Veterans' Entitlements Amendment (Income Support Measures) Act 2010

Administered by Department of Veterans' Affairs

Legislation au C2010A00099 In force Act

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Veterans’ Entitlements Amendment (Income Support Measures) Act 2010

 

No. 99, 2010

 

 

 

 

 

An Act to amend the law relating to veterans’ entitlements, and for related purposes

 

 

Contents

1 Short title

2 Commencement

3 Schedule(s)

Schedule 1—Amendments

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

 

 

 

Veterans’ Entitlements Amendment (Income Support Measures) Act 2010

No. 99, 2010

 

 

 

An Act to amend the law relating to veterans’ entitlements, and for related purposes

[Assented to 6 July 2010]

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

  This Act may be cited as the Veterans’ Entitlements Amendment (Income Support Measures) Act 2010.

2  Commencement

 (1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

 

Commencement information

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Provision(s)

Commencement

Date/Details

1.  Sections 1 to 3 and anything in this Act not elsewhere covered by this table

The day this Act receives the Royal Assent.

6 July 2010

2.  Schedule 1, items 1 to 28

The day this Act receives the Royal Assent.

6 July 2010

3.  Schedule 1, items 29 to 33

The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.

7 July 2010

4.  Schedule 1, items 34 and 35

The day this Act receives the Royal Assent.

6 July 2010

5.  Schedule 1, item 36

The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.

7 July 2010

Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally passed by both Houses of the Parliament and assented to. It will not be expanded to deal with provisions inserted in this Act after assent.

 (2) Column 3 of the table contains additional information that is not part of this Act. Information in this column may be added to or edited in any published version of this Act.

3  Schedule(s)

  Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.


Schedule 1—Amendments

 

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

1  Section 5 (index of definitions)

Omit:

benevolent home

5Q(1)

2  Paragraph 5H(8)(v)

Omit “the Labour Force”, substitute “Labour Market”.

3  Paragraph 5H(8)(w)

Repeal the paragraph, substitute:

 (w) in the case of a person who:

 (i) is receiving a service pension, income support supplement, a social security pension or a social security benefit; and

 (ii) is in parttime training, or engaged in parttime work experience, under a program included in the programs known as Labour Market Programs;

  a payment received by the person under that program in respect of the person’s expenses associated with his or her participation in the training or work experience;

4  Subsection 5Q(1) (definition of benevolent home)

Repeal the definition.

5  After subsection 36JE(1)

Insert:

 (1A) If:

 (a) a person has claimed an age service pension; and

 (b) the Secretary is satisfied that the claimant’s partner (if any) may be entitled to a comparable foreign pension if the partner applied for that pension;

the Secretary may give the claimant a notice that requires the partner to take reasonable action to obtain the comparable foreign pension.

Note: The heading to section 36JE is altered by inserting “or claimant’s partner” after “claimant”.

6  Subsection 36JE(2)

Omit “The notice”, substitute “A notice under subsection (1) or (1A)”.

7  Paragraph 36JE(4)(a)

Omit “the notice”, substitute “a notice under subsection (1) or (1A)”.

8  Paragraph 36JE(4)(b)

After “claimant”, insert “, or the claimant’s partner,”.

9  After subsection 37JE(1)

Insert:

 (1A) If:

 (a) a person has claimed an invalidity service pension; and

 (b) the Secretary is satisfied that the claimant’s partner (if any) may be entitled to a comparable foreign pension if the partner applied for that pension;

the Secretary may give the claimant a notice that requires the partner to take reasonable action to obtain the comparable foreign pension.

Note: The heading to section 37JE is altered by inserting “or claimant’s partner” after “claimant”.

10  Subsection 37JE(2)

Omit “The notice”, substitute “A notice under subsection (1) or (1A)”.

11  Paragraph 37JE(4)(a)

Omit “the notice”, substitute “a notice under subsection (1) or (1A)”.

12  Paragraph 37JE(4)(b)

After “claimant”, insert “, or the claimant’s partner,”.

