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1996 - 97
THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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VETERANS’ AFFAIRS
LEGISLATION
AMENDMENT (BUDGET AND SIMPLIFICATION MEASURES) BILL 1997 |
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SUPPLEMENTARY EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Amendments to be moved on behalf of the Government
(Circulated by authority of the Minister for Veterans’
Affairs,
The Honourable Bruce Scott MP)
88510 Cat. No. 96 7720 8 ISBN 0644 502622
These amendments affect the Veterans’ Entitlements Act
1986.
The Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Budget
and Simplification Measures) Bill 1997 was introduced into the House of
Representatives on 26 March 1997. The Government has decided to amend the Bill
to add an additional savings provision and to make technical
amendments.
The amendments have no financial impact.
The primary amendment to Schedule 1 of the Veterans’ Affairs
Legislation Amendment (Budget and Simplification Measures) Bill 1997 will
preserve the entitlement to treatment at Departmental expense of certain veteran
disability pensioners who would otherwise lose this entitlement because they
will not be paid any service pension after the transfer of child related
payments to the Department of Social Security. The other amendments make minor
technical changes to the Bill.
Commencement: 1 January
1998.
Amendments to Schedule
1
Amendments (1) to (4) amend Item 140 of Schedule 1.
Item 140 adds additional savings and transitional clauses to Schedule 5 of the
Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986.
Amendments (1), (2) and
(3) make technical corrections to new clauses 9 and 10 being added to
Schedule 5 dealing with savings and transitional provisions. References to
sections are omitted and references to clauses are substituted because Schedule
5 has clauses not sections.
Amendment (4) adds a further savings
provision, clause 11, to Schedule 5 dealing with savings and transitional
provisions.
New clause 11 is a savings provision relating to the transfer
of child related payments to Social Security.
It preserves the
entitlement to treatment at Departmental expense for those veterans whose
service pension is comprised entirely of child related payments. In these cases
the service pension will reduce to nil and be replaced by a payment of family
payment above the minimum rate.
Veterans who are receiving both a service
pension and a pension under Part II of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act of
more than 50% of the general rate are eligible, under subsection 85(7), to be
provided with treatment under Part V of the Act. The loss of the service
pension because of this transfer of child related payments to Social Security
will not affect that eligibility.
The saved status continues until the
child related payments would have ceased, the above the minimum family payment
for those children ceases, or the service pension becomes payable again.