S 9 1994-2003

External

This Section includes years from 1994.

1994

The Prime Minister was the Hon P J Keating (Labor). The Minister for Veterans' Affairs was the Hon Con Sciacca MP.

20 March 1994, separated wives and widow(er)s able to receive their income support payments from DVA at the single standard rate;
20 March 1994, war widow(er)s entitled to an income support allowance as part of their War Widows' pension, equal to the frozen maximum rate and pension that is currently paid by DSS;
7 April 1994, the Military Compensation Scheme came into effect;
1 June 1994, all new claims were subject to Statements of Principles issued by the RMA or determinations issued by the Commission;
1 June 1994, Intermediate Rate and Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Pension (TPI) will not normally be payable to veterans over 65 years of age or more at the time they make a claim;
1 July 1994, the SWPA Act and regulations were repealed and Australian mariners became eligible under the VEA on the same basis as veterans. The AMCES was abolished and children of Australian mariners became eligible under the VCES;
1 July 1994, costs of medical reports obtained by an appellant to the Veterans' Review Board and the Specialist Medical Review Council (to a maximum of $425 per report) reimbursed;
With the repeal of the Seamen's War Pensions and Allowances Act on 1 July 1994, Australian Mariner disability pensioners and war widows and widowers became eligible for telephone allowance under the VEA on the same basis as veterans;
4 July 1994, GARP IV introduced and incorporated an age adjustment principle relating to musculoskeletal function and hearing conditions. It also included a supplementary disfigurement table and tables for gender specific conditions. The tables for skin and psychiatric conditions were redesigned and a concept of apportionment was introduced;
Repatriation Medical Authority (RMA) was established. The Authority is an independent statutory body whose role is to determine Statements of Principles (SoPS) in relation to medical or scientific evidence connecting injuries, diseases or death with the circumstances of service;
Specialist Medical Review Council (SMRC) was established. The SMRC is an independent statutory body whose role is to review the contents of a Statements of Principle or decision of the RMA not to make such a statement;
The Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) replaced the Pensioner Health Benefits (PHB) and Pensioner Benefits Concession (PBC) Cards;
Rent assistance payable to students receiving the homeless rate of VCES benefits;
a Training and Information Program (TIP) created to train and provide resources for welfare officers and advocates of ex-service organisations;
cessation of payment of pharmaceutical allowance to service pensioners, disability pensioners and war widow(er)s who reside overseas on a permanent basis;
Rent Assistance extended to VCES beneficiaries in receipt of the homeless rate of education allowance; and
Vietnam Veterans Mortality study conducted to ascertain the rate of death from all causes, particularly suicide and cancer.

1995

The Prime Minister was the Hon P J Keating (Labor). The Minister for Veterans' Affairs was the Hon Con Sciacca MP.

The commemorative program Australian Remembers raised awareness of the sacrifice and the debt the nation owes those who serviced during WWII and provided an opportunity for the Australian public to express its appreciation;
1 January 1995, Compensation payments paid to invalidity, partner or carer service pensioners, other than compensation paid by DVA, will be treated under the Department of Social Security recovery rules;
1 January 1995, funeral benefit of $550 automatically granted to widow(er)s of veterans who were ex-Prisoners of War or in receipt of EDA;
1 January 1995, ten year residency requirement for those refugees who have been granted permanent residency status will be waived as from 1 January. However, this change in the residency period does not remove the requirement for the pensioner to be a permanent resident of Australia;
1 January 1995, eligible service pensioners and service pension claimants will be asked to take reasonable action from the first of January to claim their overseas pension requirements. A successful claim for overseas pension will increase the total income of service pensioners. If the payment of an overseas pension reduces the Service Pension to nil, existing treatment and fringe benefits will be retained. DVA will assist eligible persons to make a claim. By doing so the claimant will be saving Australian Taxpayer's money and the money saved can be used for other veteran services;
1 January 1995, Pharmaceutical Allowance will no longer be paid to service, disability and war widow/er pensioners who are overseas on a permanent or indefinite basis;
1 January 1995, DVA's treatment of insurance and worker's compensation will be aligned with Department of Social Security treatment of these matters;
1 January 1995, a person in receipt of a partner service pension may be eligible for a $200 Education Entry Placement (EdEP) per calendar year of study, if the person is:

below pension age; and
qualified to receive the AUSTUDY pensioner education supplement; and
enrolled or intends to enrol in a full time or a part time course of education which is an approved course under AUSTUDY Scheme and
not receiving and EDEP for which they have made a claim in the current calendar year.

