Veterans’ Affairs
Above General Rate component of Disability Pension — increases to the Special and Intermediate Rates
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | 38.7 | 40.4 | 41.4 | 42.2 |
| Department of Employment and Workplace Relations | -0.3 | -0.3 | -0.3 | -0.3 |
| Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | -0.5 | -0.5 | -0.5 | -0.5 |
| Total | 37.9 | 39.6 | 40.6 | 41.4 |
The Government will increase the veterans’ Disability Pension for Special Rate and Intermediate Rate recipients by $50 and $25 per fortnight respectively, from 3 July 2007, at an estimated cost of $162.8 million over four years (including funding of $43,000 in 2006-07). This measure will benefit around 29,600 veterans who receive either the Special Rate or Intermediate Rate of Disability Pension because their injuries or diseases, related to war or defence service on behalf of Australia, limit their earning capacity.
The increase to the Special Rate and Intermediate Rate will also result in savings of $3.2 million as the veterans’ Disability Pension is taken into account for income testing arrangements for the Age and Disability Support Pension and other benefits paid under the Social Security Act 1991. The net cost of the measure is $159.6 million over five years.
Aircraft maintenance personnel — expansion of Better Health Programme
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | - | - | - | - |
The Government will expand the eligibility criteria for the Better Health Programme to include those participants in the Study of Health Outcomes in Aircraft Maintenance Personnel Health Care Scheme who were involved in ad hoc maintenance tasks on F-111 aircraft, at an estimated cost of $0.4 million per annum over four years from 2007-08. This programme provides cancer screening for civilians and Australian Defence Force personnel (current and former) who were engaged in tasks associated with F-111 aircraft maintenance and repairs.
This measure expands the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook 2004-05 measure Aircraft maintenance personnel – cancer and health screening and disease prevention and is expected to provide access for 860 people to relevant cancer and health screening services.
The cost of this measure will be met from existing resources for the Better Health Programme.
Australian Interpretive Centre on the Western Front, France — preliminary design phase
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | 2.4 | 0.4 | - | - |
The Government will provide $2.8 million over two years to undertake a preliminary design phase for the proposal to build an Australian Interpretive Centre on the Western Front, France. The centre will enhance understanding and recognition of Australia’s involvement on the Western Front in World War I.
The preliminary design phase will focus on refining a design for the centre and will include the Department of Veterans’ Affairs seeking the necessary support from the French authorities to build the centre.
The report of the preliminary design phase will be completed before final consideration of the building proposal.
Further information can be found in the press release of 24 April 2007 issued by the Prime Minister.
Commemoration and war graves maintenance — additional funding
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
The Government will provide additional funding of $2.0 million over four years to the Office of Australian War Graves to undertake maintenance of ageing war cemeteries, war graves and other official memorials in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Norfolk Island.
This measure will ensure that Australian war cemeteries, war graves and official memorials are maintained according to the standards required by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Commemorative activities — construction of an ANZAC memorial in New Zealand
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | 1.4 | 2.4 | 1.1 | .. |
The Government will provide $5.0 million over four years to the Office of Australian War Graves for the construction of a new ANZAC memorial in New Zealand. This memorial will commemorate the ANZAC alliance and increase awareness of the shared history between Australia and New Zealand during times of war.
Commemorative activities — continuation of funding
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | - | - | - | - |
The Government will provide $5.5 million over four years to continue the Commemorative Activities Programme. This programme provides for the maintenance of Australia’s overseas war memorials and the construction of new overseas memorials by the Office of Australian War Graves. National memorials overseas commemorate those who served Australia in times of war.
This measure involves funding of $1.3 million in 2007-08, and $1.4 million per annum in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11. Provision for this funding has already been included in the forward estimates.
Commemorative activities — overseas memorials
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
The Government will provide $1.4 million over four years to the Office of Australian War Graves for the maintenance of unofficial overseas memorials. This funding will help preserve these private memorials, especially where ageing veterans groups face difficulty attending to their upkeep. The memorials are mainly on World War II battlefields and eligibility for maintenance funding will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Community Care Grants Programme — continuation of funding
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | - | - | - | - |
The Government will provide $6.7 million over four years to continue the Community Care Grants Programme. This programme improves the independence and quality of life of veterans, war widows and war widowers living in the community by providing grants to community organisations to increase access to community care services and residential and community-based respite care. The programme also targets preventative health measures.
