What you need to tell us about

Last updated:

20 September 2024

This page explains the kinds of events or changes in circumstances you need to tell us about in case your entitlements to Service Pension, Income Support Supplement, Veteran Payment or Social Security Age Pension paid by DVA are impacted.

What are obligations and who do they apply to?

The Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) requires that Service Pension, Income Support Supplement (ISS) and Veteran Payment recipients and claimants, as well as holders of Commonwealth Seniors Health Cards, be notified of their obligations in relation to their pension, payment or benefit. This also applies to the Social Security Act 1991 (SSA) for Social Security Age Pension recipients and claimants. These obligations require those recipients and claimants to advise DVA within 14 days (28 days if you live overseas or receive remote area allowance) of an event or change of circumstance that might affect your rate of pension or payment or your eligibility to receive that pension or payment.

If you are a receiving or claiming Social Security Age Pension from DVA, and you become aware that you have received or are to receive a compensation payment, you are required to tell us within 7 days.

It is important for DVA to be kept informed of your circumstances to make sure the right rate of payment is made, from the right date.

Obligations apply to all of the following:

recipients of Service Pension, ISS, Veteran Payment and Social Security Age Pension
agents and trustees of Service Pensioners, recipients of ISS or Veteran Payment and Social Security Age Pensioners
Service Pension, ISS, Veteran Payment and Social Security Age Pension claimants
clients who have requested reviews of Service Pension, ISS, Veteran Payment or Social Security Age Pension either by the Repatriation Commission or by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART)
clients in receipt of fringe benefits, Service Pension treatment benefits or Social Security Age Pension treatment benefits
holders of Commonwealth Seniors Health Cards.

When you are granted an income support pension or payment, and periodically after that, you will be notified of your obligations. These obligations apply equally to trustees. Where you are a member of a couple, but are assessed as a single person because your partner does not have a source of income, you will be notified of obligations that apply to both members of the couple. These obligations will include the requirement to notify changes to circumstances such as commencing to receive any source of income, for example through employment, or an income support payment such as a Centrelink benefit.

Usually, an overpayment of pension or payment will not occur when you have met your obligations. However, sometimes even if you have met your obligations, an overpayment can occur because we have not been able to process the change before the next payday. We do our best to avoid this occurring, but it is not always possible. To provide you with your exact entitlement we are obliged to recover overpayments of pension or payment where they do occur.

Changes to Personal Circumstances - Obligations

Changes in your personal circumstances can affect your eligibility for pension or payment and your rate of pension or payment.

The kind of events you would need to tell us about within 14 days (28 days if you live overseas or receive remote area allowance) are if you meet any of the following:

you marry or remarry
you enter a de facto relationship
you separate from your partner, either because of illness or other reasons
you and your partner divorce
your partner dies
the person for whom you are a trustee or carer dies
you plan to travel overseas for any period.

If you receive ISS because you have a dependent child, or if you receive a child related allowance, you need to tell us within 14 days (28 days if you live overseas or receive remote area allowance) if the child or student:

leaves your care
travels overseas
stops being a student
starts receiving payments under an education scheme
stops being dependent on you.

Changes to Residential Circumstances - Obligations

Changes in your residential circumstances can affect the amount of your pension or payment.

If you own your home (including a caravan, mobile home or houseboat), the kinds of events you would need to tell us about within 14 days (28 days if you live overseas or receive remote area allowance) are if you meet any of the following:

you sell your home
you start to pay rent for other accommodation
you leave your home for any reason to live elsewhere
you rent or sub-let all or part of your home
you take in boarders or lodgers
you transfer the title of your home to someone else
you leave your home for any period exceeding 12 months.

If you live in a retirement village, the kind of events you would need to tell us about within 14 days (28 days if you live overseas or receive remote area allowance) are if you meet any of the following:

you intend leaving the retirement village for more than 12 months
you move from one type of accommodation to another within the retirement village (for example, from a self-care unit to hostel or nursing home facilities)
you sign a new agreement or contract in the retirement village
there are any changes to the service fees you pay.

