DVA FACTS
DP43

Rates and Allowances

Disability Pension and War Widow’s/Widower’s Pension Rates and Allowances

 

Introduction

This fact sheet provides a brief description and the current rates of disability and war widow’s/widower’s pensions and allowances you may be eligible for from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA). The rates quoted are fortnightly amounts unless other wise indicated. 

 

This information is current from –

 

 

20 September 2008 to 31 December 2008

 

What has changed?

The following rates and allowances have changed. -  disability pension rates, additional disability pension items 1-15, war widow's/widower's pension, and the following allowances, recreation transport, vehicle assistance, attendant, clothing, victoria cross and telephone allowance.

 

Disability pension rates

Disability pensions are paid at various rates: the special rate, intermediate rate, extreme disablement adjustment, and the General rate. 

 

Special rate (T&PI, blinded or TTI)                                           $ 997.80

Intermediate rate                                                                    $ 677.00

Extreme disablement adjustment (EDA)                                    $ 550.70

 
Disability pension rates, continued

General rate

100%         $ 354.50                             50%          $ 177.25

95%           $ 336.78                             45%          $ 159.53

90%           $ 319.05                             40%          $ 141.80

85%           $ 301.33                             35%          $ 124.08

80%           $ 283.60                             30%          $ 106.35

75%           $ 265.88                             25%          $  88.63

70%           $ 248.15                             20%          $  70.90

65%           $ 230.43                             15%          $  53.18

60%           $ 212.70                             10%          $  35.45

55%           $ 194.98                                                 

 

Additional Disability Pension for Specific Disabilities

Additional disability pension is paid to veterans who receive disability pension at less than the T&PI rate and have one of the following disabilities accepted as service related. The total of disability pension and the additional pension cannot exceed the T&PI rate.

 

 1. Two arms amputated                                                          $ 552.70

 2. Two legs and one arm amputated                                        $ 552.70

 3. Two legs amputated above the knee                                     $ 552.70

 4. Two legs amputated and blinded in one eye                         $ 552.70

 5. One arm and one leg amputated and blinded in one eye       $ 552.70

 6. One arm and one leg amputated                                          $ 552.70

 7. One leg amputated above, and one leg amputated below

     the knee                                                                            $ 184.30

 8. Two legs amputated below the knee                                     $ 124.40

 9. One arm amputated and blinded in one eye                         $ 106.60

10. One leg amputated and blinded in one eye                          $ 106.60

11. One leg amputated above the knee                                      $  53.40

12. One leg amputated below the knee                                      $  27.80

13. One arm amputated above the elbow                                   $  53.40

14. One arm amputated below the elbow                                    $  27.80

15. Blinded in one eye                                                             $  41.30
War widow’s/widower’s pension

The war widow’s/widower’s pension may be paid to a widow or widower of an eligible veteran.

 

War widow’s/widower’s pension — indexed component*            $ 579.40

War widow’s/widower’s pension — supplement                          $  19.30

Total                                                                                      $ 598.70

 

* The formerly non-indexed amount is indexed effective 20 March 2008. It has therefore been amalgamated into the indexed component as of this date.

 

Orphan’s pension

The dependent child of a deceased eligible veteran may be entitled to receive an orphan’s pension.

 

Single orphan                                                                          $  80.80

Double orphan                                                                        $ 161.50

 

Recreation transport allowance

Recreation transport allowance (RTA) may be paid to an eligible veteran to assist with the costs of transport for recreation purposes. The amount of the allowance payable depends on the extent of the impact of the veteran’s war-caused or defence-caused incapacity on their powers of locomotion.

 

High rate                                                                                 $  73.80

Low rate                                                                                 $  36.70

 

Vehicle Assistance Scheme

The Vehicle Assistance Scheme may assist a veteran to purchase and modify a motor vehicle where service or war caused amputation, injury or disease severely affect the ability to move around. A running and maintenance allowance is also payable to help defray the cost of registering and insuring the vehicle.

                                                                                             per year

Maintenance and running costs                                              $1,918.80
Loss of earnings allowance

Loss of earnings allowance (LOE) may be paid when:

·      a veteran loses salary, wages or earnings because the veteran is being treated for a war-caused or defence-caused injury or disease

·      a veteran has to attend appointments in relation to a claim for disability pension 

·      another person loses salary, wages or earnings because they are helping a veteran to pursue a claim for disability pension.

 

Temporary incapacity allowance

Temporary incapacity allowance (TIA) may be paid to a veteran who cannot work during or after hospitalisation while being treated for a war-caused or defence-caused injury or disease.

 

Attendant allowance

Attendant allowance may be paid to a veteran who has certain war-caused or defence-caused injuries or diseases causing loss of function (such as blindness in both eyes, loss of speech and loss of limbs) and requires the assistance of an attendant to perform basic functions. The allowance is payable at two levels, according to the type of injury or disease.

 

High rate                                                                                $ 276.40

Low rate                                                                                 $ 138.00

 

Clothing allowance

Clothing allowance may be paid to a veteran who has a war-caused or defence-caused injury or disease which causes exceptional wear and tear or damage to clothing. Damage to clothing may be due to factors such as staining from medications or abrasions from aids and appliances. The rate of clothing allowance depends on the extent of the veteran’s injury or disease

 

High rate                                                                                 $  11.50

Mid rate                                                                                   $   7.90

Low rate                                                                                  $   5.30
Decoration allowance

Decoration allowance is paid automatically to disability pensioners who were awarded certain decorations for gallantry. 

 

Decoration allowance                                                               $   2.10

 

Victoria Cross allowance

Victoria Cross allowance of $3,676 per annum is paid to those veterans who have been awarded this decoration.

 

Veterans’ Children Education Scheme (VCES)

The VCES provides financial assistance and student support services to the dependent children of veterans who have died as a result of war-caused injury or disease, or of veterans who have a war-caused injury or disease which has left them severely incapacitated.

 

Primary students                                                          $ 214.10 (per year)

Secondary and tertiary students

 

Age                 At home        Living away      Homeless

 from home    

Under 16           $  44.00           $ 332.56          $ 355.40
16-17                $ 194.50          $ 355.40          $ 355.40
18 & over           $ 233.90          $ 355.40          $ 355.40

 

 

Pharmaceutical allowance

Pharmaceutical allowance is paid to all veterans residing in Australia who have one or more accepted disabilities, and to war widows and widowers residing in Australia.

 

Maximum rate                                                                          $   5.80
Telephone allowance

Telephone allowance (TA) is paid to telephone subscribers who receive disability pension at the T&PI or EDA rate or a specific disability allowance for certain amputations, or a war widow’s/widower’s pension.

 

                                                                                           per quarter

Veterans, war widow’s and widower’s                                        $  23.00

 

If eligible for the increased rate of TA for home Internet

                                                                                           per quarter

Veterans, war widow’s and widower’s rate                                  $  34.60

 

 

Funeral benefits

Assistance of up to $2,000 is payable towards funeral expenses of certain veterans including T&PIs, those whose death is accepted as being war or service caused and those who died in needy circumstances.

 

More information

All DVA fact sheets are available on request from any DVA office or on the DVA website at www.dva.gov.au/factsheets/default.htm

 

If you need more information about this topic, contact your nearest DVA office or visit the DVA website at www.dva.gov.au

 

You can telephone DVA for the cost of a local call* on:

 

133 254 - general inquiries

1800 555 254 - non-metropolitan callers.

 

Note:       *If you use a mobile phone, calls may be more costly. You are advised to use a normal phone (i.e. a landline phone) when ringing these numbers.