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INDEXATION INFORMATION

Joint RSL DFWA NAA RAAFA  Submission to Indexation Review  
(added 18-07-08)

DFWA’s pre-Budget statement on the indexation of military retirement pensions  (added 3-05-08)

Cost of Living Pressures  (added 24-04-08)
 On 20 March, the Senate Community Affairs Committee, in the report of its inquiry into Cost of living pressures on older Australians, recommended immediate action by the Government to “index Commonwealth funded superannuation benefits and the military pension to Male Total Average Weekly Earnings or the Consumer Price Index, whichever is the higher, as is currently the practice with the age pension.”

Full Report of the Review into Military Superannuation Arrangements (published 24-12-07)

Parliamentary Library Research Paper:  Military superannuation - myths and reality
(published 10-1-08)  

"Executive summary

  • Military superannuation arrangements have been subject to extensive changes. Yet another change may occur in the wake of a recently completed review of military superannuation arrangements.

  •  Both serving and retired members of the Australian Defence Force have legitimate grievances in relation to superannuation matters. However, often lobbying efforts in pursuit of these grievances have been based on a poor or inaccurate understanding of past events and current conditions.

  • This paper presents background information on past events and current arrangements for any discussions following the recent release of the report of the review of military superannuation."

ABC Interview: National Vice President - Retirement Benefits, Bryan Wilson, was recently interviewed by the ABC presenter Jaqui McKay about the indexation of military pensions. The 5 minute interview went to air on the ABC Capricornia QLD Breakfast Show on 14 November.  Bryan clearly explains the need for a change in the method of indexation of military and public service pensions from CPI to the higher of CPI and Male Total Average Weekly Earnings. More than 193,000 military and public service retirees have been severely disadvantaged.  (added 5-12-07)

Detailed information about the indexation issue as published in The Canberra Times on 6 November 2007  (added 6-11-07)

Draft letter to the Prime Minister re indexation of pensions (added 26-07-07)

The Association's Election Issues as listed by the National President and to appear in the latest Camaraderie  (added 28-10-07)

Press Statements

Press Statement re Coalition and ALP Defence and Veterans' Policies provides DFWA’s views, comments and suggested questions for the media derived from the major parties’ announced policies for serving and former ADF personnel and veterans (added 15-11-07)

Open Letter to the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition: Topics included are Penny Pinching Military Superannuation, DFRDB Superannuation "Commutation" Rip Off, Taxation Discrimination, Recognition of the Unique  Nature of Military Service, and Remedies Needed. 
(added 5-11-07)

Joint SCOA and DFWA Press Statement - "Candidates in the Hot Seat", report of 4 public meetings across Canberra and Queanbeyan  (added 5-11-07)

Press Statement  - response to the announcement by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs Bruce Billson on indexation of war widows pensions
(added 22-09-07)

Press Statement  - Indexation - "Erosion of Military Pensions" (added 19-09-07)

Press Statement  - response to the Prime Minister's announcement on disability pensions (added 12-09-07)

The Minister for Veterans' Affairs' Media Release "unveils new veterans' support package".

Press Statement  - response to ALP's announcements on indexation of disabled veterans' and war widows' pensions. (added 12-09-07)

Press Statement  on the taxation of MSBS lump sums. Readers should be aware that the Assistant Treasurer later confirmed that the Government will be amending the relevant regulations. (added 5-09-07)

Press Statement on the indexation of TPI pensions (added 14-08-07)

 Press Release from National Office re Indexation of Pensions (added 23-6-07)

"Servicemen Super Suckers - All Australian ex-service men and women who depend on military superannuation are about to be advised that their anticipated half-yearly pension increase will not happen."

Press Statement from National Office re 2007-08 Budget Response
 (added 16-5-07)

Press Statement  ALP Veterans' Policy Announcement Supported
(added 9-5-07)

Media Release from National Office re Simpler Super (added 14-2-07)

 

Submissions

Pre-Budget Submission of the Defence Force Welfare Association (added 20-01-08)

This includes these recommended Budget policy initiatives:

  • Indexation of all military pensions using the general community standard of “the higher of MTAWE or CPI” as the indexation rate, to maintain the relative living standards of pensioners;

  • Adjustment of the provisions of “Better Super” affecting military retirement and disability pensions;

  • Immediate adoption of up to date Life Expectancy Tables for DFRDB commutation arrangements and restoration of the full DFRDB pension after repayment of the lump sum commutation amount for existing DFRDB pension recipients;

  • Adjustments to Defence widows’ pensions indexation arrangements;

  • Adjustments to War Widows’ pension offsetting provisions;

  • Adjustments to offsetting arrangements for special rate disability pensions under MRCS

Submission by ESOs to politicians following a meeting of National Presidents on 13 August 2007 (added 14-08-07)

 Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Committee Inquiry into cost of living pressures on older Australians (added 24-07-07)

Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration's Inquiry into the provisions of the Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2007  (added 29-6-07)

Public Sector Superannuation (added 31-5-07)

The linked graph of Public sector superannuation liability  released in Budget Paper No. 1 on 8 May was the basis of an article in the Australian Financial Review on 11 May which claimed that unfunded Defence superannuation liabilities were blowing out enormously and would strain future budgets.

The facts are as stated in SCOA’s Letter to the Editor . RDFWA members should draw on the facts contained in SCOA’s letter to quash any arguments they may hear that are based on the original Fin Review article.

Submission to the Military Superannuation Review by the National Office and associated detailed Submission by NSW Branch (added 30-3-07)

The submissions focus on those issues that relate to:

  • Older schemes – DFRB and DFRDB – specific deficiencies and argument for their correction;
  • Present scheme – MSBS;
  • Future military superannuation; and
  • Issues arising from the introduction of the Government’s “Simple Super” taxation arrangements.