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Purpose Why do I need to prove my identity? How do I prove my identity?

DVA Factsheet DVA06

Department of Veterans Affairs

Proving your Identity to DVA Proof of Identity (POI)

This Factsheet explains what documents you need to provide to the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) to prove your identity when submitting a claim for a pension, benefit or allowance.

A suitable level of identification is required to protect both you and DVA from the risk of identity fraud.

When you lodge your claim for a pension, benefit or allowance with DVA, you must prove your identity. You can establish your identity by providing original documents or certified copies from DVAs approved list (see sections Approved documents for proving your identity and Who can certify documents in this Factsheet). From the list, you need to produce an original or a certified copy of: 1 x Category A document plus 2 x Category B documents (i.e., 3 different documents). If the documents from Category A and B do not provide evidence of your current residential address, then you must also provide a document from Category C. That is, you will need to produce: 1 x Category A document plus 2 x Category B documents plus 1 x Category C document (i.e., 4 different documents). If any documents are in a previous name, you must provide an additional document which shows how the name was changed (e.g. a marriage certificate).

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What if I have previously given proof of my identity? If you have previously satisfied the POI requirements with DVA it may not be necessary to provide all the same information a second time. However, there are some exceptions to this. Exceptions In some instances, DVA may request that you prove or authenticate your identity even where you have provided POI documents previously. Such as:
if you reclaim an income support pension or allowance within twelve months of your

DVA payment being cancelled;

if you claim a service pension or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and already

receive another DVA payment;

if you are a current Centrelink customer who has provided POI documents to

Centrelink and you are transferring to a DVA income support pension; or prior to the release of documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982. In these cases, you will only need to provide one document from Category B. If that document does not provide evidence of your current residential address, then you must also produce a document from Category C. Note: If you are a veteran transferring from Centrelink to DVA and you have already provided DVA with proof of your identity, in most cases, you will not be required to provide additional proof of identity. Partners of these veterans will need to provide one document from Category B.

What if I dont have the right documents? If you have difficulty obtaining or providing these documents, other documents may be acceptable. You should contact your nearest DVA or Veterans Access Network (VAN) office as soon as possible. You can locate your nearest VAN office by calling 1300 55 1918.

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Approved documents for proving your identity POI Category Category A At least one document from this category is required to show proof of birth in Australia or proof of arrival in Australia if you were born overseas. Acceptable Documentation
Australian passport (current) can only

Plus Category B You will need to provide at least two documents from this category to provide evidence of your identity existing in the community.

Category C Documents from Category C provide evidence of residential address or residence in a nursing home or residential care facility. Note: You will only need to provide documents from this category if none of the documents you produce to satisfy Category A and B provides evidence of your current residential address.

be used as a category A OR a category B document. It cannot be used in both categories concurrently. Full Australian birth certificate. Record of immigration status. Foreign passport and current Australian visa. Travel document and current Australian visa. Certificate of evidence of residence status. Citizenship certificate. Australian drivers licence (current and original). Australian passport (current) can only be used as a category A OR a category B document. It cannot be used in both categories concurrently. Australian Defence Force (ADF) identification card. Firearms licence (current and original). Current overseas passport with valid entry stamp or visa. Medicare card. Change of name certification (for marriage or legal name change showing link with previous name/s). Credit or bank account card. DVA card. Security guard/crowd control licence. Australian marriage certificate issued by a government department. Ceremonial marriage certificate. Tertiary identification card. Utilities notice. Rent details. Document from nursing home or residential care facility that provides evidence of residence.

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Should I provide copies of original documents? You can take original POI documents to a DVA office where a DVA officer can make copies and verify your documents. If this is not possible, you can send certified copies of the documents to DVA (see the section Who can certify documents in this Factsheet for a list of people who can certify documents). It is preferable that only certified copies of documents are sent to DVA. This action would limit the risk of original documents being damaged or lost in the post. If you do have to send original documents to DVA, they will be returned to you by registered post.

Who can certify documents? Persons who can certify copies of documents include:
Justice of the Peace Commissioner for Declarations permanent employee (with 5 or more years of continuous service) of: o The Commonwealth or of a Commonwealth authority; or o A State or Territory or of a State or Territory authority; or o A local government authority Member of the Australian Defence Force who is: o an officer; or o a non-commissioned officer within the meaning of the Defence Force Discipline Act

1982 with 5 or more years of continuous service; or o a warrant officer within the meaning of that Act permanent employee of the Australian Postal Corporation with 5 or more years of continuous service who is employed in an office supplying postal services to the public agent of the Australian Postal Corporation who is in charge of an office supplying postal services to the public bank officer with 5 or more continuous years of service building society officer with 5 or more years of continuous service credit union officer with 5 or more years of continuous service finance company officer with 5 or more years of continuous service Member of the Association of Taxation and Management Accountant Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants or the National Institute of Accountants Minister of religion registered under Division 1 Part IV of the Marriage Act 1961 police officer chiropractor dentist legal practitioner medical practitioner nurse pharmacist physiotherapist veterinary surgeon teacher employed on a full time basis at a school or tertiary education institution

A full list of who can certify documents can be found at: http://www.comlaw.gov.au/comlaw/management.nsf/lookupindexpagesbyid/IP200400084?O penDocument
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The person certifying copies must see the original documents and use the following wording: Number of pages Single page documents Multiple page documents Wording Certified true copy or This is a certified copy of the original as sighted by me I certify this and following [insert number of pages] pages to be a true copy of the original as sighted by me. All subsequent pages of the copy must be initialled by the person certifying the document. In addition, the following information must also be recorded, along with the above statement, on the copy of the document: Signature Date Name in full Profession/qualification or if the certifying officer is a Justice of the Peace or a Commissioner for Declarations they should provide their relevant registration number including state/territory of registration Telephone number Address If appropriate, an official stamp of the certifying persons organisation should also be affixed. For multiple page documents, this information need only be included on the front page of the copied document. Certifying officers must ensure that all subsequent pages of the copy are initialled. Please record the required information on the front on the copied document, not the back/blank side.

Other Factsheets Other Factsheets related to this topic include: IS02 How to claim Service Pension DP01 Overview of Disability Pensions and Allowances MCS01 Overview of the Military Compensation Scheme

Disclaimer The information contained in this Factsheet is general in nature and does not take into account individual circumstances. You should not make important decisions, such as those that affect your financial or lifestyle position, on the basis of information contained in this Factsheet. Where you are required to lodge a written claim for a benefit, you must take full responsibility for your decisions prior to the written claim being determined. You should seek confirmation in writing of any oral advice you receive from DVA.

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More information All DVA Factsheets are available from DVA offices, and on the DVA website at www.dva.gov.au DVA General Enquiries telephone number: 133 254 (metro) or FreeCall 1800 555 254 (regional callers). Use a normal landline phone if you can. Mobile phone calls may cost you more. You can send an email to DVA at: GeneralEnquiries@dva.gov.au

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