Bills Digest no. 1 2007–08
Social Security and Veterans Affairs Legislation
Amendment (One-off Payments and Other 2007 Budget Measures) Bill
2007
WARNING:
This Digest was prepared for debate. It reflects the legislation as
introduced and does not canvass subsequent amendments. This Digest
does not have any official legal status. Other sources should be
consulted to determine the subsequent official status of the
Bill.
CONTENTS
Passage history
Purpose
Background
Main provisions
Conclusion
Endnotes
Contact officer & copyright details
Passage history
-
a one-off payment of $500 to certain aged
persons
-
a one-off payment of $1 000 or $600 to certain
carers
-
a $25 000 one-off payment to prisoners of war
(POWs) in World War Two (WWII), and
-
increases in the rates of certain disability
pensions paid under the Veterans Entitlements Act 1986
(VEA).
This Bill was presented to the House of
Representatives on 9 May 2007, being the day after the 2007 08
Budget was presented to the Parliament by the Treasurer and the
Bill passed the House on 9 May 2007 and was then presented to the
Senate on 10 May 2007 and passed the Senate on the same day. The
Bill received Royal Assent on 11 May 2007.
The measures in this Bill are:
-
one-off payment of $500 to:
- certain older Australians, namely persons on an age pension or
a veterans service pension who are entitled to the utilities
allowance [1]
-
persons receiving income support supplement
[2] who are entitled
to the utilities allowance
-
persons not on any government income support
payment but who are entitled to the seniors concession allowance
[3] and
-
persons receiving widow allowance,
[4] mature age allowance
[5] or partner
allowance.
[6]
-
one-off payment of $1 000 to certain carers,
namely:
-
recipients of carer payment
[7] or carer service pension,
[8] or
-
recipients of wife pension or partner
service pension who are also receiving carer allowance,
[9]
-
a one-off payment of $600 to recipients of
carer allowance.
-
a one-off payment of $25 000 to prisoners of
war (POWs) in Europe during WWII
-
an increase in the amount of funeral benefit
from $1 000 to $2 000
-
an increase in the rate of Special rate
disability pension and Intermediate rate disability pension paid
under the VEA, and
-
an extension in the allowable period in which a
claim for war widows /widowers pension (WWP) can be lodged after
the date of death of the veteran from three to six months.
Schedule 1 2007 one-off payments to older Australians
The one-off payment of $500 to certain older
Australians was announced in the 2007-08 Budget. [10] The main groups of older
Australians who are eligible to receive the one-off payment
are:
The government has said the purpose of the
one-off payments to older Australians is to allow them:
to share in the economic prosperity that they've
helped to create. The bonus ensures that the people of Australia
directly benefit from the Howard Governments record budget
surpluses.
[14]
The Financial impact statement in the
Explanatory Memorandum states that the one-off $500 payments to
older Australians are estimated to cost $1.32 billion in 2006-07
and $11.3 million in 2007-08. [15]
The one-off cash payments presented in this
2007-08 Budget are like other one-off cash payments the government
has made in the past. These payments have been:
-
an aged persons savings bonus of up to $1 000
and a self-funded retirees supplementary bonus of up to $2 000.
These bonuses were paid as a part of the compensation measures for
the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST)
[16]
- 2001-02 Budget. A one-off aged persons bonus of $300 to all
persons who were over age pension age and on an income support
payment [17]
-
2004-05 Budget. A one-off lump sum payment of
$600 to families for each qualifying child for the Family Tax
Benefit Part A (FTB-A) and for each child aged up to 18 years to
whom youth allowance was paid
[18]
-
2004-05 Budget. A one-off carer bonus payment
of $1 000 to each person in receipt of carer payment and $600 to
each recipient of carer allowance
[19]
-
2005-06 Budget. A one-off carer bonus payment
of $1 000 to each person in receipt of carer payment and $600 to
each recipient of carer allowance for each person in their care
[20]
-
2006-07 Budget. A one-off carer bonus payment
of $1 000 to each person in receipt of carer payment and $600 to
each recipient of carer allowance for each person in their care.
