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DVA Factsheet
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War Widows/Widowers and Orphans
War Widow’s/Widower’s and Orphan’s Pensions
Overview
This Factsheet provides a brief description of the War Widow’s/Widower’s
and Orphan’s Pensions available under the Veterans'
Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA).
Information on compensation payments available to dependants under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act
2004 is contained in Factsheet MRCS 14: Compensation for
Dependants — Wholly Dependent Partners of Deceased Members and Former Members, Factsheet
MRCS 15: Dependent Children and Factsheet
MRCS 16: Other Dependants.
What are War Widow’s/Widower’s and Orphan’s Pensions?
A pension that is paid under the VEA to compensate widowed partners and dependant children of veterans who have died as a result of war service or eligible defence service. War Widow’s/Widower’s and Orphan’s Pensions are not affected by other income except from other compensation payments.
When are they paid?
A pension will be paid to a dependant if the veteran's death is determined to have been caused by war or eligible defence service. A pension will be granted to a dependant automatically, without regard to whether the death was caused by war or eligible defence service, if the veteran was:
· an ex-prisoner of war, or
· receiving the Extreme Disablement Adjustment, or
· receiving
a disability pension at the Special Rate, or
· receiving a disability pension at the Intermediate Rate, or
· receiving a disability pension the Temporary Special Rate, or
· receiving a disability pension at an increased rate for a war-caused or defence-service related incapacity for blindness or an allowance under section 27 of VEA for double amputees (items 1 to 8).
In all other cases where a veteran has died as a result of a disability already accepted as being caused by war or eligible defence service, the death will be determined to be war or defence caused but a claim for pension needs to be lodged with the Department.
When are they paid? (continued)
Claimants who claim the War Widow’s/Widower’s Pension within six months of the death of the veteran and are granted have their pension backdated to the date of death. If the claim is lodged more than six months after the death of the veteran, the pension is backdated 3 months.
Who can apply?
The following people can claim this pension:
A widow - a woman who was legally married to, or was in a de facto relationship with, an Australian male veteran immediately before his death and has not remarried.
A widower - a man who was legally married to, or was in a de facto relationship with, an Australian female veteran immediately before her death and has not remarried.
A dependent child- the natural or adopted child of a veteran, or a child who was wholly or substantially dependent on the veteran. The child must be under 16 years, or under 25 years and still undertaking full-time studies. Orphan’s Pension may not be payable if the child is aged 16 years or over and is in receipt of Commonwealth educational assistance through Youth Allowance; Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme; ABSTUDY; Post-Graduate Awards Scheme; or the Veteran’s Children Education Scheme.
Amount of Pension
These War Widow’s/Widower’s Pension rates are paid
fortnightly and are indexed twice yearly.
War
Widow’s or Widower’s Pension — indexed component* $ 563.60
War
Widow’s or Widower’s Pension — supplement $ 18.80
Total $ 582.40
* The formerly non-indexed amount is indexed effective 20 March 2008. It has therefore been amalgamated into the indexed component as of this date.
These Orphan’s Pension rates are paid fortnightly and are indexed each January.
Single orphan $ 80.80
Double orphan $ 161.50
Are these pensions taxed?
War Widow’s/Widower’s and Orphan's Pensions are not taxed. There is no need to declare them as income in your tax return.
What happens to the pension on remarriage?
If a person who is receiving a War Widow’s/Widower’s Pension marries in the future, the pension will not be affected.
What other benefits and services are available?
Recipients of War Widow’s/Widower’s and Orphan’s Pensions
receive a Gold Repatriation Health Card.
This card entitles the holder to a range of health care for all
conditions. See Factsheet HSV 60: Repatriation Health
Card – For All Conditions and HSV 01:
Overview of Health Services Available to the Veteran Community for
more information.
War Widows/Widowers may be entitled to Income Support Supplement, an income and assets tested pension that provides additional regular income. See Factsheet IS 03: Income Support Supplement Overview for more information.
War Widows/Widowers may also be entitled to concessions on the costs of
public and private transport services and public utilities. Contact the office of the service provider to
enquire about entitlement to concessions.
Dependent children of veterans whose death has been accepted as
war-caused may be entitled to financial assistance and counselling from the Veterans’ Children Education Scheme. See Factsheet
DP 45: Veterans’ Children Education Scheme for more information.
A funeral benefit may be payable to assist with the cost of the funeral
of a veteran whose death has been accepted as war-caused. See Factsheet
BR 01: Funeral Benefits for more information.
What other benefits and services are available? (continued)
A veteran whose death has been accepted as being war-caused is entitled
to official commemoration. See Factsheet WG 03: Post War Official
Commemoration for more information.
Oral Advice
While we make every effort to ensure that you are given accurate information, it is important that you seek written confirmation of oral information or advice before making any major decisions based on that information.
We continually strive to improve the level of service you receive and make this request as an added safeguard for you.
Other Factsheets
Other Factsheets related to this topic include:
·
Funeral Benefits:
BR 01
·
Extreme
Disablement Adjustment: DP 30
·
Veterans’ Children
Education Scheme: DP 45
·
How to claim War Widow’s/Widower’s
or Orphan’s pension: DP 61
·
Overview of Health
Services Available to the Veteran Community: HSV 01
·
Eligibility For
the Repatriation Health Card — For All Conditions (Gold): HSV 59
·
Using the
Repatriation Health Card — For All Conditions (Gold):HSV 60
·
Income Support
Supplement Overview: IS 03
·
Post War Official
Commemoration: WG 03
·
Compensation for
Dependants — Wholly Dependent Partners of Deceased Members and Former Members:
MRCS 14
·
Dependent
Children: MRCS 15
·
Other Dependants: MRCS 16
More Information
If you need more
information about this topic, contact DVA, or visit our website at www.dva.gov.au.
You can
phone DVA for the cost of a local call on:
133 254
or
1800 555
254, if you are outside a major city.
Use a normal,
landline phone if you can. Mobile phone
calls may cost you more.
All DVA Factsheets
are available from DVA offices, and on the DVA website at www.dva.gov.au.