DFISA was removed 1 January 2022. This is for historical reference only.
Election not to receive DFISA
As DFISA was an automatic entitlement, there was no process for claiming payment. However, a person may have elected not to receive DFISA. The election must have been made in writing and could have been withdrawn at any time.
Impact of election
The date of effect for the election was the day after the written request was received by DVA. After that date, no DFISA payments accrued. The election continued until it was formally withdrawn. Electing not to receive DFISA did not impact the person's income support payment in any way.
Election where no amount of income support payment was payable
Where a person was receiving social security income support at a nil rate, and subsection 23(1D) of the SSA applied, their status as a social security recipient continued even if they elected not to receive DFISA. A person in this situation continued to be a social security recipient for the purposes of obligations, concessions, pension bonus scheme, etc. for as long as their qualification for the social security payment continued.
Where a person's rate of ABSTUDY or DAFF income support allowance was reduced to nil and they elected not to receive DFISA-like payment the person lost entitlement to the benefits and concessions associated with the income support payment and were no longer subject to obligations related to the primary payment.
Withdrawing election
If a person decided to withdraw the election not to receive DFISA, the withdrawal had to be in writing. DFISA became payable only from the day after their withdrawal was lodged with DVA.
Retrospective increase in adjusted disability pension
A retrospective increase in adjusted DP resulted in an overpayment of income support payments for the person and the person's partner. Where a person had elected not to receive DFISA, and had not withdrawn this request prior to the date of effect of the adjusted DP increase, arrears of DFISA were not payable for any time prior to the date of effect of the election withdrawal.