[21]
The $500 one-off payment is to be paid to all
those older Australians who are eligible. This generally refers to
those on an income support payment and who are over age or service
pension age and also those on widow allowance, mature age allowance
and partner allowance. It also includes older Australians not
eligible to an income support payment due to income or assets but
who qualify for an SHC, as their adjusted taxable income [22] is less than $50 000 a
year single or $80 000 a year partnered (combined).
All qualified persons receive the $500. There
is no different amount for those who qualify for a SHC and who
therefore have higher levels of income or assets than for those who
are on an income support payment.
Schedule 2 proposes to insert
into the Social Security Act 1991 (SSA) and the VEA
provisions to empower the Minister to set up an administrative
scheme under which one-off payments could be made to older
Australians in particular circumstances. The Minister would be
able, by way of a Legislative Instrument, [23] to prescribe who should be paid and
how much they should be paid, rather than have this done by way of
legislation as is done in Schedule 1 of this Bill.
Being implemented by a Legislative Instrument, future proposed
schemes would be disallowable by Parliament in the usual way.
[24]
Provisions like those presented in
Schedule 2 have been presented in other one-off
payment Bills in the past. [25] The Social Security Legislation Amendment
(One-off Payments for Carers) Act 2005 contained a Schedule
very much like Schedule 2 in this Bill, empowering
the Minister to use a Legislative Instrument to create an
administrative scheme to provide payments to persons the Minister
considered missed out but who should have got the same payment.
Schedule 2 is basically an insurance policy
empowering the Minister to provide a payment to persons by way of a
Legislative Instrument, that it is considered should get a one-off
payment, but without having to come back to the Parliament with
another Bill to provide for the payment.
The one-off payments of $1 000 or $600 to
carers were announced in the 2007-08 Budget. [26] Carers will be entitled to
either $1 000 or $600 as described below:
The government has described the purpose of the
one-off payments to carers:
the payments would provide additional assistance
to people who care for relatives or friends and recognise their
commitment and dedication to this important role.
The Howard Government respects that carers are
faced with a range of care needs, differing care situations and
long-term care commitments. This is just another way the Howard
Government is supporting the extraordinary efforts of Australia s
carers.
[27]
The Financial impact statement in the
Explanatory Memorandum states that the one-off payments to carers
is estimated to cost $390.3 million in 2006-07 and $3.9 million in
2007-08. [28]
The provision of a one-off tax free payment,
that is also not included as income under the income test applied
under the SSA or the VEA, provides financial assistance. There is
now an emerging pattern of one-off payments being provided by the
government, especially to carers on carer payment and also those on
carer allowance. They have been a feature of the last three
Budgets. The benefits of one-off payments are temporary. Once the
money has been expended there is no more benefit. If recipients of
carer payment and carer allowance are considered by the government
to require this consistent financial assistance, perhaps an
increase in the on-going rate of payments provided might be a
better way of providing assistance.
Schedule
4 provides for the one-off payments to carers being
provided for in Schedule 3 of the Bill. The
comments provided about Schedule 2 above referring
to an administrative scheme also apply to Schedule
4 of the Bill.
The Government announced a one-off $25 000
payment to POW in Europe in WWII or to surviving widows/widowers in
the 2007-08 Budget. [29]
In announcing the one-off payment to POWs of
WWII in Europe or their surviving widows/widowers the government
said:
There is significant evidence that the treatment
of PoWs in Europe during their captivity was extremely harsh, Mr
Billson said.
They experienced brutality, starvation and some of the same
diseases as prisoners of the Japanese. Most PoW quarters were
overcrowded, with bedding and replacement clothing limited.
Mr Billson said while the International Red Cross issued some
medical supplies and food parcels at some stages of the war that
alleviated the threat of starvation, the Germans always reduced
rations when this occurred.
Food containers were either opened or tampered with to prevent
PoWs either hoarding them or using them during escape attempts, Mr
Billson said.
