Part 1Preliminary

Part 1 Preliminary

1 Name

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

3 Authority

This instrument is made under section 41B of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence‑related Claims) Act 1988.

4 Simplified outline of this instrument

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

(a) an employee; or

(b) the spouse of a deceased employee; or

(c) the former spouse of an employee; or

(d) a related person of an employee; or

(e) a parent or step‑parent of a deceased employee, or a parent or step‑parent of another person who was the spouse of an employee at any time before the employee’s death;

if the person meets certain eligibility criteria and the MRCC is satisfied that it is appropriate to grant the package to assist the person to adjust to new and challenging life circumstances (section 6).

The MRCC 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 7). The support plan may be varied or revoked by the MRCC in the circumstances outlined in section 8.

Under an acute support package, assistance or benefits may be provided in the circumstances outlined in section 9. Additional counselling (section 10) and additional assistance or benefits in relation to children attending, or not yet attending, primary school may also be provided to certain persons (section 11).

5 Definitions

(1) In this instrument:

Act means the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence‑related claims) Act 1988.

acute support package: see subsection 6(1).

related person: see subsection 4(1) of the Act.

support plan: see section 7.

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

(a) a stepchild of the employee or deceased employee; and

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