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Telephone Allowance (TA)

Telephone Allowance was rolled into other payments and ceased to be paid on 20 September 2009.  For income support recipients, TA was rolled into the pension supplement. For CSHC and gold card holders (not receiving income support).TA was rolled into the Seniors supplement. Disability pensioners (not receiving income support) receive a veterans supplement instead of TA.

 

 

The pension supplement is added to a person's maximum basic rate. The pension supplement is calculated as a 'combined couple' rate. The 'not a member of a couple' rate is 66.33% of the 'combined couple' rate. The member of a couple rate is 50% of the combined couple rate. From 1 July 2010, the minimum pension supplement amount will be able to be claimed on a quarterly basis rather than on a fortnightly basis.

 

 

The CSHC is intended to assist those retirees and other eligible veterans, war widow(er)s and their partners of pension age who fail to qualify for an income support pension from DVA or a pension or benefit from Centrelink. The card entitles the holder to pharmaceuticals listed on the PBS at a concessional rate and seniors supplement.

 

 

The Repatriation Health Card - For All Conditions is gold in colour and frequently referred to simply as the “Gold Card”.  The card entitles its holder to obtain health care and related services for all the person's identified health care needs, whether they are war-caused or not.

Seniors supplement was paid to Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) and eligible Gold Card holders until it ceased on 26 June 2015. It was paid quarterly and commenced on 20 September 2009, replacing the seniors concession allowance and telephone allowance.

 

 

The veterans supplement was introduced on 20 September 2009 as part of the Government's Secure and Sustainable Pension Reform package. It is a fortnightly payment that replaces pharmaceutical allowance and/or telephone allowance for compensation recipients who are not in receipt of an income support supplement. There are two rates, the veterans supplement low rate and the veterans supplement high rate. The low rate replaces one of the allowances and the high rate replaces both. The low rate is indexed every January to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The high rate is always twice the amount of the low rate.

 

 

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