This measure involves funding of $1.6 million in 2007-08, and $1.7 million per annum in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-2011. Provision for this funding has already been included in the forward estimates.
Ex-Prisoners of War (Europe) — one-off payment to former Prisoners of War or surviving widows
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | 16.0 | - | - | - |
The Government will provide $57.2 million over two years (including $41.1 million in 2006-07) to make one-off payments of $25,000 to Australian former Prisoners of War in Europe, or their surviving widows on 1 January 2007.
Medications management
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicare Australia | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | -1.0 | -7.4 | -9.5 | -11.4 |
| Total | -0.1 | -6.9 | -8.8 | -10.5 |
| Related capital ($m) | ||||
| Medicare Australia | 0.7 | - | - | - |
The Government will introduce a programme to assist those veterans living independently, and who have difficulty managing their medications, to do so more effectively. This measure is expected to result in better medicine management by veterans, which will reduce demand for primary health care services, avoidable admissions to hospitals and delays in admissions to residential aged care facilities.
This measure is expected to lead to savings of $32.3 million and will cost $6.9 million (including $0.1 million in 2006-07) to administer, resulting in net savings of $25.4 million over four years.
Respite care for veterans — fee increase for in-home care
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
The Government will provide $10.4 million over four years to increase the hourly fee paid for the provision of in-home respite care services to veterans from $29.20 per hour currently, to $34.03 per hour from 1 July 2007. This will help ensure that eligible veterans, war widows and widowers retain access to high quality in-home respite services. This funding is in addition to existing in-home respite funding of $96.6 million over four years provided under the Veterans’ Home Care programme.
Veteran community — supporting carers and volunteers
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| Related capital ($m) | ||||
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | .. | - | - | - |
The Government will provide $5.0 million over four years to community advisors and ex-service organisations to offer support to volunteers and carers in the veteran community. This measure will promote the health and wellbeing of veterans and war widows and widowers through improved access to, and awareness of, relevant health services and programmes in the community.
This measure includes $2,000 in capital funding in 2007-08 for software development.
Veterans — increase in funeral benefits
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | 10.1 | 9.9 | 10.1 | 9.8 |
The Government will increase the maximum funeral benefit for eligible veterans under the Veterans’ Entitlement Act 1986 from $1,000 to $2,000 at an estimated cost of $39.9 million over four years.
Funeral benefits are paid for veterans who were prisoners of war, or who were receiving either the Special Rate or Extreme Disablement Adjustment rate of pension, or an allowance as a multiple amputee. Funeral benefits may also be paid in certain other circumstances.
Veterans’ care — better hospital discharge planning
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | -3.4 | -7.1 | -7.2 | -7.4 |
The Government will provide $21.0 million over four years to ensure veterans who are Gold and White Health Care Card holders are assisted with better access to required health care and ongoing care when discharged from private hospitals.
This programme will support veterans by reducing hospital re-admissions, and complements the 2004-05 Budget measure Pathways Home Programme — aligning hospital policy for veterans which has successfully reduced re-admissions on discharge from public hospitals.
It is expected that the measure will lead to savings in payments to private hospitals of $46.1 million, resulting in net savings of $25.1 million over four years.
War Widows Pension — longer backdating period
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Medicare Australia | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Department of Health and Ageing | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| Total | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
The Government will allow war widows who claim a War Widows Pension following the death of their spouse an additional three months to claim a backdated pension, at an estimated cost of $5.6 million over four years. From 1 July 2007 war widows who claim the pension within six months of their spouse’s death will have their pension backdated to the time of death. The extended application period will reduce costs in other programmes which will no longer need to be accessed by the war widows, resulting in $0.5 million in savings for the Department of Health and Ageing and $50,000 in savings for Medicare Australia.