Accounts of the privations by some by our former Prisoners of
War evoke deep feelings and this measure recognises the extreme
hardships experienced by Australian prisoners in Europe while
serving their country. [30]
The Financial impact statement in the
Explanatory Memorandum states that the one-off payment to POWs is
estimated to cost $41.3 million in 2006 07 and $15.9 million in
2007 08. [31]
There have been two similar one-off $25 000
payments to former POW and their widows/widowers. The first one was
to POWs of the Japanese in WWII. [32] The second payment was to Korean War POWs.
[33]
The payment of $25 000 to POWs of WWII in
Europe will address concerns by this group that they have been
unfairly treated compared to POWs of the Japanese and POWs of the
Korean War. [34]
The government announced the proposed increase
in the amount of funeral benefit paid under the VEA in the 2007-08
Budget. [35]
Currently, funeral benefit is a one-off
payment of up to $1 000 that is intended to help with the expenses
incurred in respect of:
-
the funeral of a deceased eligible
veteran
-
the funeral of the deceased eligible dependant
of a deceased veteran, and
-
the cost of transporting the body from the
place of death to the normal place of residence.
A funeral benefit is also paid automatically
to the estate of a deceased veteran who was receiving one of the
following payments at the time of their death:
-
Special (T&PI) rate disability
pension
-
Extreme Disablement Adjustment (EDA)
-
disability pension plus an allowance as a
multiple amputee, or
-
if the veteran was a POW.
A funeral benefit may also be payable in
respect of the funeral of a dependant (war widow/widower, wholly
dependent partner, child under 16 or full-time student under 25) of
a deceased member where the dependant died in severe financial
need.
The Financial impact statement in the
Explanatory Memorandum states that the increase in the amount of
funeral benefit to $2 000 is estimated to cost $10.1 million in
2007-08, $9.9 million in 2008-09, $10.1 million in 2009-10 and $9.8
million in 2010-11. [36]
The last time the rate of funeral benefit was
increased was from 1 January 2005, with the passage of the
Veterans Entitlements (Clarke Review) Act
2004, [37]
when the amount payable was increased from $572 to $1 000.
The amendments to the VEA presented in
Schedule 7 are to provide a one-off increase in
the rate of Special rate and Intermediate rate disability pensions.
The Special rate disability pension is more commonly known as the
Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Pension (T&PI) and is
proposed to be raised by a one off $50 per fortnight. The
Intermediate rate disability pension is proposed to be raised by a
one off $25 per fortnight. These proposed rate increases were
announced by the Government in the 2007 08 Budget. [38]
The Financial impact statement in the
Explanatory Memorandum states that the increase in the rate of
Special and Intermediate rate disability pensions is estimated to
cost $37.9 million in 2007 08, $39.6 million in 2008 09, $40.6
million in 2009 10 and $41.4 million in 2010 11. [39]
The government, in announcing the one-off
increase in the rate of Special and Intermediate rate disability
pensions in the Budget gave the reason for the increase:
the pension increase would provide a substantial
boost to the ability of disability pension recipients to manage
their day-to-day challenges. These payments are further
acknowledgement of the level of sacrifice and service that these
veterans so selflessly gave, during Australia s greatest time of
need, Mr Billson said. Employment options are limited for
disability pension recipients, Mr Billson said.
Veterans with a disability, and their families, are especially
deserving of our continued support and this increase in financial
assistance will help to ensure their living standards are enhanced.
The Special Rate takes into account incapacity from war or
defence-caused disabilities that alone are so great that a veteran
cannot undertake any employment totalling more than eight hours per
week. The Intermediate Rate takes into account incapacity from war
or defence-caused disabilities that alone are so great that a
veteran cannot undertake any employment other than on a part-time
or intermittent basis. [40]
The Special rate is potentially payable where
the veteran is assessed as having a 70 per cent or more disability
(using the assessment used for the general rate disability
pension). Where the 70 per cent or more is attained, and it is also
assessed that the veteran is unable to work for at least 8 hours a
week, then the Special rate is payable.
Separate to the 8 hours a week test there are
a few other situations where the Special rate can be paid, for
example where the veteran has pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Where
the veteran has TB, it is assumed that the disability and inability
to work requirements are met and the Special rate is paid.
