HISTORY OF THE TRUST
The Viet Nam Veterans and Their Families Trust (VNVFT) was established on 16 August 2007 by the Government and Veterans’ organisations. The Trust is in addition to existing entitlements under the War Pensions Act, including War Disablement Pensions.
The Trust was established with a capital endowment of $7 million for a 30 year period. The net income derived from that sum will be available for distribution to veterans and their families.
Objective of the Trust
To provide support to New Zealand Viet Nam Veterans and their families in relation to concerns and hardship circumstances not addressed elsewhere.
Administration of the Trust
While the Trust is administered by the Department of Internal Affairs, it is independent of the Crown with strong accountability links to the veterans themselves. Trustees are chosen from veterans’ groups with a Chairperson appointed by the Government. Applications to the Trust will be considered by the Trustees.
Eligibility for consideration by the Trust
Applicants must be New Zealand Viet Nam Veterans or family members of New Zealand Viet Nam Veterans.
Assistance funding requested must be consistent with the criteria laid down in the Trust Deed. You can find the Trust Deed on www.companies.govt.nz .
How the Trust Works
Payments from the Trust to beneficiaries are intended to be mainly for “the relief from poverty or hardship” of veterans and their families, rather than for compensation or reparation, which are addressed elsewhere in various measures which have been announced by the Government.
Each case is treated on its merits, with the Trustees having the flexibility and discretion to approve grants on a case by case basis, within the overall “relief from poverty or hardship” criterion.
The Trust will not assist in capital investments or similar, such as the purchase of land or buildings.
Grants will normally be one-off payments, and therefore beneficiaries should not count on on-going financial support from the Trust. However, depending on the circumstances, and the number and priority of other applications, there is nothing to stop any beneficiary making a further application for assistance to the Trust.
The decisions of the Trustees are final and they will not enter into further discussion or correspondence about any of their decisions, or about the relative merits of any application.
Grants from the Trust may affect Social Security Assistance
Some types of social security assistance are subject to an income or cash asset test. If a person receives a grant from the Trust and is receiving social security assistance, their social security assistance entitlements may be affected.
If a recipient has any questions about the effect of a grant on their entitlement to social security assistance, they should discuss their situation with Work and Income (Phone 0800 559 009).
How to Apply
There are two forms:
- an Application Form (A); and
- a Support Person Reference Form (B).
For both forms:
- Print as neatly as you can and use a BLACK pen. Black ink photocopies better and the Trustees each need a copy, and don’t have young people’s keen eyesight any longer. It simply makes processing the application easier.
- Don’t use binders or folders. They have to be taken apart to photocopy.
- Don’t fax material. It is hard to read and can go astray.
- Don’t feel you have to provide a lot of additional material. In most cases the two forms will give the Trustees what they need to make a decision. If they need more they can ask for it.
- Don’t send us original documents such as birth certificates, as we will be keeping all paperwork. Copies are acceptable.
(A) Application Form
A person applying for a grant from the Trust can:
- Fill in the Application Form themselves; or
- Have someone fill it in for them. (This might be a welfare officer, kaumatua, caregiver or advocate for example).
In all cases:
- The person applying should sign the form even if someone else has filled it out for them. (The Trustees want to be sure that he or she is happy to have an application made out for them).
- The applicant and the person filling out the form on their behalf are responsible for the accuracy and honesty of the information provided in the form.
- Provide all the information asked for. It is there for a purpose and missing information could hold up the processing.
(B) Support Person Reference Form
- An applicant doesn’t have to have this form filled in, but it is encouraged. It will help speed up the processing of the application.
- If it hasn’t been filled in, the Trustees might ask for it to be completed.
Although the Trustees know many of the applicants, as they are part of the Viet Nam veterans’ community, there are inevitably some who are not well known to them. This form enables a welfare officer, other advocate or independent person who knows the applicant’s situation, to provide some supporting information or endorsement of the request for funding.
As with the main Application Form, the person filling out the form is responsible for the honesty and accuracy of the information provided.
Please send the completed application to:
Mail -
Trust Advisor
V N V & Families Trust
c/- Department of Internal Affairs
PO Box 805
Wellington
OR
Our courier delivery address is -
Level 9, TSB Building
46 Waring Taylor Street
Wellington
For further enquiries, please contact us by telephoning 0800 824 824
Or by emailing trusts@dia.govt.nz