20 March 1995, Income Support Pension for war widow/ers, for example Age Pension and Disability Support Pension paid by the Department of Social Security can be paid by DVA as of payday 30 March 1995;
Early 1995, Veterans' Home Maintenance Advisory Service established, this service provides a 24 hour home maintenance advice service for veterans and war widows with a treatment entitlement who live in their own home;
After 20 March 1995, a Service pensioner who becomes widowed or separated will be paid service pension at the higher standard (single) rate instead of the married rate;
After the passage of the 1995 Federal Budget, a 'Training and Information Program' (TIP) will be created to train and provide resources for welfare offices and advocates of ESOs;
1 October 1995, in line with the government's 'Working Nation', there will be no new grants of partner service pension to non-veterans under the age of 50 years without dependant children;
Veterans' Entitlement Act 1986 amended to enable applicants to the Veterans' Review Board to be reimbursed for:

The costs of medical evidence obtained after the primary decision, up to a maximum amount of $425 for each condition; and
Reasonable travelling expenses incurred in obtaining such evidence.

Certain age service, carer service and invalidity service pensioners became required to test their eligibility for an overseas pension;
Income support supplement recipients became eligible for rent assistance;
Widows, widowers and non-illness separated spouses, who are partner service pensioners become entitled to be paid at the single rate;
Minimum age set at 50 years for partner service pension for non-veterans, unless they have dependant children or they are partners of veterans receiving the Special Rate (T&PI) of disability pension;
Non-veterans, including widows and widowers, become eligible for partner service pension if they satisfied certain criteria;
Income support supplement recipients became eligible for remote area allowance;
Income support supplement recipients become eligible for bereavement payment;
Hardship provisions apply to the income support supplement;
Concessions applied to income support supplement recipients;
The Pension Loan Scheme became available to income support supplement recipients;
Existing partner service pensioners became allowed to retain eligibility even if the veteran ceased to be paid service pension;
Dependant child add-on and guardian allowance became available to income support supplement recipients;
Income Support Supplement for eligible war widows/widowers became payable by Veterans' Affairs;
Pharmaceutical allowance ceased to be paid to service pensioners, disability pensioners or war widows/ers who are not residing in Australia at the first pay date of each calendar year, and who are likely to remain overseas for a period of greater than twelve months;
Funeral benefit became payable automatically to the estate of a veteran who was eligible to receive an extreme disablement adjustment or who was a former prisoner of war; and
Treatment of the “economic loss” component of compensation received by pensioners under pension age, other than compensation paid by the Department of Veterans' Affairs, was brought into line with the policy administered by the Department of Social Security. Invalidity Service pension is now reduced by $1 for every $1 of compensation received as periodic payment for economic loss. A preclusion period is applied to lump sum payments.

1996

The Prime Minister was the Hon J Howard (Liberal). The Minister for Veterans' Affairs was the Hon Bruce Scott MP.

As at 20 March 1996, Rent assistance threshold increased by $5, this was effective;
4 July 1996, Lump sum advance of pension introduced; Income Support Recipients may receive an advance of up to $500 to assist in meeting living expenses;
20 September 1996, DVA takes the Royal Flying Doctor service on board, as part of the Department's Comprehensive Care Scheme;
Effective as of 20 September, the amount of guardian's allowance was increased by $4 per fortnight for single service pensioners and income support supplement recipients, as part of a package of benefits to assist families;
The Victoria Cross Allowance was increased from $250 per year to $2 700 per year, in line with a similar increase granted by the British Government. This increase was retrospectively effective from 17 August 1995, the date of the announcement made by British Prime Minister Major;
Eligibility extended to carers of veterans who do not receive service pension, but who satisfy the basic family payment income and assets test;
Requirement for the carer to live in the same home as, or in a home adjacent to, the Veteran requiring care, was removed;
Payment of carer service pension continued for up to 14 weeks when the carer is admitted to an institution permanently;
Rent assistance was increased by $5 per fortnight for service pension or income support supplement recipients with dependent children;
Accessibility to the Pensions Loan Scheme was expanded by:

lifting the loan amount to the maximum pension rate;
expressing the interest rate in compound, rather than simple, terms; and
making loans available to people who meet either the income or assets test;

Rules for calculating bereavement payments in income support supplement cases were amended, resulting in higher payments for some;
Automatic grant of war widow/widower's extended to cases where the veteran died as a result of a disability already accepted as being war-caused or defence-caused;
Lump sum advance of service pension was introduced;
Eligibility for additional payment towards the cost of transportation of remains of a veteran who died in indigent circumstances. This measure corrected an anomaly where this benefit was available in respect of all other categories of eligibility, but not where the veteran died in indigent circumstances;
1996/97 extension of eligibility to 'veteran widowers' of World War 2' ex-service women; and
1996/97 extension of eligibility to persons who enlisted in the Defence Force before 15 May 1985 and who served in Cambodia, the former Yugoslavia or Somalia;

1997

The Prime Minister was the Hon J Howard (Liberal). The Minister for Veterans' Affairs is the Hon Bruce Scott MP.

