July 01

0.3674

2.7218