Australia Yearbook - 2009-10

9.16 SERVICE PENSIONERS(a)
2005–06 2006–07
Veterans
Old age
no. 103 273 94 903
Permanently incapacitated no. 19 121 18 742
Tuberculosis(b)
no.
64 53
Total
no. 122 458 113 698
Wives and widows
no. 103 110 96 864
2007–08
89 893
18 641
46
108 580
93 959
2008–09
83 838
18 180
35
102 053
88 972
Total
no.
225 568
210 562
202 539
191 025
Total expenditure(c)
$'000
2 824 208
2 910 271
2 949 160
3 199 020
(a) Number of customers in June.
(b) Eligibility on these grounds ceased on 2 November 1978.
(c) Includes associated allowances and Income Support
Supplement recipients.
Source: Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
9.17 VVCS VETERANS AND VETERANS FAMILIES COUNSELLING SERVICE(a)
Type of counselling
2005–06(b) 2006–07(b) 2007–08 2008–09
Centre-based consultation sessions 23 384 23 197 21 255 19 940
Group session consultation hours
12 226 10 605 9 922 9 379
Country outreach consultation sessions 39 143 36 306 30 203 32 029
Intake and assessment(c) sessions
. .
.. 5 964 11 431
. . not applicable
(a) Prior to April 2007 the VVCS was known as the Vietnam Veterans Counselling Service.
(b) Previously published figures for 2005–06 and 2006-07 have been updated.
(c) In January 2008 VVCS introduced recording Intake and Assessment service activity. Previously, only those clients who were
allocated for counselling had this recorded as the first session. This service is now captured separately and includes all
contacts of a clinical nature regardless of whether they are allocated for centre or outreach counselling.
Source: Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
The Defence Service Homes Scheme provides
financial benefits, including housing loan interest
subsidies, comprehensive home owners
insurance cover at competitive rates, and home
contents insurance. At 30 June 2008 and 2009,
82,993 and 79,514 homes respectively, were
insured. The corresponding number of loan
accounts were 28,900 and 25,748 while the
corresponding amounts of subsidy paid were
$6.3m and $5.8m.
Table 9.16 shows the total number of recipients
and annual expenditure on service pensions.
Health program
Health care treatment is provided to all veterans
of Australia's defence force who are aged 70 years
and over and who have qualifying service, war
Widows/Widowers and eligible dependants of a
deceased veteran. Service pensioners who satisfy
the treatment benefits means test are also
eligible. People whose disabilities have been
accepted by the DVA as service-related, and for
pulmonary tuberculosis, post-traumatic stress
disorder and malignant neoplasia whether they
are service-related or not. Vietnam veterans with
anxiety and depression and Gulf War veterans
with undiagnosable conditions are also eligible
for health care treatment whether the conditions
are service-related or not.
The Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling
Service (VVCS) provides intake assessment,
counselling, case management services and group
programs to veterans of all conflicts and their
families, as well as working with the ex-service
community to promote awareness and
understanding of mental health problems in the
veteran community. Table 9.17 shows use of the
VVCS.
In addition, and subject to conditions, health care
treatment in Australia is provided to certain
veterans of Australia's defence forces for all health
conditions. War widow(er)s and certain other
dependants of deceased veterans are also entitled
to treatment for all conditions.
Chapter 9 — Income and welfare 293