Compensation for Defective Administration claims in 2017/18
Dear Department of Veterans' Affairs,
The information I am seeking is:
: The number of applications for Compensation for Defective Administration
(CDDA) made to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs in 2017/18,
: the number of CDDA claims accepted in 2017/18, and
: the total value of the amount paid out to successful CDDA claims in the
2017/18 financial year.
Thanking you in anticipation,
Yours faithfully,
ALAN ASHMORE
Dear Mr Ashmore,
Acknowledgement of FOI Request – FOI 24902
I refer to your request to access information held by our Department under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). The Department received
your request on 7 October 2018. In accordance with section 15(5)(b) of the
FOI Act, the Department has 30 days to process your request. As such, a
decision on your request is due by 6 November 2018.
Unfortunately, the Department will be unable to finalise your request by
this date due a large competing case load. While it is our goal to process
your request as soon as practicable, we would be grateful if you would
agree to a 30 day extension of time to process your request under section
15AA of the FOI Act. If you are agreeable to the extension, the revised
due date for the decision will be 6 December 2018.
Please advise whether you agree to the extension of time by Monday 15
October 2018.
If you agree to an extension, we will advise the Office of the Australian
Information Commissioner (OAIC) of the extension. As part of this, the
Department will provide your name and email address in case the OAIC needs
to contact you in about your FOI request.
If you have any questions about your FOI matter, please contact us using
the following details:
Post: Legal Services & Assurance, Department of Veterans’ Affairs
GPO Box 9998, Canberra ACT 2601
Facsimile: (02) 6289 6337
Email: [1][email address]
In all communications please quote reference FOI 24902.
Kind Regards,
Information Law Team
Information Law | Legal Services & Assurance Branch
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
GPO Box 9998 Canberra ACT 2601
E: [2][email address]
[3]cid:image001.png@01D0027A.1DAB84F0
Dear INFORMATION.LAW,
Thank you for your response of 8 October 2018.
I ask that you reconsider requesting that I agree to a 30 day extension due to your heavy work load.
This is because 6 days ago I was one of 10 veterans/partners of veterans who were part of the Secretary’s Round Table in Canberra. We were invited to advise the Secretary and her team of the issues we faced with DVA. We also put forward practical solutions the Secretary was keen to take on board.
My presentation was about DVA’s declining performance as measured by their reported KPI’s, one of which was CDDA claims.
We expect the Secretary to have a second meeting with us in the next month or two where I will provide her and her team with an update on their KPI’s in 2017/18. As it would be helpful to include the data as requested in my FOI, I ask that you withdraw your request for a 30 day extension.
I am sure you understand it would be unhelpful to your team if I had to advise the Secretary and her team that you were unable to provide, what should be readily available data, within the required 30 days.
Finally, may I respectfully ask if your Manager has advised the Secretary of your current heavy workload as I am sure she would prefer to hear it from you than our group.
I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
ALAN ASHMORE
Dear INFORMATION.LAW,
On 8 October 2018 I replied the same day to your request for a 30 day extension.
Please note I am still waiting for your response where I asked you withdraw your request for a 30 day extension.
As of today I am still waiting for that response.
Yours sincerely,
Alan ASHMORE
Good afternoon Mr Ashmore,
Thank you for your replies, and for considering an extension under section 15AA of the FOI Act.
The Department will let you know if an extension will be required directly through the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) under section 15AB of the FOI Act.
A decision on your request is due by 6 November 2018.
Kind regards,
Information Law Team
Information Law Branch | Legal, Assurance & Governance Division
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Gnabra House – 21 Genge Street Canberra City ACT 2601|GPO Box 9998 Canberra ACT 2601
E: [email address]
Dear Mr Ashmore
FOI 24902 - Decision and Statement of Reasons
Please find attached the decision in relation to your freedom of
information request received by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs on 7
October 2018.
Kind regards
Information Law Section | Legal Services & General Counsel Branch
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
E: [1][email address]
[2]cid:image001.png@01D0027A.1DAB84F0
Verity Pane left an annotation ()
As, for certain applicants, it was a heavy workload and s 15AA request last month (and the month before that...), it does raise the valid question that if these extension requests are being made so regularly, why hasn’t DVA allocated additional resources or take any action about these repeated delays.
Surely DVA’s Executive Management Board must be aware, so why is nothing being done to resolve these ongoing issues.
It doesn’t seem very ‘veteran centric’ to me if veterans are constantly having their FOIs delayed (especially since FOI is often the only way a veteran finds out what is happening to their claims).
I note that the NSW/ACT Deputy Commissioner is responsible for the DVA FOI team - one wonders why he continually keeps dropping the ball.