1 January 1997, funding to ESOs was granted to enable them to employ additional advocates to handle the backlog and an anticipated increase in applications for review to the VRB;
1 July, Veterans' Employment Scheme implemented, for Veterans who want to obtain/retain employment following separation from the Australian Defence Forces (ADF);
1 November 1997, New Vehicle Assistance Scheme became effective; and
11 December 1997, responsibility for administration of Carers Pension transferred to the Department of Social Security;
December 1997, Legislation to amend the VEA to establish a Veterans' Vocational Rehabilitation Scheme was brought down;
It was legislated that the single rate of service pension be maintained at least at 25 per cent of all male total average weekly earnings (MTAWE). The relativity between single and married rates of pensions was also retained;
Sub-tenants in public housing lose eligibility for rent assistance;
New way of handling claims for Sales Tax Exemption on Motor Vehicles;
Pensioners in aged care facilities lose eligibility for rent assistance;
The Government increased the patient contribution for medications listed in the PBS to $3.20 per item. The Pharmaceutical Allowance was not increased;
Occupational Therapists carrying out home assessments in remote areas became eligible for remote area allowance.

1998

The Prime Minister was the Hon J Howard (Liberal). The Minister for Veterans' Affairs was the Hon Bruce Scott MP.

1 January 1998, responsibility for payment of Allowance for Dependant Children and Guardian Allowance was transferred to the Department of Social Security;
From 1 January 1998, lump sum advance of pension was extended to Disability Pensioners;
The first MTAWE increase of $6.80 per fortnight in the single rate of service pension occurred on 26 March 1998.
7 April 1998, 80 — th Anniversary of Repatriation in Australia;
April 1998, GARP V superseded GARP IV;
26 June 1998, the Minister announces a Pension Bonus for those Veterans who defer retirement. The Pension Bonus Scheme was implemented on 1 July. The Scheme offers pensioners a bonus of 9.4 per cent of pension entitlement paid as a lump sum for each full year of work continued beyond the eligible age pension age, to a maximum of five years. The purpose of the scheme is to provide a positive incentive for people to delay retirement;
1 July 1998, direct purchasing of hospital care for all entitled veterans;
1 July 1998, direct purchasing of hospital care for all entitled veterans;
From 1 July 1998, students aged 16 and over and in receipt of a “living away from home” rate of education allowance became eligible for rent assistance on the same basis as Youth Allowance recipients;
13 October 1998, the Minister announces the Korean Veterans' Mortality Study;
7 December 1998, First Study of Health of Female Veterans; and
War widow's/widowers pension linked to Male Total Average Weekly Earnings (MTAWE) to retain its parity to single service rate service pension;

1999

The Prime Minister was the Hon J Howard (Liberal). The Minister for Veterans' Affairs was the Hon Bruce Scott MP.

1 January 1999, Gold Card extended to Veterans of Australia's Defence Forces and Mariners who served in Australia's Merchant Navy during World War 2, who are aged 70 and over, and who incurred danger from hostile forces of the enemy;
1 January 1999, 'Home Front' Scheme introduced for all Gold Card holders to maintain the health and independence of he Veteran Community and reduce hospital costs by reducing the incidents of falls and accidents around the home;
18 March 1999, Sandakan Memorial opened and dedicated to commemorate the more than 2000 Prisoners of War (POW) from Sandakan POW Camp, who perished during World War 2;
23 April 1999, Korean War Veterans' Nominal Roll officially released by the Minister;
16 September 1999, Australian Military forces committed to East Timor for Warlike service;
18 August 1999, Vietnam Veterans' Day;
9 November 1999, the Minister announces the opening of a new Veterans' Service Centre on Thursday Island;
26 November 1999, Gulf War Nominal Roll announced by Minister, the Nominal Roll will be the first step in a Health Study of Gulf War Veterans;
3 December 1999, MCRS is formally transferred to the Department of Veterans' Affairs, as agreed by the Prime Minister. Under this arrangement DVA will provide claims management and rehabilitation services for the MCRS, while policy and defence safety management issues remain the responsibility of the Department of Defence;
Development of DVA's 'Facts System', which contains over 300 Facts Sheets covering the full range of benefits and services; and
Review of Service Entitlements Anomalies of South East Asian Service 1955 – 75, conducted by Major General the Hon R F Mohr assisted by Rear Admiral P Kennedy;

2000

The Prime Minister is the Hon J Howard (Liberal). The Minister for Veterans' Affairs is the Hon Bruce Scott MP.

