Bereavement Advice

Keep a wallet with any business cards of professional business houses and institutions that you have been dealing with.

Keep an exercise book to record times, dates, calls and visits to institutions, business houses, etc following death.

This is purely a guide and not all avenues may have been covered.

Use this guide as a baseline and add it to suit your individual requirements. Use this guide in conjunction with the DVA booklet titled Planning Ahead a guide to putting your affairs in order. Contact DVA for copy or download from their website. Put in browser Planning ahead kit DVA download guide, checklist, personal information sheet and medical details of the veteran.

Contents

Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) 4

Comsuper DFRDB. 4

Centrelink. 5

Death Certificate. 5

Wills, Power of Attorney, Enduring Guardian. 5

Funeral plans, Bonds, Insurance, Director 5

Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate. 6

Service Documents 6

Tax Documents and Returns 6

Solicitor 6

Accountant 6

Financial Advisor 6

Money. 7

Investments 7

Superannuation. 7

Life Insurance. 7

House. 8

Car, Boat, Caravan. 8

Telephone. 8

Electricity. 9

Water 9

Gas 9

Cable TV or subscriptions, Streaming Services 9

Health Insurance. 10

Medicare. 10

Club Memberships 10

Cards 10

Electoral Rolls 11

Doctor / General Practitioner 11

Specialists 11

Optometrist 11

Dentist 11

Hearing. 11

Other Professionals 12

Dedication Plaque – Garden Island Chapel 12

Office of War Graves 12

Commemorating Post-War Dead. 12

Service Badge. 13

Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA)

Phone: 133 254 or 1800 838 372

  1. Assistance should be sought from DVA advocates, RSL Sub-Branch, Legacy, Vietnam Veteran Association.
  2. File number.
  3. Notify them of death

        4.    Obtain copy of DVA booklet Planning Ahead A guide to putting your affairs in order

         5.  DVA  will require a death certificate

         6. DVA history documents, claims etc, where they are kept.

Comsuper DFRDB

Phone: 1300 001 877

  1. Notify them of death.
  2. Comsuper payments will cease.
  3. Fill out form D80 for spouse benefit.
  4. Require scheme you were in and reference number.  Both found on top right-hand corner of DFRDB pension payment summary.  Keep last summary received on file.
  5. Comsuper will require death certificate.

Centrelink

Phone: 132 300

  1. Go to Centrelink and obtain a copy of Services Australia brochure – Needing Help After Someone Dies.
  2. Go to Centrelink and use their computers or download the following brochures:

https: www.servicesaustralia.gov.au

  1. What to organise before you die
  2. What help is available when loved ones die
  3. Most useful information for death – family
  4. What to do when loved ones die
  5. Most viewed payments for death – family
  6. Obtain brochure and downloads mentioned in points 1 and 2 now and keep them with important documents.
  7. If they were receiving Centrelink assistance:
  8. make an appointment
  9. notify them of the passing they will require a death certificate.
  10. see what assistance they can provide, funeral expenses etc.
  11. Fill out death form SA116a.
  12. CRN = Centrelink Reference Number
  13. There will be other lists out there.  Formulate one to suit your circumstances.

Death Certificate

  1. Make copies and have them certified by a Justine of the Peace, police station, or library.
  2. All institutions will probably require a copy to proceed following death.

Wills, Power of Attorney, Enduring Guardian

  1. Where the originals and copies are kept.
  2. Know who the executors are.

Funeral plans, Bonds, Insurance, Director

  1. Institution
  2. Contact details
  3. Where the paperwork is kept

Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate

  1. Where they are kept.

Service Documents

  1. Where they are kept.

Tax Documents and Returns

  1. Tax file number (TFN)
  2. Where old and current paperwork is kept
  3. Inform Australian Tax Office (ATO) of passing – 132 865
  4. Accountant can assist

Solicitor

For will, beneficiaries, probate

  1. Name
  2. Contact details

Accountant

For tax matters

  1. Name
  2. Contact details

Financial Advisor

Can assist with money, investments, superannuation, life insurance

  1. Name
  2. Contact details

Money

  1. Institution
  2. Contact details
  3. Accounts / cards / direct debits
  4. Where any paperwork is kept

        5. Home safe combination and keys.

        6. Safety Deposit box location and key.

Investments

  1. Institution
  2. Contact details
  3. Accounts / type of investments / share portfolio
  4. Where any paperwork is kept

