In general terms, this is where someone is suffering from serious money difficulties, such as insufficient income to manage their basic living expenses. More detailed descriptions of various financial hardship situations are covered under the following topics:

• financial hardship provisions under section 52Y of the VEA [30], for the purpose of the calculating a rate of service pension [8] or income support supplement [8],
• financial hardship for the purpose of crisis payment [8],
• hardship amount [8] for income stream [8] purposes,
• hardship assessment of lump sum advance repayments under section 79O of the VEA,
• financial hardship for special deeming exemptions of 'saved' personal loans and 'frozen' unlisted property trusts,
• early release of superannuation benefit [8] due to severe financial hardship, and
• proof of identity at time of pension claims in emergency or hardship situations.

Domestic or family violence is described by a variety of terms, including but not restricted to:

• assault, sexual assault,
• child, wife/partner, elder abuse,
• domestic violence,
• economic, social, verbal, emotional, psychological abuse,
• exploitation,
• financial coercion,
• maltreatment, or
• neglect.

Means a payment of:

• service pension [8],

• income support supplement [8],

• defence force income support allowance [8],

• social security pensions [8],

• social security benefit [8],

• job search allowance, or

• youth training allowance.

According to section 5L of the VEA  [31]a family member, in relation to a person, means:

• the partner, father or mother of the person, or
• a sister, brother or child of the person, or
• another person who, in the Commission's opinion, should be treated as one of these relations for the purposes of this definition.

Please note, the definition of a parent is further defined in section 10A of the VEA [31].  

Lawful custody is detention of a person in prison, or in psychiatric confinement because they have been charged with an offence.

According to Section 179 [30]of the VEA [30], the Commission is a body corporate under the name of Repatriation Commission.

A claim which the legislation requires to be made on a 'form approved by the Commission' or 'in accordance with a form approved by the Commission' means that the claim must meet certain requirements, e.g. must be in writing,  provide specific information, or evidence to support the claim.  It does not mean the claim needs to be made on a special or official DVA form. However, where a DVA form is available it is preferable that it be used to ensure that all the information required for a proper claim to be made is provided.

To be a proper claim, the claim must be:

• made in writing;
• in accordance with a form approved by the Commission; and
• accompanied by any evidence available to the claimant that the claimant considers may be relevant to the claim

According to Schedule 6-B1 of the VEA [31] a MBR is the person's maximum rate is ascertained at the date of grant of the designated pension, and is the maximum annual pension rate payable at the date of grant (excluding allowances).

The energy supplement is a fortnightly or quarterly payment designed to help recipients meet the cost of electricity and gas bills.

According to Section 179 [30]of the VEA [30], the Commission is a body corporate under the name of Repatriation Commission.

A crisis payment is a one-off non-taxable payment to extend immediate financial assistance to people in severe financial hardship who:

• are forced to leave their home due to extreme circumstances, such as domestic or family violence [8] or a house fire, or
• have been subjected to domestic or family violence by a family member [8] and choose to remain in the family home after the perpetrator has left or been removed from the home, or
• released prisoners released from either goal or psychiatric institutions.

In general terms, this is where someone is suffering from serious money difficulties, such as insufficient income to manage their basic living expenses. More detailed descriptions of various financial hardship situations are covered under the following topics:

• financial hardship provisions under section 52Y of the VEA [30], for the purpose of the calculating a rate of service pension [8] or income support supplement [8],
• financial hardship for the purpose of crisis payment [8],
• hardship amount [8] for income stream [8] purposes,
• hardship assessment of lump sum advance repayments under section 79O of the VEA,
• financial hardship for special deeming exemptions of 'saved' personal loans and 'frozen' unlisted property trusts,
• early release of superannuation benefit [8] due to severe financial hardship, and
• proof of identity at time of pension claims in emergency or hardship situations.

The maximum payment rate is the amount calculated by adding the maximum basic rate applicable to a person to any rent assistance and pension supplement payable. See SCH6-A1(2) of VEA [31] (Method Statement 1 Step 4) and SCH6-A1(6) of VEA [31] (Method Statement 5 Step 4).

Income support pension is:

• a social security pension [8]
• a service pension;
• an income support supplement.

The term not a member of a couple covers all persons who are not covered by the definitions of member of a couple [8].

According to Section 5E(2) [31]of the VEA [31]a person is a member of a couple, if they are:

• legally married to another person and is not living separately and apart from the other person on a permanent basis; or
• living in a prescribed registered relationship with the other person (whether of the same sex or a different sex) and is not living separately and apart from that other person on a permanent basis; or
• all of the following conditions are met:

• living with another person, whether of the same sex or a different sex;
• not legally married to that person;
• in a de facto relationship with that person; and
• not in a prohibited relationship

The term “partnered” is also commonly used.

