THIS week’s Federal Budget has confirmed that pensions for veterans and their families will increase by whatever is the greatest measure – Consumer Price Index (CPI), Male Total Average Earnings or the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index.
Federal Lyons MP Eric Hutchinson said today that reversing last year’s budget measures and maintaining the current pension indexation arrangements was great news for the nearly 200,000 Australians on a Department of Veteran Affairs pension including more than 2020 Lyons electorate residents.
“The Government holds Australia’s veteran community in the highest regard – our commitment to ensuring that members of the veteran community receive appropriate support and entitlements is ongoing,’’ Mr Hutchinson said.
Under the reform of Australia’s pension system the asset test will be changed to ensure that resources will be focused on those with lower or moderate private wealth outside the family home.
Asset limits and taper rates will be adjusted and will affect those who have the capacity to support themselves in retirement while pensioners with lower private wealth will receive a higher rate of support.
Other initiatives will include:
• Providing $10 million to recruit more case coordinators to help with the increasing number of complex claims and improve claim processing times.
• Providing $3.7 million to extend the in-home telehealth trial for veterans and war widows, an initiative aimed at keeping veterans in their own homes and communities for longer.
• Steam-lining the pathway for review of decisions about entitlements made under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.
• Providing further funding for the Centenary of Anzac Program to support additional events commemorating battles that occurred on the Western Front during World War I and key anniversaries of other conflicts.
Federal Lyons MHR Eric Hutchinson
