Media Release by The Hon Jenny Macklin MP

Household assistance for veterans and their families

Joint Media Release with:

  • The Hon Warren Snowdon MP, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel Minister for Indigenous Health

Minister for Veteran’s Affairs, Warren Snowdon, announced from today more than 200,000 service pensioners and war widows will receive a household assistance advance payment of $250 for singles or $380 for couples combined.

Veterans and war widows will receive these payments straight into their bank accounts, ahead of the carbon price introduction on 1 July.

In addition, more than 110,000 veterans and their families, including eligible DVA Disability pensioners and Seniors Supplement recipients, will also receive a lump sum payment of up to $380 (ranging from $30 to $380).

From March next year eligible members of the veteran and defence community will receive an ongoing boost to their payments.

Mr Snowdon said these payments will help veterans and their families meet cost of living pressures.

“The Gillard Labor Government understands how hard it is for our veterans and their families to make ends meet. That’s why from today extra assistance will be rolling into bank accounts across the country.”

Already millions of Australians, including pensioners, families and students have received household assistance.

For more information on household assistance to the veteran and defence community, visit www.dva.gov.au/householdassistance or call 133 254 (or 1800 555 254 for regional callers).