Remote area allowance is a supplementary payment added to the rate of income support pension where the pensioner's usual place of residence is situated in a remote area, and where the pensioner is physically present in the remote area.

ISS is an income support payment that may be paid to eligible war widows and widowers under the VEA and persons receiving wholly dependent partners' compensation under the MRCA, and who satisfy the means tests. It is an indexed rate, increased twice-yearly in March and September in line with changes to the cost of living and/or average wages. Income Support Supplement (ISS) legislation commenced on 20 March 1995. It is a payment created to replace the ceiling rate income support age, carer, wife and disability support pensions, paid to war widows/widowers by Centrelink.

The ceiling rate of service pension and income support supplement (ISS) is applied to all war widows/widowers when assessing the rate of pension. This amount was previously frozen at $124.90 per fortnight, however, since legislation was introduced in September 2002, is now indexed twice yearly in line with percentage increases in the maximum rate service pension. A higher ceiling rate can apply, however, in the following cases:

If a person:

• became a war widow/widower-pensioner before 1 November 1986,

• has continually received service pension, social security pension or ISS since that date, and

• the rate of pension immediately before that date was more than $120.10

in such a case the ceiling rate is equal to the pre-November 1986 rate plus 4%.

If a person:

• is a person to whom ISS is payable,

• is not permanently blind, and

• whose War Widow's/Widower's Pension paid under Part II or IV ot the VEA is compensation reduced,

the ceiling rate is the sum of the ceiling rate as calculated above and the amount of the reduction in the Part II or Part IV pension. The maximum ceiling rate cannot exceed the maximum rate of single service pension. For ceiling rates refer to SCH6-A4 to A9 of VEA. The amount of increase to the ceiling rate pension under Part II or Part IV is worked out by using the formula in SCH6-A9 of the VEA.

A crisis payment is a one-off non-taxable payment to extend immediate financial assistance to people in severe financial hardship who:

• are forced to leave their home due to extreme circumstances, such as domestic or family violence [8] or a house fire, or
• have been subjected to domestic or family violence by a family member [8] and choose to remain in the family home after the perpetrator has left or been removed from the home, or
• released prisoners released from either goal or psychiatric institutions.

In general terms, this is where someone is suffering from serious money difficulties, such as insufficient income to manage their basic living expenses. More detailed descriptions of various financial hardship situations are covered under the following topics:

• financial hardship provisions under section 52Y of the VEA [30], for the purpose of the calculating a rate of service pension [8] or income support supplement [8],
• financial hardship for the purpose of crisis payment [8],
• hardship amount [8] for income stream [8] purposes,
• hardship assessment of lump sum advance repayments under section 79O of the VEA,
• financial hardship for special deeming exemptions of 'saved' personal loans and 'frozen' unlisted property trusts,
• early release of superannuation benefit [8] due to severe financial hardship, and
• proof of identity at time of pension claims in emergency or hardship situations.

Income support pension is:

• a social security pension [8]
• a service pension;
• an income support supplement.

Domestic or family violence is described by a variety of terms, including but not restricted to:

• assault, sexual assault,
• child, wife/partner, elder abuse,
• domestic violence,
• economic, social, verbal, emotional, psychological abuse,
• exploitation,
• financial coercion,
• maltreatment, or
• neglect.

A crisis payment is a one-off non-taxable payment to extend immediate financial assistance to people in severe financial hardship who:

• are forced to leave their home due to extreme circumstances, such as domestic or family violence [8] or a house fire, or
• have been subjected to domestic or family violence by a family member [8] and choose to remain in the family home after the perpetrator has left or been removed from the home, or
• released prisoners released from either goal or psychiatric institutions.

Domestic or family violence is described by a variety of terms, including but not restricted to:

• assault, sexual assault,
• child, wife/partner, elder abuse,
• domestic violence,
• economic, social, verbal, emotional, psychological abuse,
• exploitation,
• financial coercion,
• maltreatment, or
• neglect.

According to section 5L of the VEA  [31]a family member, in relation to a person, means:

• the partner, father or mother of the person, or
• a sister, brother or child of the person, or
• another person who, in the Commission's opinion, should be treated as one of these relations for the purposes of this definition.

Please note, the definition of a parent is further defined in section 10A of the VEA [31].  