The Special rate, [41] which pays a higher rate than the 100
per cent general rate disability pension, [42] recognises the resultant work
inability of the veteran arising from their war/service
caused/related illness/injury, so has a component for income
support. Where a veteran has reached 65 years of age or more,
additional criteria apply to qualify for the Special rate. The last
paid work, which is precluded by the incapacity, must have
commenced prior to 65 and the veteran must have been employed in it
for at least 10 years.
Retired veterans aged 65 or more with very
severe disabilities might be entitled to an Extreme Disablement
Adjustment (EDA) rate disability pension. [43]
The Intermediate rate disability pension is
potentially payable where the veteran is assessed as having a 70
per cent or more disability (using the assessment for the general
rate) and is unable to work for at least 20 hours a week.
The Intermediate rate and the Special rate are
not always payable where the disability assessment is 70 per cent
or more. For example, a veteran may be assessed as having an 80 per
cent disability but may also be able to work for more than 20 hours
a week. In this case the Special or Intermediate rate is not
payable, only the 80 per cent general rate disability pension is
payable.
The Intermediate rate, paying a higher rate
than the 100 per cent general rate, recognises the resultant work
inability of the veteran arising from their war caused/related
illness/injury, so has a component for income support. Separate to
the 20 hours a week test there are a few other situations where the
Intermediate rate can be paid, for example suffering from TB.
Neither the Special rate nor the Intermediate
rate disability pension, being compensation payments are income or
asset tested.
The amounts of the disability pension that are
paid above 100 per cent general rate disability pension (Special
rate, Disability rate and EDA rate) have been indexed to movements
in Male Total Average Weekly Earnings (MTAWE) since March 2004.
This was provided for with the passage of the Veterans
Entitlements (Clarke Review) Act 2004.
[44] However, there
have been urgings for the Government to index the whole amount of
disability pensions paid to AWE, not just the amount paid above 100
per cent of the general rate. [45] These urgings have their origins in the fact that
income support pensions (for example, age and service pension) have
been indexed to 25 per cent of MTAWE from September 1997. Prior to
this, income support pensions were only indexed to the Consumer
Price Index (CPI). However, it should be noted that previous
governments had maintained the pension rate at least 25 per cent of
AWE from 1989 to 1996.
This one-off increase in the rate of Special
rate and Intermediate rate pensions will placate some of the
urgings for the whole of the pension rate paid in respect of
Special rate, Intermediate rate and EDA rate to be indexed to
movements in MTAWE.
It is interesting to note that one of the
disability pensions paid above 100 per cent of the general rate,
namely the EDA rate, does not receive a one-off increase in the
rate in this proposal. It is probable that this did not receive the
increase because the EDA rate pension is not paid to a person of
working age.
The amendments to the VEA presented in
Schedule 8 of the Bill propose to allow the
backdating of the grant of WWP up to six months. This proposal was
announced by the government in the 2007-08 Budget. [46]
Currently, a person must claim WWP within
three months of the date of death of the veteran to receive payment
of WWP back to the date of death. Where the claim is lodged more
than three months after the date of death, payment commencement can
only be backdated up to three months.
The Financial impact statement in the
Explanatory Memorandum states that the longer backdating period for
WWP is estimated to cost $1.6 million in 2007-08, $1.4 million in
2008-09, $1.4 million in 2009-10 and $1.4 million in 2010-11.
[47]
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Item 1 of Schedule 1 inserts
a new Part 2.2D into the SSA setting out the
qualification requirements to be paid the one-off payment of $500
that was announced in the 2007-08 Budget. The new
93ZB in this Part 2.2D sets out
that the amount of the payment is to be $500. Item
15 inserts a new part VIIE into the VEA to set out the
qualification requirements to qualify for the one-off $500 payment
for recipients of payments provided under the VEA.
