According to Section 5E(2) [27]of the VEA [27]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.

Income support pension is:

• a social security pension [18]
• a service pension;
• an income support supplement.

According to Section 179 [28]of the VEA [28], the Commission is a body corporate under the name of Repatriation Commission.

A service pension is an income support payment broadly equivalent to the social security age and disability support pensions. It may be paid once a veteran or partner has reached the nominated age or is incapacitated for work.

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.

Rent Assistance is an allowance which may be paid to a service pensioner, income support supplement (ISS) or veteran payment recipient to assist in meeting the cost of rental accommodation.

To receive rent assistance a pensioner must be paying rent (other than Government rent) for accommodation in Australia, and the amount paid must exceed a certain threshold.

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.

The pension supplement is added to a person's maximum basic rate [18]. 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 [18] will be able to be claimed on a quarterly basis rather than on a fortnightly basis.

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 [18] and/or telephone allowance [18] for compensation recipients who are not in receipt of an income support supplement [18]. 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 [18] (CPI). The high rate is always twice the amount of the low rate.

Education Entry Payment (EdEP) is a payment to assist eligible pensioners with the costs of enrolling in a course of study in order to develop their skills, obtain a qualification and improve their employment prospects. It is paid once a year in accordance with section 118AAC of VEA [28].

A bereavement payment is an amount payable in respect of a deceased pensioner that represents a continuation of the pensioner's entitlement for a period following the death (the bereavement period).

The payment can be made as:

• a lump sum in advance, or
• a continuation of the deceased person's pension instalments, or
• a combination of both, or
• a portion of the rate of pension payable to the surviving member of a couple identified as a separate amount only for taxation purposes.

A service pension is an income support payment broadly equivalent to the social security age and disability support pensions. It may be paid once a veteran or partner has reached the nominated age or is incapacitated for work.

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 purpose of attendant allowance is to assist eligible Veterans [46], Members of the Forces [47], or a Member of a Peacekeeping Force [48]with the cost of an attendant to help with such things as feeding, bathing, dressing and other activities of daily living. The allowance is paid to the veteran and not the attendant.

To be eligible for attendant allowance the person must be in receipt of a Disability Compensation Payment [18] for Incapacity [49]for a war-caused or defence-caused injury or Disease [50]that severely affects a persons' ability to care for themselves. Attendant allowance is payable at a higher or a lower rate depending on the type of Injury [51]or disease accepted under the Veterans' Entitlements Act.

Loss of earnings allowance can be paid where a veteran [18] or a member of the forces [18], member of a peacekeeping force [18] or Australian Mariner [18] is employed and has lost salary due to:

• receiving treatment for a war or defence-caused disability (including waiting for the supply or repair of an artificial limb or other surgical aid),
• using part or all of employer provided sick leave for a war or defence-caused disability, and now having no benefit to cover an absence for another illness, or
• attending an appointment arranged by DVA for the investigation of a claim for Disability Compensation Payment [18].

A person's 'partner' is someone who is a member of a couple with that person.

Centrelink is a Government service delivery agency responsible for delivering a range of Commonwealth Government services (including social security pensions and allowances) to the Australian community through a network of more than 400 Centrelink offices.

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.

Disability compensation payment (known before 2022 as disability pension), for the purposes of service pension, income support supplement and veteran payment, means:

• a pension paid by way of compenstion for incapacity from war caused conditions, or peacetime, peacekeeping or hazardous service caused conditions (other than a war widow's or orphan's pension); or
• temporary incapacity allowance; or
• any other payment in respect of incapacity or death resulting from war or war-like operations in which the Crown has been engaged (usually paid by another Commonwealth country).

Please note that the Disability Compensation Payment is legally a pension by way of compensation under the VEA so that concessional benefits under state, territory and local government legislation to pensioners/pensions under the VEA are not denied.

According to Section 179 [28]of the VEA [28], the Commission is a body corporate under the name of Repatriation Commission.

A Delegate of the Commission [18]  is a decision-maker who has been delegated authority to exercise the Commission's powers for the administration of pensions under the VEA [18].

The Repatriation Health Card - For Specific Conditions is white in colour and frequently referred to simply as the “White Card”.  The card entitles its holder only to treatment for accepted service-related conditions, or where eligibility has been granted by DVA for treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, malignant conditions (cancer) and post traumatic stress disorder.

The CSHC is intended to assist those retirees and other eligible veterans, war widow(er)s and their partners of pension age [18] 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 [18] at a concessional rate and seniors supplement [18].

A bereavement payment is an amount payable in respect of a deceased pensioner that represents a continuation of the pensioner's entitlement for a period following the death (the bereavement period).

The payment can be made as:

• a lump sum in advance, or
• a continuation of the deceased person's pension instalments, or
• a combination of both, or
• a portion of the rate of pension payable to the surviving member of a couple identified as a separate amount only for taxation purposes.

A form of pension that is paid to the partner of a veteran where the veteran has died as a result of war service or eligible Defence Service [18].  War widow's/widower's pension is also paid to the partner of a veteran whose death was not war caused if the veteran was a ex-prisoner of war or if the veteran was receiving Extreme Disablement Adjustment (EDA) Rate [18], Special Rate (T&PI) [18] or a rate increased in respect of certain war-caused injury or disease.

A form of pension that is paid to a child of a veteran where the veteran has died as a result of war service [18] or defence service [18].  The child may be the natural or adopted child of the veteran or any other child who was wholly or substantially dependent [18] on the veteran.

Veterans' Children Education Scheme provides financial assistance and guidance in the education and training of eligible children as defined under section 116 of the VEA [28].  Eligible children must be full-time students and be under 25 years of age at the time of application.

The VCES aims to encourage and assist eligible children to achieve their educational potential and prepare for suitable careers.  The education allowance is not means tested, however, benefits cannot be paid to a student who is receiving other Commonwealth education assistance (including Youth Allowance), income support or assistance from any other similar scheme.

An underlying payment means any pension, payment, supplement or allowance under the VEA or MRCA that attracts a clean enrgy advance [18] and an energy supplement [18]

According to Section 179 [28]of the VEA [28], the Commission is a body corporate under the name of Repatriation Commission.

A person's 'partner' is someone who is a member of a couple with that person.

Financial year, in relation to a company, means:

• a period of 12 months beginning on 1 July, or
• if some other period is the company's tax year that other period.

A Social Security payment refers to the following:

• a social security pension [18]
• a social security benefit [18];
• an allowance under the Social Security Act 1991;
• family allowance;
• family tax payment; and
• any other kind of payment under Chapter 2 of the Social Security Act 1991.

Centrelink is a Government service delivery agency responsible for delivering a range of Commonwealth Government services (including social security pensions and allowances) to the Australian community through a network of more than 400 Centrelink offices.

A service pension is an income support payment broadly equivalent to the social security age and disability support pensions. It may be paid once a veteran or partner has reached the nominated age or is incapacitated for work.

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.

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.

Most income support pensions and many of the associated allowances are paid at different rates depending on whether the recipient is partnered [18] or single.  Typically, the single rate is higher than the partnered rate since single persons do not benefit from the economies of pooling their resources with another person.

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 of the VEA is 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.

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