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Many of you may be receiving War
Disablement Pension for certain conditions such as Hearing Loss and
Tinnitus. It is important, however, to ensure you are actually
receiving your full entitlements, some of which may go beyond
hearing and the like.
It is our aim to ensure that you
do draw your full entitlement(s) in all cases.
So, what conditions might
qualify? If you have had War or Emergency Service, there is a
considerable list that may be accepted as attributable to or
aggravated by that service. Because conditions for acceptance can
differ from applicant to applicant and theatre to theatre, it’s not
possible to set out a comprehensive list here – it is too long and
varied for that.
The good news is, however, that
RSA Pensions and Welfare Advisors are well versed in the conditions
that may be applied for and are very willing to advise you. It is
important that you talk with them because some conditions are
related to others and it would be fruitless to apply for every
condition you may have when this situation occurs. It's also the
case that applying for “everything” in the hope that “something”
will stick can clog up the system. This can cause delays both for
you and for others, which is frustrating for everybody. Once again
your friendly RSA Pensions and Welfare Advisor can help you sort out
the wood from the trees.
Surviving spouses of deceased
veterans may be able to apply for a pension also. Because evidence
can be lost or misplaced as time goes by, however, sometimes this
process can become quite complicated. Here, too, you should seek
advice from your RSA Pensions and Welfare Advisor.
Veterans’ Pension
This is often confused with the
War Disablement Pension. One way to think of it is as another form
of NZ Superannuation – the pension is the same but with some
advantages. These include a larger Funeral grant if you qualify.
Also an automatic Community Services card and, should you have to
remain in Hospital for 13 weeks or more, the Veterans’ Pension is
still paid at the full rate.
To qualify for a Veterans’
pension you need to be over 65 years of age and be on a War
Disablement pension of 70% or more. Or you may qualify at less than
65 years of age if you have served in a recognised war or emergency
and are unable to work for a substantial period due to either a
physical or psychological disability, refer to Veterans’ Affairs New
Zealand.
A Surviving Spouse pension may be
payable to the Widow(er) or Partner of a Veteran who is on the
Veterans’ Pension provided that certain conditions are met. Again
seek the advice of your RSA Pensions and Welfare Advisor.
Ray Terrill, (Pensions and
Welfare Advisor)
Waikato/King Country/ Bay of
Plenty District RNZRSA
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