Briefing to the Incoming Minister
Veterans' Affairs New Zealand
Key Points
- Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand delivers:
- statutory decision making under the War Pensions Act 1954; and
- ministerial servicing and support; and
- the provision of ex-service memorials; and
- case management.
- The Ministry of Social Development delivers:
- The payment of War Disablement and Veteran’s Pension through War Pension Services; and
- Vote monitoring for War Disablement and Veteran’s Pension through the Forecasting and Modelling Unit.
Veterans' Affairs New Zealand does this by:
- Providing advice to the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs and other Ministers and departments and agencies on aspects of policy relating to veterans.
- Managing the government’s relationship with veterans and their representative organisations.
- Ensuring that the assessment of veterans’ entitlements is undertaken fairly, accurately and in a timely manner.
- Facilitating and co-ordinating the services provided to veterans and their families by other government departments and agencies.
- Facilitating veterans’ access to services within the broader community.
Organisational Structure
Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand is a semi-autonomous body attached to the New Zealand Defence Force. The New Zealand Defence Force provides infrastructure support for Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand. The staff of Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand are members of the civil staff of the New Zealand Defence Force. The relationship with the New Zealand Defence Force allows Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand to operate autonomously, from a policy and service delivery perspective, while having the advantage of the infrastructure support of a larger organisation. Alignment with the New Zealand Defence Force also has the advantage of enabling Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand to access information on current and past deployments through the available records and the corporate memory. Although most veterans are comfortable with the New Zealand Defence Force involvement, there have been calls from within the veteran community for a stand alone department. Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand is managed by a Director who is a direct report to the Chief of Defence Force. The Director is responsible for the management of Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand for the Chief of Defence Force. Veterans' Affairs New Zealand has an operating budget of $2.697 million and non departmental appropriations of $1.530 million for the development and maintenance of Services Cemeteries and the provision of additional support to veterans and their families. Veterans' Affairs New Zealand does not own the services it delivers. Veterans' Affairs New Zealand is accountable for ensuring service delivery and acts as a broker, facilitating the relationship between the service provider and the veteran. Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand’s operation is divided into three main areas:- statutory responsibilities under the War Pensions Act 1954; and
- ministerial servicing and support and service delivery with a statutory basis; and
- other external and internal service delivery.
Statutory responsibilities under the War Pensions Act 1954
Secretary for War Pensions
The Secretary for War Pensions is an appointment under the War Pensions Act 1954. The Secretary is appointed by the Chief of Defence Force and is a member of the civil staff of the New Zealand Defence Force. The Secretary is responsible for the administration of the War Pensions Act 1954. The War Pensions Claims Panellists and the National Review Officer act under the delegation of the Secretary. The Secretary is also able to undertake retrospective reviews where a War Disablement Pension claim has been administered incorrectly. These reviews may result in a retrospective payment being made. In the 2004/05 year, the Secretary for War Pensions undertook 443 reviews.War Pensions Claims Panels
The War Pensions Act 1954 defines the composition of the claims panels that assess applications for War Disablement Pensions. Each panel is made up of a representative nominated by the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association and a member of the staff of Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand. There are 23 War Pensions Claims Panels nationwide. Veterans' Affairs New Zealand employs three registered nurses as War Pensions Claims Panellists. These panellists are responsible for a set number of panels and have a regular schedule of meetings in the respective areas. In the 2004/05 year, the War Pensions Claims Panels considered applications for 11,920 new disabilities and reviewed 1,964 current disabilities.National Review Officer
The role of the National Review Officer is specified in the War Pensions Act 1954. The National Review Officer operates under delegation from the Secretary for War Pensions and reviews the decisions made by the War Pensions Claims Panels on the request of individual veterans. The National Review Officer can uphold, alter or overturn the claims panel decision, or recommend alternative action. Where new medical information is available, the National Review Officer can reopen the claim and allow it to be reconsidered as a new claim.In the 2004/05 year, the National Review Officer undertook 465 reviews and considered 301 re-openings. Ministerial Servicing and Support and Service Delivery with a Statutory Basis Veterans' Affairs New Zealand provides advice to the Minister on issues relating to veterans’ entitlements, care and recognition. In the 2004/05 year, Veterans' Affairs New Zealand provided:
- 5 submissions to Cabinet; and
- 39 ministerial briefing papers; and
- 285 draft replies to ministerial correspondence; and
- 46 draft replies to parliamentary questions.
Memorials and Cemeteries
Veterans' Affairs New Zealand administers the provision of ex-service memorial plaques and headstones for eligible veterans and their spouses. This includes managing contracts for supply with manufacturers and contracts for service with installers.
A capital works programme for the maintenance and development of Services Cemeteries is also managed by Veterans' Affairs New Zealand. Liaison visits to the 181 Services Cemeteries are carried out on a rotational basis over a three-year period to ensure the quality of the maintenance and development work carried out, and to identify any on going issues.
In the Memorials and Cemeteries area Veterans' Affairs New Zealand has contracts with:
- Neales Foundry, Porirua, for the manufacture of bronze plaques;
- Trethewey Granite and Marble, Auckland, for the manufacture of headstones and granite plaques; and
- 47 plaque and headstone installers throughout New Zealand.
Commemorations
Veterans' Affairs New Zealand is responsible for the co-ordination of New Zealand's participation in the commemoration of significant military anniversaries. This involves liaison with other key government agencies and veterans groups. Veterans' Affairs New Zealand employs a part time Commemorations Co-ordinator to project manage the New Zealand Government’s participation in Gallipoli and any other major events on the commemorative calendar. Other Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand staff provide year round support for commemorations and back up support for the Commemorations Co-ordinator. Veterans' Affairs New Zealand has also developed education material and essay competitions to support major events.External and Internal Service Delivery
Case Management
The case management service in Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand runs on a brokerage model. Case managers connect veterans and their families to appropriate services within the community that best address their needs and assist with improving and maintaining their quality of life. The focus is on the case manager facilitating access to existing publicly funded health and disability services and to the entitlements that are available through the social assistance and war pensions’ framework. Case managers also make recommendations for the use of Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand funding in situations where the need, generated by service, is urgent and no other service is available. The case managers are a multidisciplinary team with a variety of backgrounds in the areas that they are providing advice in. In the 2004/05 year, 2928 veterans and 241 veterans families were case managed. In addition 41 children of Vietnam or Operation Grapple veterans were case managed, including 2 children with spina bifida and 2 with cleft lip/palette.Office Management
Veterans' Affairs New Zealand has a small office management team that interfaces with the New Zealand Defence Force. Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand uses the New Zealand Defence Force finance, information technology and personnel management and administration systems to assist with the management of the office.- Introduction
- The Veteran Community
- Entitlements and Services
- Statutory Appointments
- Veterans' Affairs Portfolio
- Veterans' Affairs New Zealand
- The Ministry of Social Development
- Key Policy Issues
This page was last reviewed
12 February, 2010
and is current.