Chapter 14 Income support 14.1 If a veteran is unable to continue in service or to undertake other paid employment because of a permanent impairment, he or she will require income assistance in addition to compensation, rehabilitation and other support serv Currently, the War Pensions Act 1954 provides for income support to veterans 14.2 through the Veteran’s Pension. Key issues for possible reform concern how future income support payments should relate to other social security benefits, lost earnings compensation pursuant to the ACC scheme, and New Zealand Superannuation. 14.3 The main features of the current Veteran’s Pension are set out in Chapter 2. Essentially, the pension is a payment akin to New Zealand Superannuation, with additional benefits in the form of automatic eligibility for a community services card, continued payment during long term hospital care, and lump sum payments upon death of either the veteran or his or her spouse. The Vete available to: Veterans 65 years or older with 70 per cent or more disablement ・ Veterans younger than 65 years who are unable to work because of a ・ permanent impairment. The Veteran’s Pension is paid at the same rate as New Zealand Superannuation. 14.4 A single veteran will receive a weekly rate of $347.77 before t In comparison, income support benefits in the United Kingdom, Australia and 14.5 Canada under each country’s most recent veterans’ scheme are all periodic payments based on a proportion of the veteran’s pre-incapacity 497 No relativity with ACC weekly compensation for loss of earnings If a person is an earner and cannot resume his or her pre-injury job because of 14.6 injury, and ACC has accepted the claim, ACC can pay up to 80 per cent of the person’s pre-injury weekly earnings. Eligibility is dependent upon the person having been in employment and receiving earnings immediately before the injury occurred. A medical practitioner must certify that the person is unable to work because of the injury. 497 For further discussion of the income support payments available in other countries see the following paragraphs of Chapter 6: United Kingdom 6.2, Australia 6. IntroductIon veteran’s PensIon Issues 187 Towards a new veterans’ entitlements scheme: A discussion paper