Part 1Preliminary

Part 1 Preliminary

1 Name

This instrument is the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence, Veterans’ and Families’ Acute Support Package) Instrument 2022.

3 Authority

This instrument is made under section 268B of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.

5 Simplified outline of this instrument

The Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission may grant an acute support package to a person who is:

(a) a member or former member; or

(b) a wholly dependent partner of a deceased member; or

(c) a former partner of a member or former member;

(d) a related person of a member or former member; or

(e) a parent or step‑parent of a deceased member, or a parent or step‑parent of a wholly dependent partner of a deceased member or a parent or step‑parent of another person who was the partner of a deceased member;

if the person meets certain eligibility criteria and the Commission is satisfied that it is appropriate to grant the package to assist the person to adjust to new and challenging life circumstances (section 7).

The Commission must prepare a support plan for the person that outlines, among other things, the persons who will be provided with assistance or benefits under the support plan, the kinds of assistance or benefits that will be provided, and the periods during which the assistance or benefits will be provided (section 8). The support plan may be varied or revoked by the Commission in the circumstances outlined in section 9.

Under an acute support package, assistance or benefits may be provided in the circumstances outlined in section 10. Additional counselling (section 11) and additional assistance or benefits in relation to children attending, or not yet attending, primary school may also be provided to certain persons (section 12).

6 Definitions

(1) In this instrument:

Act means the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.

acute support package: see subsection 7(1).

support plan: see section 8.

(2) In this instrument, a reference to a child of a member, former member or deceased member, includes a reference to:

(a) a stepchild of the member, former member or deceased member; and

(b) a person in respect of whom the member or former member stands, or the deceased member stood, in the position of a parent.