Advices were automatically issued to DVA income support pensioners in aged care who lost rent assistance due to the once-off bulk cancellation of rent assistance on the automatic run on Wednesday 24 September 1997.

Some DVA income support pensioners entered aged care immediately prior to 1 October 1997 and were only entitled to rent assistance for pension payday 25 September 1997.

In these circumstances a once-off payment of rent assistance was made and these people were issued with an advice generated manually by the examiner actioning the payment.

Following 1 October 1997, any DVA income support pensioner who enters aged care will have any rent assistance they are being paid cancelled upon entry to aged care.  A daily advice will be issued to these people.

From 1 October 1997, any advices issued that summarise the assessed assets of a person will contain extra information where an accommodation bond has been paid.

The additional wording included in advices summarising a pensioner's assessable assets will be:

“Balance of accommodation bond - $XXXXX.XX”

Once income testing of aged care fees commences on 1 March 1998, changes will be made to advices concerning the assessment of income.

Where a DVA income support pensioner advises of a change of income, additional words will need to be included in any advice issued telling the pensioner of his or her new rate of pension.

In some situations, the income of a DVA income support pensioner may vary without any resultant change to the person's rate of pension.

This may happen where:

• the person is a war widow/er who is paid ISS or service pension at the ceiling rate; or
• the person is blinded and their rate of pension is not income tested; or
• the person is assessed under the assets test.

Under these circumstances no daily advice will be issued because there is no change to the person's rate of pension.

Accordingly, standard letters will be made available to advise these pensioners that although there has been no variation to their rate of pension, their aged care fees may vary due to the change in their income.

As self funded retirees who receive disability pension and have qualifying service do not have a current DVA income support assessment, no daily advice will be issued for these people when they advise of a change of income.

Again, a standard letter will be made available to advise these people of the change to their assessed income and that their aged care fees may vary due to that change.