Satisfying Proof of Identity Requirements

Full proof of identity required

A claimant for an income support payment, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC), Gold Card, a payment under the MRCA or DRCA or a veterans' compensation payment or benefit, is required to satisfy the full proof of identity (POI) requirements when:

• they are not receiving a payment or allowance from DVA or Centrelink*

• a reapplication is made where payment or benefits not previously issued

• the income support payment has been cancelled for over 12 months, or

• military compensation liability has been admitted and no benefits have been paid within the previous 24 months.

*The reference to Centrelink in this policy is only relevant in the circumstances where the client is a current Centrelink customer, transferring to a DVA income support payment; see Proof of Identity Check - Income Support for details.  For all other Compensation payments under the VEA, DRCA or MRCA see the summary table for examples.

Whilst full POI may not be required in certain circumstances, it is likely that at least modified POI will be required. An indication of modified POI can be found below.

Combinations of documents for full proof of identity

The following table details the types and combinations of standard documents required in order to satisfy full proof of identity requirements.    

Current and former serving members who joined the ADF from 1 January 2016 and/or separated from 27 July 2016

Current or former serving members who have joined the permanent forces or commenced a period of continuous full time service from 1 January 2016 and/or separated from 27 July 2016, automatically satisfy DVA’s POI requirements. 

DVA will rely on the identification and security clearance procedures used by the ADF to satisfy DVA identity requirements.  Under this arrangement, members will not need to provide any POI documentation when making their claim.  This will be accepted as full POI for DVA purposes and the POI check marked as complete for that client.

There may be limited circumstances where a DVA staff member or delegate requires a full POI check as described above.

Current serving members, reservists and trainees who hold a current, valid, purple or orange ADF ID card

Current serving members, reservists and trainees who hold a current, valid ADF ID card are able to fully satisfy DVA's POI requirements by presenting their purple (for current serving members and reservists) or orange (for trainees) ADF ID card.

The DVA staff member will authenticate the photo ID on the card and photocopy the card to send to the claim delegate along with the client's claim.  If a delegate is satisfied that the information on the card aligns with personal information obtained from their ADF PMKeyS record, then this ID card is to be accepted as full POI for DVA purposes and the POI check marked as complete for that client.

This single document is all that is required for these eligible clients to fully prove their identity to DVA, unless the delegate or frontline staff member cannot be reasonably satisfied that the person claiming is the person to whom the card belongs and the claim refers.  In this case, the delegate or staff member can request that the client supply full POI by the regular method.    

Claims submitted via MyService

Clients with a PMKeyS number are eligible to submit their claims online via MyService. Claims submitted through MyService undergo an online, streamlined POI checking process at the time an account is created. This process is Commission approved.

When a client creates an account on MyService, their POI details, such as their PMKeyS number, driver’s licence number and Medicare details, are validated online through the Department of Defence and the Attorney-General’s Department. If the details match, the account will be created. If not, the client will be notified with an error message and will not be able to proceed with their account creation until matching data is provided.

Clients will also be able to be registered in MyService through the Early Engagement Model, or as protected identity members using an approved manual upload.  These registration and identity methods have also been approved by Commissions.

Once a client is registered in MyService, they have satisfied all POI provisions for DVA. There is no requirement to request additional documents or undertake additional POI checks for these clients. Clients who register through MyService will need to have a new notification recorded in VIEW of ‘MyService registration POI’ under ‘POI Obtained’.

Modified proof of identity required

A modified POI check is required for the following:

• a claimant reapplying for an income support payment within 12 months of cancellation if a delegate is not reasonably satisfied as to the person's identity
• a claimant in receipt of a pension or allowance who has not contacted DVA for a number of years or for whom a full POI check has not been carried out, if there is a reason for a delegate to not be reasonably satisfied as to the person's identity
• a claimant for service pension, or CSHC where Disability Compensation Payment or veterans supplement are in payment, but the claimant has not contacted DVA for a number of years, or a full POI check has not previously been carried out, and
• when transferring to DVA from a Centrelink payment or benefit if the claimant has not previously provided POI to DVA.

Note: No POI is required where a person's age pension is being transferred from Centrelink to DVA. This is because the person's identity was proven at the time of the initial claim for Disability Compensation Payment from DVA. The only exception to this is where a full POI has not previously been carried out, or where the person has not contacted DVA for a number of years and the delegate is not reasonably satisfied as to their identity.

Documents to satisfy modified proof of identity requirements

Modified POI requirements may be satisfied as follows:

• one document from category B which provides evidence of residential address or residence in an aged care facility, (total of 1 document), or
• one document from category B which does not provide evidence of residential address or residence in an aged care facility and one document from category C which provides evidence of residential address or residence in an aged care facility, (total of 2 documents).

No proof of identity documentation required

No POI documentation is required for the following because no payment or benefit is to be made, a claim is not required, or POI has already been established:

• client has submitted their claim via MyService and POI has been established online through the streamlined process
• claimant reapplying for an income support payment within 12 months of cancellation if a full POI check has been previously carried out and there are no doubts about the person's identity
• Bring Em Back cases (transfer of Centrelink age pension to DVA) where a person is in receipt of DVA Disability Compensation Payment (and therefore their identity has been accepted by DVA), and a full POI check was conducted by Centrelink as part of the process of applying for Centrelink age pension
• non-veteran partner of a DVA Disability Compensation Payment recipient transferring Centrelink age pension to DVA, where Centrelink has already conducted a full POI check on the partner
• pension bonus scheme registration    
• a claim for a qualifying service determination
• a claim for income support supplement, if the delegate is satisfied that a full POI check has been  conducted at grant of war widow's/widower's pension
• a claim for war widow's/widower's pension where the person has already been receiving partner service pension, and
• application for increase in Disability Compensation Payment.

New claims for age pension

The Guide to Social Security Law provides the proof of identity policy for cleanskin grants of age pension, excluding transfers from a Centrelink payment or benefit where only a modified POI check is required if the claimant has not already had their POI verified by DVA.    

Emergency or Hardship

For exceptional circumstances of hardship or emergency, provisions exist to permit temporary payment of pension or allowance, or access to treatment benefits. This provision applies when a person is not able to obtain sufficient POI documents to enable immediate grant of a claim and is subject to the claimant meeting all other relevant eligibility criteria.