1 January 2000, a more consistent and equitable eligibility criteria introduced for Income Support Pension. This will be achieved by aligning permanent incapacity measurement with that applying to the measurement to incapacity for the purposes of disability compensation;
From 1 January 2000, ISP permanent incapacity eligibility criteria were changed and more closely aligned with the Special Rate of Disability Pension;
1 January 2000, VCES benefits were extended to the children of veterans receiving disability pension at the EDA rate;
2 March 2000, release of the Mohr report;
25 April 2000, ANZAC Commemorative site on the Gallipoli Peninsula, the site to serve as a venue for ANZAC Day Dawn Service;
9 May 2000, in the Federal Budget the Treasurer announces:

Increased Support for Vietnam Veterans' and Their Families,
Complete Home Care Package for Veterans, and
The Extension of Repatriation Benefits in Recognition of Service in South –East Asia between 1955-75; and

29 June 2000, Launch of the annotated VEA – Veterans' Entitlement Law, by Robin Creyke and Peter Sutherland.

2001

The Australian Government, through the Department and the Australian War Memorial, commissioned, as part of the commemorations to mark the Centenary of Federation, an eight-hour television series entitled “Australian at War”. The series examined the effect of war on the lives of Australians and how the national was shaped by those experiences. The series was first broadcast on the ABC on Anzac Day 2001.
A one-off payment of $25,000 was made to Australian ex-POWs and civilian detainees held captive by Japan during WWII and their surviving widows.
The Government announced the reinstatement of war widow's pension to those pre-1984 widows who lost their pensions on marriage or re-marriage with effect from 1 January 2002.
The Government extended eligibility for the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to British Commonwealth and Allied veterans and merchant mariners who are 70 years of age or over, have qualifying service from WWII and have been resident in Australia for over ten years, with effect from 1 January 2002; and.
The Hon Danna Vale MP, the first female Minister for Veterans' Affairs, was appointed on 23 November 2001.

2002

The Prime Minister was the Hon John Howard MP and the Minister for Veterans' Affairs was the Hon Danna Vale MP.
On 8 February 2002 the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, the Hon Danna Vale MP, announced the establishment of an independent review of perceived anomalies in access to veterans' entitlements and of levels of benefits available to disability pensioners. Retired New South Wales Supreme Court Justice, the Hon John Clarke QC, chaired the review committee. The other two members of the Committee were Air Marshal Douglas Riding AO DFC, former Vice-Chief of the Defence Force, and Dr David Rosalky, former Secretary to the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services.
From 1 July the five-year gift limit under the disposal of asset rules was reduced to $30,000, and the financial year replaced the pension year for these purposes.
From 1 July the deeming threshold rates were changed for singles to 2.5 per cent up to $34,000 and four per cent over $34,000. For couples the rates were changed to 2.5 per cent to $57,400 and four per cent over $57,400.
From 1 July the Government extended full access to the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to British, Commonwealth and Allied veterans aged over 70 years with qualifying service from World War II (the Orange Card).
From 1 July the Government extended the Gold Card to Australian veterans aged 70 years and over with post-World War II qualifying service.
A new commemorations program, Saluting Their Service, was launched in August.
From 20 September 2002 the ceiling rate of income support supplement was increased in line with increases in the service pension.
The World War II Nominal Roll web site was launched in November enabling the public to access “snapshot” details of more than one million men and women who served in Australia's armed forces and merchant navy between 1939 and 1945.

2003

The Prime Minister was the Hon John Howard MP and the Minister for Veterans' Affairs was the Hon Danna Vale MP.

The Report of the Review of Veterans' Entitlements chaired by the Hon John Clarke QC was presented to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, the Hon Danna Vale MP, on 6 January. The report contained 109 recommendations drawing on more than 3,000 submissions from veterans' organisations, individuals and interested parties. The Government immediately rejected the recommendation that “there will be no further grants of the Gold Card to post-World war II veterans of the Australian armed services at age 70 on the basis of theie having rendered qualifying service , unless the veteran satisfies some measure of financial need”.
Monash University completed the Persian Gulf War Study in April. It found no evidence of so-called “Gulf War Syndrome”. However, the study did find Gulf War veterans were more likely to report physical symptoms, and were more likely to develop psychological disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders and substance abuse than members of the general community.
Tasmanian VC recipients were honoured with a memorial in Hobart dedicated by the Tasmanian Governor Sir Guy Green on 11 May.
From 13 May all restitution payments made to Holocaust victims of National Socialist (Nazi) persecution were exempted from the DVA and Social Security income test. Previously only restitution payments paid by the German or Austrian governments were exempt. This exemption applies only to victims of Nazi persecution themselves, and does not extend to war widows/ers, or next of kin who receive a periodic payment.
From 1 July an enhanced compliance program came into effect with a view to ensuring all income support pensioners receive their lawful entitlements.
On Remembrance Day 11 November the Australian War Memorial in London was dedicated by Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister John Howard in the presence of a large contingent of veterans and veterans' representatives.