Part 2 of Schedule 1 contains
amendments to the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936
(ITAA1936) and also to the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997
(ITAA1997) to provide for the exemption of the one-off $500
payments as income for the purposes of the income tax assessment
acts. Item 27 inserts provisions into the SSA to
exempt the one-off payment as income for the purposes of the income
tests applied under the SSA. Item 28 does
likewise, inserting provisions into the VEA for the income tests
applied under the VEA.
Item 1 of Schedule 2 allows
the Minister to use a Legislative Instrument to determine a scheme
whereby one-off payments of $500 may be made to older Australians
in circumstances as set out in the scheme. As described in the
background comments above, there may be a few cases where it is
considered that individuals should get the benefit of the payment
but are not qualified as set out in the provisions contained in
Schedule 1 and the Minister can make the payment
under a scheme without the need to come back to the Parliament with
more amending legislation. The scheme would need to be set out in a
Legislative Instrument which does require Parliamentary scrutiny.
[48] Item
2 does the same but for persons who would have been
otherwise qualified under the VEA.
Item 1 of Schedule
3 inserts new sections into the SSA to set out the
qualification requirements for persons to qualify for the one-off
$1 000 payment to certain carers, who are accessing carers
payments. Item 2 is very similar to Item
1 but it inserts new sections into the SSA to set out the
qualification requirements for persons to qualify for the one-off
$600 payment to recipients of carer allowance.
Part 2 of Schedule 3 is very
similar to Part 2 of Schedule 1 of the Bill as it
amends the ITAA1936 and the ITAA1997 to provide that the one-off
payments to carers are not taxable income. Likewise it also amends
the SSA and the VEA to ensure that the one-off payments to carers
are not income for the income tests applied under both acts.
Schedule 4 is very similar to
Schedule 2 but in regards to the one-off payments
to carers allowing the Minister to use a Legislative Instrument to
determine a scheme whereby one-off payments of $1 000 may be made
to carers in certain circumstances.
Item 2 of Schedule
5 contains descriptions of the different classes of person
to be entitled to the one-off $25 000 payment, including military
persons or civilians who were POWs. Item 3
specifies that the one-off payment is $25 000. Item
10 specifies that the value of a recipient s assets, for
the purposes of the assets tests, will be reduced by the value of
$25 000, thereby neutralising the impact of the payment under the
assets tests.
Items 1, 2 and 3 of
Schedule 6 amend provisions in the VEA to change the
amount of funeral benefit payable to $2 000. Item
4 applies the $2 000 funeral benefit payment to deaths on
or after 1 July 2007.
Item 1 of Schedule
7 alters the amount in section 23(4) of the VEA from
$394.50 to $619.80, thereby altering the fortnightly rate of
Intermediate rate pension. Item 2 does likewise
but in respect of section 24(4) altering the amount to $919.40,
thereby altering the fortnightly rate of Special rate disability
pension. Item 3 applies these altered rates of
pension to pension periods that start after 1 July 2007.
Item 5 of Schedule
8 inserts new provisions into the VEA to allow the
backdating of WWP of up to 6 months, where the claim for WWP was
lodged within 6 months of the date of death of the veteran or
service person. Item 6 applies the six month
backdating provisions to the death of a veteran or service person
on or after 1 July 2007.
Conclusion
The provisions contained within this Bill
provide beneficial results for qualified recipients. The one-off
payments to older Australians and to carers mirror previous one-off
payments made by the Government in recent years. In particular,
this is the third successive Budget in which payments have been
made. This now raises the question as to whether, if it is
considered necessary to provide this assistance to this group, the
assistance should be ongoing.
The one-off $25 000 payment to POWs of Europe
in WWII will address their concerns that they have been unfairly
treated compared to previous POW groups, who have received similar
lump-sum payments in the recent past.
The one-off increases in the rate of Special
rate pension and Intermediate rate pension will address concerns
that the value of war disability pensions has been eroded in the
past. However, there will still be pressings for the whole of the
amount of these pensions to be indexed to both the CPI and to
MTAWE.