Superannuation

  1. Institution
  2. Contact details
  3. Accounts / type of investments / share portfolio
  4. Where any paperwork is kept
  5. Death benefit direction

Life Insurance

  1. Institution
  2. Contact details
  3. Policy numbers
  4. Due date and how it is paid
  5. Where policies are kept

House

  1. Owners
  2. Home and contents insurance company. Due dates, how invoices are received, how invoices are paid
  3. Where policies are kept
  4. Land rates – council due date, how invoices are received, how are they paid, where rate notices are kept
  5. Mortgage institution contact details.  Where paperwork is kept. Inform them of the passing
  6. Deeds – where they are kept

Car, Boat, Caravan

  1. Insurance company due date, how is it paid
  2. Registration due date, how is it paid
  3. Green slips, due date, how is it paid
  4. Where paperwork for points 1, 2, and 3 are kept
  5. Driver’s licence, boat licence, need to be cancelled
  6. Transfer boat, car, caravan registrations
  7. NRMA membership
  8. Inform Service NSW of passing

Telephone

  1. Company
  2. Contact details
  3. Account number
  4. Any plans – internet, mobile, landline
  5. How is bill paid and received?
  6. Where paperwork is kept
  7. Notify of passing

Electricity

  1. Company
  2. Contact details
  3. Account number
  4. Any plans
  5. How is bill paid and received?
  6. Where paperwork is kept
  7. Notify of passing

Water

  1. Company
  2. Contact details
  3. Account number
  4. How is bill paid and received?
  5. Where paperwork is kept
  6. Notify of passing

Gas

  1. Company
  2. Contact details
  3. Account number
  4. Any plans
  5. How is bill paid and received?
  6. Where paperwork is kept
  7. Notify of passing

Cable TV or subscriptions, Streaming Services

  1. Company
  2. Contact details
  3. Account number
  4. Any plans
  5. How is bill paid and received?
  6. Where paperwork is kept
  7. Notify of passing

Health Insurance

  1. Company
  2. Contact details
  3. Membership number
  4. Hospital / ancillary plans
  5. How is bill paid and received?
  6. Where paperwork is kept
  7. Notify of passing

Medicare

Phone: 132 011

  1. Card number
  2. Will need to be cancelled
  3. Centrelink can assist

       4. Commonwealth Seniors health card will need to be cancelled.

Club Memberships

  1. Sporting clubs / gyms
  2. RSL sub-branch
  3. Regular Defence Force Welfare Association
  4. Fleet Air Arm Association
  5. Vietnam Veterans Association
  6. Consider which ones to maintain
  7. If members of points 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, – notify of passing

Cards

  1. Opal
  2. Frequent Flyers
  3. Rewards
  4. Seniors
  5. Cash / cash passports
  6. Accommodation
  7. Rental car
  8. Consider which ones to maintain
  9. Notify of passing

Electoral Rolls

  1. Australian Electoral Commission – phone: 132 326
  2. Remove name from local, state, and federal electoral rolls

       3.  Cancel Passport.

Doctor / General Practitioner

  1. Name
  2. Contact details
  3. Notify of passing

Specialists

  1. Name
  2. Contact details
  3. Notify of passing

Optometrist

  1. Name
  2. Contact details
  3. Notify of passing

Dentist

  1. Name
  2. Contact details
  3. Notify of passing

Hearing

  1. Name
  2. Contact details
  3. Notify of passing

Other Professionals

  1. Name
  2. Contact details
  3. Notify of passing

Dedication Plaque – Garden Island Chapel

Details to Ron Giveen

  1. List of postings
  2. Rank on discharge
  3. List of medals / decorations
  4. Date of discharge

Office of War Graves

Email: wargraves@dva.gov.au

Phone: 1800 veteran or 1800 838 372

Commemorating Post-War Dead

Eligibility – certain veterans are automatically eligible if they have war or operational service

Service Badge

 Apply to.

Office of Australian War Graves

GPO Box 9998

Brisbane QLD 4001

Or email:wargraves@dva.gov.au

Your Group of LEEUWIN 63 will help organise a Dedication Plaque in Garden Island East Chapel for the Veteran who has deceased. We can also help in organising a Bereavement Pin courtesy of Chief of Navy.

The surviving partner may need access to home computer and mobiles vide user names and passwords to access invoices and notices that arrive via electronic means. Correspondence will still arrive after a passing until the provider/providers are notified of the passing.  As there are usernames and passwords for almost everything on computers a general statement may suffice. (where are the user names and passwords stored)