If you pay rent for your accommodation, the kind of events you would need to tell us about within 14 days (28 days if you receive remote area allowance) are if you meet any of the following:

the amount of rent you pay changes
you stop paying rent
you start paying rent to a government housing authority
you move into a retirement village or other accommodation
you enter respite care
you leave Australia temporarily or permanently.

If you receive remote area allowance, the kinds of events you would need to tell us about within 28 days are if you meet any of the following:

you are away from your permanent address for more than 8 weeks
you move
you go overseas.

Changes to Financial Circumstances - Obligations

Changes in your financial circumstances may affect the amount of pension or payment you receive.

If you receive the maximum rate of Service Pension, Social Security Age Pension or Veteran Payment, the kinds of events you would need to tell us about within 14 days (28 days if you live overseas or receive remote area allowance) are if you meet any of the following:

your total income from all sources exceeds the income free area by more than $2.00 for singles or $4.00 for couples per fortnight
your total assets exceed $314,000 if you are single or $470,000 combined for couples, and you are a home owner
your total assets exceed $566,000 if you are single or $722,000 combined for couples, and you are a non-homeowner
you give away $10,000 or more in a financial year or $30,000 or more in a rolling 5 year period (singles or members of couples).

If you are a War Widow(er) who is receiving the maximum rate of ISS, the kinds of events you would need to tell us about within 14 days (28 days if you live overseas or receive remote area allowance) are if you meet any of the following:

your total assets exceed $575,500 if you are single or $807,500 combined for couples, and you are a homeowner
your total assets exceed $827,500 if you are single or $1,059,500 combined for couples, and you are a non-homeowner.

If you are a War Widow(er) who is receiving ISS and is also receiving Disability Compensation Payment (DCP) as a veteran, or your partner is a veteran receiving DCP, these amounts will be different. You can ask us to calculate the amount for you.

If you receive a reduced rate of pension or payment, the kinds of events you would need to tell us about within 14 days (28 days if you live overseas or receive remote area allowance) are if you meet any of the following:

your total income from all sources increases or decreases by more than $2.00 for singles or $4.00 for couples per fortnight
your assets increase above your prescribed asset amount
you give away $10,000 or more in a financial year or $30,000 or more in a rolling 5 year period (singles or members of couples).

If your pension or payment is assets tested and you give away assets equal to or less than either limit, your pension or payment may increase. It is in your interests to advise us of any gifts in excess of $500.

your financial assets change by more than $20,800 if you are single and have a total of financial assets of less than $62,600
your financial assets change by more than $2,311 if you are single and have a total of financial assets of more than $62,600
your financial assets change by more than $41,600 if you are a couple with a total of financial assets of less than $103,800
your financial assets increase by more than $4,622 if you are a couple with a total of financial assets of more than $103,800.

Changes in Eligibility - Obligations

Sometimes changes in circumstances can affect your eligibility to receive a pension, payment or allowance. The kinds of events you would need to tell us about within 14 days (28 days if you live overseas or receive remote area allowance) are if you meet any of the following:

you are receiving Service Pension Invalidity or ISS Invalidity granted before 1 January 2000 and you start work
you are receiving Service Pension Invalidity or ISS Invalidity granted after 1 January 2000 and any of the following applies:
- you start full or part time work
- you increase your hours of work
- your incapacity from the disability alone no longer renders you permanently incapable of work.
you are receiving Veteran Payment and you become capable of working more than 8 hours per week.

Letting DVA know about changes to your circumstances

If you are receiving an income support payment from DVA, it is very important that you understand your obligations and ask us about anything you do not understand.

For further information regarding your obligations, please refer to:

You can tell us about events or changes to your circumstances that might affect your pension by:

ringing us -
- 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372)
- international callers: +61 2 6289 1133
writing to us at GPO BOX 9998 BRISBANE QLD 4001
visiting any of our offices - see DVA office and client service locations
some changes can also be notified via MyService