The erosion of all DVA rates of pension and compensation, including T&PI, T&TI, EDA, Intermediate and the General Rate is an average of 1.5% since 1975, how many households and or businesses could sustain such losses over four decades? None I would suggest.

1975 income of $50 per week equates to an average weekly wage in excess of $900 per week today.

The disabled war veteran is being compensated at about 40% of the average weekly wage today, but until 1975 war veterans averaged about 95% and at one stage peaked at over 100%.

DVA payments have performed on average about ½ the rate of the average wage earner leaving DVA clients at a serious loss. Many will say veterans are well off but in the main those people are seriously uninformed and are only seeing the veneer of the issue not the reality. The reality is that today’s disabled soldier needs a welfare component in order to survive, never before in the history of repatriation in Australia have Special Rate disabled soldiers been forced to use welfare to survive.

The facts speak for themselves and it does not take much to check facts, it is in fact easier than sitting on the sidelines sniping at those that are actually doing something to help those that are less fortunate. If you are not part of the remedy, then you are a very big part of the problem.

IMPORTANT

The DVA Gold Card was issued to disabled war veterans to guarantee free medical care as a trade off for the sale of Repatriation Hospitals to the states. All concessions were and still are attached to the various Centrelink pension and Healthcare cards, though in practise some employees of government agencies will grant concessions to war veterans as a matter of courtesy and respect for the selfless service given to the nation.

This practice will be less likely to be continuing today as technology now makes it easier to locate the offending public servant.

Special Rate compensation payment includes T&PI, T&TI, Intermediate Rate and Extreme Disablement Adjustment.

T&PI	$789.20 pf
T&TI	$789.20 pf
Intermediate	$543.40 pf
EDA	$446.90 pf

None of the above rates are eligible for the Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card (PCC), but all are entitled to the Gold Card for health benefits only.

War Widow over 65 years of age

$635.60 pf

Older widow receives Centrelink PCC and all normal concessions as for T&PI without GST exemption; they also receive the Gold Card for health benefits only.

War Widow under 57 ½ years of age

$495.70 pf

Widows under 57 ½ are not entitled to the Centrelink PCC but do get the Gold Card for health only.

Newstart (Dole) partnered	$365.00 pf Each
Newstart (Dole) single	$394.60 pf

All Newstart recipients are entitled to Centrelink Healthcare cards that attract energy concessions, Motor vehicle registration concessions and many other concessions including Rental Assistance.