Veterans are being encouraged to provide input to two parliamentary inquiries into the Totally and Permanently Incapacitated (TPI) veteran pension and the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits (DFRDB) military superannuation scheme.
Many veterans have raised these longstanding issues with Labor MPs and they feel the Morrison Government has completely ignored them.
The Government’s 2019 reviews of the TPI pension rate and DFRDB commutation arrangements were a slap in the face for ex-service men and women, particularly many older and disabled veterans.
Labor has listened to the concerns of these veterans and in March, we referred these issues to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee for open and independent inquiries so veterans can have their say.
We are calling on TPI veterans and DFRDB scheme members, and ex-service organisations, to make written submissions to the inquiries. The committee will also hold a public hearing later in May.
The TPI inquiry will examine the adequacy of, and indexation arrangements for, the TPI payment (Special Rate of Disability Pension) and the case for an increase in the pension.
The DFRDB inquiry will run in parallel and will look at the accuracy of information provided to DFRDB members about the effects of commutation (exchanging part of their pension for a lump sum) on future retirement pay, and what remedial action could be taken.
Once the consultation process has ended, the committee will consider all of the submissions and evidence from public hearings, and deliver reports on both issues by 24 June 2021.
More information is available on the Parliament House website and veterans should check this regularly for updates:
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade
Submissions can be posted to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee at PO Box 6100, Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600, or emailed to [email protected]
The committee secretariat can be contacted by phone on (02) 6277 3535, fax on (02) 6277 5818 or by email at [email protected]
Labor is on the side of Australia’s veterans and we want to allow all voices to be heard.