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Endnotes
[1]. A person may qualify for utilities allowance if
they meet the age requirements to receive age pension and are
receiving an income support payment, such as:
-
Austudy
-
Age Pension
-
Disability Support Pension
-
Carer Payment
-
Wife Pension
-
Widow B Pension
-
Parenting Payment (Single)
- Special Benefit
-
Widow Allowance
-
Bereavement Allowance
- Partner Allowance
-
Parenting Payment (Partnered)
For persons provided under the Veterans
Entitlements Act 1986, to be eligible for the utilities
allowance a person needs to be of service pension age and receiving
either:
-
an invalidity, age or partner service pension,
or
-
an income support supplement.
[2]. To be eligible for income support supplement a person
must be an Australian war widow or war widower or receive
compensation as a wholly dependant partner under the Military
Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) and also meet
at least one of the following criteria:
-
be of service pension age
-
be permanently blind or permanently
incapacitated and unable to work
- have a dependant child or children, or
-
be the partner of a person who is receiving an
income support pension from either the Department of Veterans
Affairs or Centrelink.
[3]. To qualify for the seniors concession allowance, a
person must qualify for the Commonwealth seniors health card. To
qualify for a Commonwealth seniors health card a person must:
-
be an Australian resident, living in
Australia
-
not subject to a newly arrived residents
waiting period
-
have reached age pension age but do not qualify
for
Age Pension (or do not receive certain other Social
Security/Veteran Affairs pensions/benefits), and
-
have an annual adjusted taxable income
of:
-
less than $50 000 (single)
-
$80 000 (couple combined), or
-
$100 000 (couples combined who are separated
due to ill health).
[4]. A person may get widow allowance if they are a woman
who:
-
was born on or before 1 July 1955 and is not a
member of a couple
-
has become widowed, divorced or separated
(including separated de facto) since turning 40
-
has no recent workforce experience - that is
they haven't worked at least 20 hours a week for 13 weeks or more
in the last year
- is an Australian resident, in Australia and not subject to the
two year newly arrived residents waiting period
-
satisfies one of the qualifying residence rules
for Widow Allowance, and
-
has income and assets below a certain
amount.
[5]. A person may qualify for mature age allowance if
they:
[6]. A person may qualify for partner allowance if
they:
-
were born on or before 1 July 1955
-
-
do not qualify for
Parenting Payment, (that is, they have no dependent children
they can claim Parenting Payment for)
-
are not engaged in industrial action
- are not serving a Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance or
Austudy
waiting period
-
are not serving a penalty non-payment
period
-
have no recent workforce experience (employment
of at least 20 hours per week for a total of 13 weeks or more in
the previous 12 months), and
-
[7]. A person may qualify for carer payment (adult) if they
provide constant care in the home of the person they care for and
that person is:
A person may qualify for carer payment (child)
if they provide constant care in the home of the person they care
for and that person is:
-
a child under the age of 16 with a profound
disability or medical condition who has extremely high care needs,
or
-
two or more children under the age of 16 with
severe disabilities or medical conditions who together require an
extremely high level of care (this rule does not apply if the
children have severe intellectual, psychiatric or behavioural
medical/disability conditions).
[8]. Persons on Carer Service Pension are those who were
saved when Carer Service Pension was removed from the VEA in 1997.
Thereafter, only the carer payment payable under the SSA has been
available for full-time carers.
[9]. A person may get Carer Allowance (child) if they look
after a child with a disability or severe medical condition who
requires a lot of additional care or attention in their own home.
The carer must live in the same home as the child being cared
for.
A person may get Carer Allowance (adult)
if:
-
they are looking after an adult with a severe
disability or medical condition who needs a lot of additional care
and attention, or
-
they provide care for an adult in either their
home or the home of the person they care for.
[11]. Age pension age for males is 65; for females, see the
table below.
|
Date of Birth
|
Qualification Age
|
|
1 July
1935 to 31 December 1936
|
60.5
|
|
1
January 1937 to 30 June 1938
|
61
|
|
1 July
1938 to 31 December 1939
|
61.5
|
|
1
January 1940 to 30 June 1941
|
62
|
|
1 July
1941 to 31 December 1942
|
62.5
|
|
1
January 1943 to 30 June 1944
|
63
|
|
1 July
1944 to 31 December 1945
|
63.5
|
|
1
January 1946 to 30 June 1947
|
64
|
|
1 July
1947 to 31 December 1948
|
64.5
|
|
1
January 1949 and later
|
65
|
[12]. The age service pension qualifying age for males is
60; for females, see the table below.
