The Issue of “Cost” to reinstate DVA Pension Parity
From his research paper, Peter Thornton concludes that there will be NO outright additional coast to restore the rightful parity of disability pensions
Peter Thornton (a TPI military veteran and noted independent researcher and commentator) research findings will help empower Veterans and their families to know and reject any notion or comment that there will be an outright “additional cost” to restore the rightful parity of disability pensions. His evidence shows that any additional cost will be systematically reduced and offset by the declining recipient numbers. Such comments now about a supposed “additional cost” will be considered disingenuous by the many Veterans who are struggling on welfare level income.
Peter demonstrates and concludes the expected decline in DVA recipient numbers will substantially, if not completely offset within current budgetary allocations, any reasonable cost to fix the pension parity issue … a very critical issue for Intermediate and TPI / Special Rate disability pensions that are inclusive of an income compensation component (i.e). With the increased minimum wage increase from 1 July, the divergence of the DVA Disability Pension to that of community norms will be even starker again … essentially putting more at risk veterans and their families at even greater risk.
Irrespective of the numbers presented in his research paper the pension parity issue should be a matter of principled policy stemming from the 2007 agreement with Veterans and not one of cost!
ADSO asks the Government and Opposition to provide their 2013 Election Veterans policies to ameliorate this grievous situation.