Double Orphan Pension (DOP) savings provisions and precluding payments 007-06010020

All new claimants for DOP are assessed under the family assistance shared care rules. Customers must have at least 35% actual care of a child to be eligible for DOP.

All DOP claims and reassessments are processed by the DOP Processing Centre.

Customers receiving DOP before 1 July 2008 who have 10-34% actual care of the DOP child are paid DOP (base and additional) based on the rate payable on 30 June 2008.

Customers receiving DOP before 1 July 2008 who have at least 35% actual care of the DOP child are paid the lower of:

• the DOP rate payable on 30 June 2008
• if the DOP child is a Family Tax Benefit (FTB) child on or after 1 July 2008, the DOP rate payable on that date using the current DOP legislation (section 1010 of the Social Security Act as in force on 30 June 2008) and 1 July 2008 (FTB legislation relevant for FTB Part A rate for the purposes of the additional rate of DOP)

FTB customers with a DOP child do not have their FTB payment saved as it is subject to the change to family assistance shared care rules.

• Customers with less than 35% actual care will lose FTB for the child but will keep their DOP under the savings provision. These customers can be assessed for eligibility to ancillary benefits
• Customers with 65% actual care or less will have their FTB rate adjusted (upwards or downwards) but will retain DOP at the saved rate
• Customers with more than 65% actual care are entitled to 100% FTB and 100% DOP for the child. The savings provision is not relevant to these customers

Any savings provision ceases when the carer's current DOP rate matches or exceeds the saved rate, or when they lose eligibility. If their DOP rate then reduces or they regain eligibility, the savings provision is disregarded. If DOP is cancelled incorrectly and then restored, the savings provision will still apply.

Where customers have care of children for more than 65% of the time they will be entitled to 100% FTB for the DOP child and will also be entitled to 100% DOP. The savings provision is not relevant to these customers.

DOP is not payable for a child who is receiving any of the following payments:

• Social Security Act benefits or pensions
• Labour Market Program payments
• Double Orphan Pension paid by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)
• All DOP claims and reassessments are processed by the DOP and Bereavement Smart Centre Processing Team. Customers can call the DOP Helpdesk