[13]. To qualify for the seniors concession allowance, a
person must qualify for the Commonwealth seniors health card, op.
cit.
[15]. Explanatory
Memorandum, Financial impact statement.
[17]. Department of
Treasury, 2001-02 Budget papers, Portfolio Budget Statement,
Department of Family and Community Services Portfolio, Budget
Related Paper No. 1.8, Canberra, 14 May 2001, p. 176. http://www.budget.gov.au/2001-02/
[22]. For the SHC, adjusted taxable income is made up of the
sum of:
[25]. Dale Daniels,
Social Security Legislation Amendment (One-off Payments for Carers)
Bill 2005, Bills Digest No. 43 2005-06,
Parliamentary Library, Canberra, 9 September 2005. http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bd/2005-06/06bd043.pdf
Ian
Ireland, Family and Community Services Legislation Amendment
(One-off Payment to the Aged) Bill 2001, Bills Digest
No. 134 2000-01, Parliamentary Library, Canberra, 24 May
2001. http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bd/2000-01/01BD134.htm
Peter
Yeend, Social Security and Veterans' Entitlements Legislation
Amendment (One-off Payments to Increase Assistance for Older
Australians and Carers and Other Measures) Bill 2006, Bills
Digest No. 18 2006-07,
Parliamentary Library, Canberra, 4 September 2006. http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bd/bd06-07.htm
[28]. Explanatory
Memorandum, Financial impact statement.
[29]. Department of Treasury, Budget Paper No. 2 Budget
Measures 2007-08, Ex-Prisoners of War (Europe) one-off payment
to former prisoners of war or surviving widows, Commonwealth
Government, Department of Treasury, Canberra, 8 May 2007, p. 314.
http://www.aph.gov.au/budget/2007-08/bp2/html/index.htm
[31]. Explanatory
Memorandum, Financial impact statement.
[34]. Gemma Jones,
POWs fight for fairness, The Daily Telegraph, 18 June
2003, p. 24.
[36]. Explanatory Memorandum, Financial impact
statement.
[37]. Peter Yeend, Veterans' Entitlements (Clarke Review)
Bill 2004, op. cit.
[38]. Department of
Treasury, Budget Paper No. 2 Budget Measures 2007-08, Above
General Rate component of Disability Pension increases to the
Special and Intermediate rates, Commonwealth Government,
Department of Treasury, Canberra, 8 May 2007, p. 311. http://www.aph.gov.au/budget/2007-08/bp2/html/index.htm
[39]. Explanatory
Memorandum, Financial impact statement.
[41]. The rate of Special rate pension as at June 2007 is
$869.40 per fortnight.
[42]. The rate of 100 per cent general rate disability
pension as at June 2007 is $318.70 per fortnight.
[43]. The EDA rate can only be considered for
veterans who have reached 65 years of age who are not eligible to
receive a Special or Intermediate Rate of pension. As the name
suggests, the degree of incapacity from war or defence caused
conditions must be extreme. The assessment only takes into account
the medical impairment and lifestyle effects of a disability. It
does not have regard to whether or not a veteran is employed nor
any regard to income or assets.
[44]. Peter Yeend, Veterans' Entitlements (Clarke Review)
Bill 2004, op. cit.
[45]. Mr John Ryan, National President of The Australian
Federation of Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Ex-Servicemen
and Women Ltd, 2007 Budget media release, media release,
Adelaide, Australia, 20 May 2007. http://www.tpifed.org.au/index.asp?ID=245
[47]. Explanatory Memorandum, Financial impact
statement.
[48]. Moira Coombs, Acts Interpretation Amendment
(Legislative Instruments) Bill 2005, Bills Digest
No 11, 2005-06, op. cit.
Peter Yeend
Social Policy Section
30 August 2007
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