13  After subsection 38JE(1)

Insert:

 (1A) If:

 (a) a person has claimed a partner service pension; and

 (b) the Secretary is satisfied that the claimant’s partner (if any) may be entitled to a comparable foreign pension if the partner applied for that pension;

the Secretary may give the claimant a notice that requires the partner to take reasonable action to obtain the comparable foreign pension.

Note: The heading to section 38JE is altered by inserting “or claimant’s partner” after “claimant”.

14  Subsection 38JE(2)

Omit “The notice”, substitute “A notice under subsection (1) or (1A)”.

15  Paragraph 38JE(4)(a)

Omit “the notice”, substitute “a notice under subsection (1) or (1A)”.

16  Paragraph 38JE(4)(b)

After “claimant”, insert “, or the claimant’s partner,”.

17  After subsection 45NF(1)

Insert:

 (1A) If:

 (a) a person has claimed income support supplement; and

 (b) the Secretary is satisfied that the claimant’s partner (if any) may be entitled to a comparable foreign pension if the partner applied for that pension;

the Secretary may give the claimant a notice that requires the partner to take reasonable action to obtain the comparable foreign pension.

Note: The heading to section 45NF is altered by inserting “or claimant’s partner” after “claimant”.

18  Subsection 45NF(2)

Omit “The notice”, substitute “A notice under subsection (1) or (1A)”.

19  Paragraph 45NF(4)(a)

Omit “the notice”, substitute “a notice under subsection (1) or (1A)”.

20  Paragraph 45NF(4)(b)

After “claimant”, insert “, or the claimant’s partner,”.

21  Subsection 52AA(1)

After “other than”, insert “Division 3 or”.

22  Subsection 52AA(1)

After “52H,”, insert “52JA, 52JB, 52JC, 52JD,”.

23  After subsection 54BA(1)

Insert:

 (1A) If:

 (a) a person is receiving a service pension or income support supplement; and

 (b) the Secretary is satisfied that the person’s partner (if any) may be entitled to a comparable foreign pension if the partner applied for that pension;

the Secretary may give the person a notice that requires the partner to take reasonable action to obtain the comparable foreign pension.

Note: For the consequences of a failure to comply with the notice see section 56EB.

Note: The heading to section 54BA is altered by inserting “or the person’s partner” after “paid”.

24  Subsection 54BA(2)

Omit “The notice”, substitute “A notice under subsection (1) or (1A)”.

25  Paragraph 56EB(1)(a)

Omit “section 54BA”, substitute “subsection 54BA(1) or (1A)”.

26  Paragraph 56EB(1)(b)

After “person”, insert “, or the person’s partner,”.

27  Subdivision A of Division 14 of Part IIIB (heading)

Repeal the heading.

28  Subdivision B of Division 14 of Part IIIB

Repeal the Subdivision.

29  After section 203

Insert:

204  Debt recovery relating to payment of comparable foreign pension

 (1) This section applies if:

 (a) an amount (the affected amount) was paid to a person by way of a service pension or income support supplement in respect of a particular period; and

 (b) another amount (the lump sum) was paid as a lump sum:

 (i) to the person; or

 (ii) to the person’s partner, if the person is a member of a couple;

  by way of a payment of arrears of a comparable foreign pension in respect of that period; and

 (c) assuming that the lump sum had been paid by way of periodical payments of the comparable foreign pension in respect of that period, the affected amount would have been reduced.

 (2) The amount by which the affected amount would have been reduced is a debt due by the person to the Commonwealth.

 (3) Section 46A does not apply to the person in respect of the lump sum.

30  After paragraph 205(1)(f)

Insert:

 (fa) a person has incurred a debt under subsection 204(2); or

31  Paragraph 205(2)(b)

Omit “or (f)”, substitute “, (f) or (fa)”.

32  Subsection 205(8) (paragraph (c) of the definition of excluded amount)

Omit “or (f)”, substitute “, (f) or (fa)”.

33  Subsection 205(8) (paragraph (d) of the definition of recoverable amount)

Omit “or (f)”, substitute “, (f) or (fa)”.

34  Application—obtaining comparable foreign pension

The amendments made by items 5, 9, 13 and 17 apply in relation to claims made on or after the commencement of those items.

35  Application—value of a person’s assets

(1) The amendment made by item 21 applies in relation to working out the value of a person’s assets on or after the commencement of that item.

