The 20!5-'J,6FederalBudget continues the Government'scommitment to recognisethe unique nature of military service,providing $f2.1 billion to the Department of Veterans'Affairs (DVA). This wilt support around 316,000DVA clients (veteransand dependants). fh. funding comprises$0.Sbillion for income support and compensation; $s.s billion for health services;and $gA.Zmillion for War Gravesand Commemorations,including Anzac Centenarycommemorations. Commemorations I Recognisingthe unique nature of military senrice Maintaining existing pension indexation arrangements for all veterans. Consistent with the Government'spre-election commitment to index DefenceForceRetirement Benefit (DFRB) and DefenceForceRetirement and Death Benefit (DFRDB)payments to military superannuants aged 55 by the best of three indices (Consumer PriceIndex (CPI),Pensionerand BeneficiaryLiving Cost Index (PBLCI), and Male Total AverageWeekly Earnings (MTAWE)),the Government will continue to index seryicepensions,war widows pensions, income support supplement,veteran disability pensions (including the SpecialRate or Totally and PermanentlyIncapacitated(TPI)pension),wholly dependentpartner payment and specialrate disability pension, against the best of these indices. Social Security Assets Test - Rebalance assets test thresholds and taper rate. This measure will see the assetstest thresholds increase,enabling clients to hold more assetsbefore their income support payments are affected.In addition, the assetstest taper rate will increasefrom $1.50to $:.00 for every $1,000of assetsin excessof the assetsthreshold. Increased Number of GaseGoordinators.An additional $10 million will provide for an increasein the number of casecoordinatorsto assistincreasing numbers of veteranswith complex needs.This will help veterans to more quickly accessthe treatment, rehabilitation and other support servicesthey require,improving outcomes over the longer term. Division of Department of Veterans' Affairs Enhancing the Veterans' Vocational Rehabilitation Scheme.The Governmentwill invest $700,000 to improve the Scheme,encouragingworkforce participation and providing better outcomes for veterans through a whole-of-personapproachto rehabilitation. Military Rehabilitation and CompensationAct 2004 (MRGA)- single appeal path. The MRCA appealsprocesswill be aligned with the Veterans' EntitlementsAct 1,986(VEA)process for claimants who have a primary decisionmade on or after 1 January 2016. Establishing a stand-alone Safety, Rehabilitation and Gompensation Act for former Australian Defence Force personnel. The Government will excise Part XI of the Safety,Rehabilitationand Act 1,988(SRCA)to establish a standCompensation alone Act for former Australian DefenceForce personnei. Safety,Rehabilitation and CompensationAct 1988 reforms - calculating permanent impairment and the maximum payable. Eligible DVA clients wiil benefit from a proposedincreaseto the maximum statutory PermanentImpairment (PI)compensationpayableunder the SRCAto $350,000.The increasewill apply to new injuries sustained after the commencement of the Safety, Rehabilitation and CompensationAmendment (Improving the Comcare Scheme)Bill 2015,which are related to serviceprior to l July 2004. Safety,Rehabilitationand CompensationAct 1988 reforms - multiple injuries arising out of the one event. This initiative will allow multiple conditions that arise from a single event to be combined and treated as a single injury to meet the minimum threshold for PI lump sum compensationunder the SRCA.As a result, more DVA clients are likely to receivePI compensation. Ongoing Restoration of Funding for Building Excellence in Support and Ttaining (BEST) Programme. Consistent with the Government's pre-election commitment, the Governmentwill permanently re-instate the $1 million a year, which was cut by the former government, to the BESTprogramme.This funding enablesex-service organisationsto continue to provide support and resourcesto pensions and welfare officers and advocates. Keeping veterans and their families healthy Extension of Trial for In-Home Telehealth for Veterans.An additional $g.z million will extend the exisiting trial for in-home telehealth for veteransby a further l-8 months. The triai is assessinghome-basedmonitoring of DVApatients as a safe,effective and efficient complement to general practitioner (GP)consuitations.This initiative potentially provides an opportunity to support patients longer in their own homes and delay their entry into residentiai care. Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS)- new listings and price amendments. This initiative allows for new and amended listings to be made to the RPBS,such as the listing of a genericmedicine for osteoporosisor to cover the changesto prices of products used to dress wounds or treat intractable rhinitis. Expansion of the Rehabilitation Appliances Program (RAP)to Enhance the Delivery of Falls Prevention ltems. RAPenhancements include severalfalls prevention items in the Scheduleand removal of duplication acrosssimilar activities. The expansionof the RAPScheduleensuresthat it continues to be appropriate and effectivein meeting the clinical needs of eligible veterans in the community. rhis initiative was previously reported in the 201,4-15Additional Estimates Statements. DVA commemorative initiatives - Anzac Centenary Anzac Centenary Prograrn20lbl8 - additional funding. $gs.s million will allow up to 10 additional commemorative servicesto be held at national memorials in Australia, for example for the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, and the 75th anniversariesof the Fail of Singapore and compietion of the Thai-Burma Railway.it will also provide for additional international commemorative servicesat Lone Pine,Fromelles PolygonWood,Be'erSheva,and Le and Pozieres, Hamel. official Histories. Funding of $8.7 million wili allow the Australian War Memorial to produce an officiai history of Australia'sinvolvement in lraq, Afghanistan and EastTimor. Sir John Monash Gentre - Villers-Bretonneux, France.This $99.5million project is being funded with $gA.Omillion from the Department of Defence and $10.9million from DVA.The Centre will tell the story of the 290,000Australians who served on the Western Front in the First World War and is scheduledto open beforeAnzac Day 2018.
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