In general terms, this is where someone is suffering from serious money difficulties, such as insufficient income to manage their basic living expenses. More detailed descriptions of various financial hardship situations are covered under the following topics:

• financial hardship provisions under section 52Y of the VEA [30], for the purpose of the calculating a rate of service pension [8] or income support supplement [8],
• financial hardship for the purpose of crisis payment [8],
• hardship amount [8] for income stream [8] purposes,
• hardship assessment of lump sum advance repayments under section 79O of the VEA,
• financial hardship for special deeming exemptions of 'saved' personal loans and 'frozen' unlisted property trusts,
• early release of superannuation benefit [8] due to severe financial hardship, and
• proof of identity at time of pension claims in emergency or hardship situations.

Income support pension is:

• a social security pension [8]
• a service pension;
• an income support supplement.

According to Section 179 [30]of the VEA [30], the Commission is a body corporate under the name of Repatriation Commission.

A crisis payment is a one-off non-taxable payment to extend immediate financial assistance to people in severe financial hardship who:

• are forced to leave their home due to extreme circumstances, such as domestic or family violence [8] or a house fire, or
• have been subjected to domestic or family violence by a family member [8] and choose to remain in the family home after the perpetrator has left or been removed from the home, or
• released prisoners released from either goal or psychiatric institutions.

In general terms, this is where someone is suffering from serious money difficulties, such as insufficient income to manage their basic living expenses. More detailed descriptions of various financial hardship situations are covered under the following topics:

• financial hardship provisions under section 52Y of the VEA [30], for the purpose of the calculating a rate of service pension [8] or income support supplement [8],
• financial hardship for the purpose of crisis payment [8],
• hardship amount [8] for income stream [8] purposes,
• hardship assessment of lump sum advance repayments under section 79O of the VEA,
• financial hardship for special deeming exemptions of 'saved' personal loans and 'frozen' unlisted property trusts,
• early release of superannuation benefit [8] due to severe financial hardship, and
• proof of identity at time of pension claims in emergency or hardship situations.

Income support pension is:

• a social security pension [8]
• a service pension;
• an income support supplement.

Lawful custody is detention of a person in prison, or in psychiatric confinement because they have been charged with an offence.

A crisis payment is a one-off non-taxable payment to extend immediate financial assistance to people in severe financial hardship who:

• are forced to leave their home due to extreme circumstances, such as domestic or family violence [8] or a house fire, or
• have been subjected to domestic or family violence by a family member [8] and choose to remain in the family home after the perpetrator has left or been removed from the home, or
• released prisoners released from either goal or psychiatric institutions.

Domestic or family violence is described by a variety of terms, including but not restricted to:

• assault, sexual assault,
• child, wife/partner, elder abuse,
• domestic violence,
• economic, social, verbal, emotional, psychological abuse,
• exploitation,
• financial coercion,
• maltreatment, or
• neglect.

To be a proper claim, the claim must be:

• made in writing;
• in accordance with a form approved by the Commission; and
• accompanied by any evidence available to the claimant that the claimant considers may be relevant to the claim

According to Schedule 6-B1 of the VEA [31] a MBR is the person's maximum rate is ascertained at the date of grant of the designated pension, and is the maximum annual pension rate payable at the date of grant (excluding allowances).

The energy supplement is a fortnightly or quarterly payment designed to help recipients meet the cost of electricity and gas bills.

The ceiling rate of service pension and income support supplement (ISS) is applied to all war widows/widowers when assessing the rate of pension. This amount was previously frozen at $124.90 per fortnight, however, since legislation was introduced in September 2002, is now indexed twice yearly in line with percentage increases in the maximum rate service pension. A higher ceiling rate can apply, however, in the following cases:

If a person:

• became a war widow/widower-pensioner before 1 November 1986,

• has continually received service pension, social security pension or ISS since that date, and

• the rate of pension immediately before that date was more than $120.10

in such a case the ceiling rate is equal to the pre-November 1986 rate plus 4%.

If a person:

• is a person to whom ISS is payable,

• is not permanently blind, and

• whose War Widow's/Widower's Pension paid under Part II or IV ot the VEA is compensation reduced,

the ceiling rate is the sum of the ceiling rate as calculated above and the amount of the reduction in the Part II or Part IV pension. The maximum ceiling rate cannot exceed the maximum rate of single service pension. For ceiling rates refer to SCH6-A4 to A9 of VEA. The amount of increase to the ceiling rate pension under Part II or Part IV is worked out by using the formula in SCH6-A9 of the VEA.

Examples of a financial institution are a bank, building society or credit union.

According to Section 179 [30]of the VEA [30], the Commission is a body corporate under the name of Repatriation Commission.