(2) The amendment made by item 22 applies in relation to working out the value of a person’s assets on or after the commencement of that item (where the relevant dispositions occur on or after that commencement).

36  Application—debt recovery relating to payment of comparable foreign pension

Section 204 of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986, as inserted by this Act, applies in relation to lump sums paid on or after the commencement of this item (regardless of whether the period to which the lump sum relates begins before, on or after that commencement).

 

 

 

 

 

[Minister’s second reading speech made in—

House of Representatives on 10 March 2010

Senate on 13 May 2010]

(49/10)

 

Overview

The Veterans’ Entitlements Amendment (Income Support Measures) Act 2010 was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to amend the law relating to veterans’ entitlements, addressing issues such as the need to update definitions, terms, and provisions within the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to better align with contemporary terminology and practices. The Act aims to improve the administration and clarity of entitlements by making specific amendments to definitions, introducing new provisions for debt recovery related to comparable foreign pensions, and altering the conditions under which certain pensions and supplements may be affected by foreign pension entitlements. The policy objective of the Act is to ensure that veterans and their partners receive appropriate income support and benefits, taking into account potential entitlements from foreign pensions, while also maintaining the integrity and efficiency of the pension system. The Act came into effect on 6 July 2010, with certain provisions commencing on subsequent days as outlined in the commencement table. The amendments primarily focus on updating and clarifying definitions, modifying the conditions for certain pension entitlements, and introducing new provisions for debt recovery in cases where comparable foreign pensions have been paid. These changes aim to streamline the process of determining and recovering debts related to pension payments, ensuring that the entitlements system operates effectively and fairly for all veterans and their families.

Scope and Application

The Veterans’ Entitlements Amendment (Income Support Measures) Act 2010 is a Commonwealth Act that amends the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986. This Act applies to veterans and their partners who are receiving or have claimed veterans’ pensions or income support supplements. It also applies to the Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs, who is responsible for administering these entitlements. The Act primarily targets individuals and couples where one or both partners are veterans receiving various forms of pension or supplement. Its geographic and jurisdictional reach is confined to the Commonwealth of Australia. The Act does not specify any exclusions or exemptions but rather extends its application through specific amendments to the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986, affecting the calculation of veterans' assets and the recovery of debts related to comparable foreign pensions. The commencement of the Act is staggered, with most provisions coming into effect on the day of Royal Assent, 6 July 2010, and a few others the following day, 7 July 2010. The application of specific amendments varies, with some applying to claims made on or after the commencement of those amendments, and others applying to the value of a person’s assets or debt recovery relating to lump sums paid as comparable foreign pensions.

Key Provisions

The Veterans’ Entitlements Amendment (Income Support Measures) Act 2010 makes several significant changes to the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986. Firstly, it alters the definition of certain terms and removes outdated references. For instance, it replaces "the Labour Force" with "Labour Market" (item 2) and removes the term "benevolent home" from the index of definitions (item 4). Secondly, it expands the definition of payments associated with part-time training or work experience under Labour Market Programs (item 3). The Act imposes various obligations on parties and entities it governs. It mandates the Secretary to notify claimants about potential comparable foreign pensions their partners may be entitled to if they applied (items 5, 9, 13, 17). It also requires partners to take reasonable action to obtain such pensions when notified (items 5-19). Additionally, it introduces provisions for debt recovery related to payments of comparable foreign pensions (item 29). The Act imposes specific consequences for non-compliance with its provisions. For example, if a person fails to comply with a notice requiring their partner to obtain a comparable foreign pension, they may incur a debt under section 204 (item 34). The Act also provides that section 46A does not apply to the lump sum in cases of debt recovery related to comparable foreign pensions (item 30). The penalties for incurring a debt under these provisions can include repayment of the debt to the Commonwealth (item 29). While the Act does not explicitly state maximum penalties, the consequences of non-compliance can lead to financial liabilities for the affected parties.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Veterans' Law
Instrument
Amending Act
Concepts
Commencement Provisions
Repeal & Amendment
Debt Recovery
Comparable Foreign Pension

Interactions

Authorises

All Versions

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.