17Authorised representative

17 Authorised representative

(1) This section applies to an assisted person who does not have a legal representative. (2) The assisted person may be represented for the purposes of this Scheme, other than to receive payments, by one of the following, subject to subsection (3): (a) the assisted person’s correspondence nominee appointed under section 123C of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999; or (b) the assisted person’s Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) trustee, as recognised by DVA for the purposes of veterans’ entitlements (see the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986); or (c) if the person does not have a representative mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b)—a responsible person approved as an authorised representative under section 20. (3) A person mentioned in subsection (2) who signs the application form for an assisted person, or nominates him or herself, in the approved form, after the application has been made, as the person authorised to represent the assisted person is taken to be the assisted person’s authorised representative. (4) An authorised representative must act in the interests of the assisted person at all times.