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YOU MAY BE ENTITLED
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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