» Transfer between Permanent/Reserves
» Warlike Service
» Continuous Full-Time Service
» Lateral Recruits
Transfering from the Reserves to Permanent ADF
Any time you've completed in the Reserves will be halved if you're counting the service towards the four year Permanent qualifying period for DHOAS.
For example, if you've completed seven years effective continuous Reserve service then transferred to the Permanent force, your completed effective service will be 3.5 years (towards your four year qualifying period).
If you have passed your qualifying period then there is no effect, as after the qualifying period your service accrues at the same rate regardless of whether undertaking Permanent or Reserve service (one year of effective service equals one year of entitlement).
Transfering from the Permanent ADF to the Reserves
A transfer from the Permanent ADF to the Reserves will only be relevant to your DHOAS eligibility if you are still completing your qualifying period. That is, four years continuous service in the Permanent ADF or eight years continuous effective service in the Reserves.
Any time you've completed in the Permanent ADF will be doubled if you're counting the service towards the eight year Reserve qualifying period.
For example, if you have completed three years permanent service and then transferred to the Reserves, your completed effective service will be six years (towards your eight year qualifying period as a Reserve).
If you have passed your qualifying period then there is no effect, as after the qualifying period your service accrues at the same rate regardless of whether undertaking Permanent or Reserve service (one year of effective service equals one year of entitlement).
IMPORTANT: Avoid Being Deemed "Separated", if leaving Permanent ADF and joining Reserves
For the purpose of DHOAS, Reserve service is completed in financial years whereas Permanent service is completed in calender years. "Effective" Reserve service requires at least 20 days of Reserve service within a financial year.
If you have already applied for DHOAS and you're currently receiving a subsidy, you need to ensure that you complete at least one day of Reserve service within the financial year that you leave the Permanent Force, to maintain your DHOAS entitlement and monthly subsidy amount. For example, if you leave the Permanent Force in August 2010, you will need to do some Reserve service before 30 June 2011.
This is to establish your status as a Reservist and to ensure you're recognised as a serving member for the remainder of the financial year after you leave the Permanent ADF. This applies to all Reservists, regardless of whether you're in the Standby, High Readiness or other type of Reserves.
Otherwise, for the purpose of DHOAS, you will be deemed to be separated from the ADF. Your status as a serving member will not be able to be reinstated until the following financial year, after you have completed at least 20 days of Reserve service within that year. This could impact on your DHOAS entitlements.
Separated members receive their DHOAS subsidy payments at the Tier 1 level if they have not completed 20 or more years of service at the time of separation. This is even if they were eligible to receive their subsidy at the Tier 2 or 3 level prior to separating.
Therefore, if you're deemed separated from the ADF because you have not established your status as a Reservist, your subsidy payments could be reduced (until such time as you complete effective Reserve service).
Check your records are up-to-date
You should check your PMKeyS records to ensure that they're up-to-date and include all of your service in the ADF, in either the Permanent Forces or the Reservists, as well as any war-like service you have completed.
If your records include any errors or omissions you should raise the matter with your chain-of-command.
If your records are out-of-date and we check your DHOAS eligibility or entitlement against them when it is time to progress your subsidy payments or to determine your Service Credit, this may result in a miscalculation. This could result in a drop to your subsidy tier level or even your payments being ceased.
Warlike service
Members who have provided warlike service will be entitled to additional periods of subsidy assistance as set out in the following table:
| Period of warlike service** | Additional subsidy periods |
| Not more than 3 months | 2 years |
| More than 3 but not more than 6 months | 3 years |
| More than 6 but not more than 9 months | 4 years |
| More than 9 months | 5 years |
- ** Any time spent on out-of-country leave during your warlike service does not count towards the warlike service bonus period.
You can accrue up to a total of 25 years entitlement to DHOAS when you include warlike service.
Please note warlike service will not fast-track your qualifying period of four years.
Nor will it fast-track you to a higher subsidy tier level. You still need to complete the minimum years of service required to be eligible for a higher subsidy tier.
Warlike service only increases the total period of time over which you may receive the DHOAS assistance.
Please note your additional accrued entitlement from warlike service is recognised for the purpose of converting your available service credit into a lump sum (up to a maximum of four years).
Example
A member of the Permanent ADF has completed three years of service in total, including seven months of warlike service. They still must complete another year of service before they qualify for DHOAS. However, on becoming an eligible member they will have accumulated an extra four years accrued DHOAS subsidy entitlement as a result of their war-like service.
Definition of a "month"
A "calender month" (as defined by the Act Interpretation Act 1901) means a period that meets both these criteria:
a. it starts at the beginning of a day of a month
b. it ends at either of these times
i. immediately before the beginning of the corresponding day of the next month
ii. if there is no corresponding day in the next month - at the end of the next month
Example: 12 May 2000 - 11 June 2000; 30 January 2005 - 28 February 2005
CHECK: You should check your PMKeyS records to ensure that they're up-to-date and include all of your service in the ADF, in either the Permanent Forces or the Reservists, as well as any war-like service you have completed.
If your records include any errors or omissions you should raise the matter with your chain-of-command.
If your records are out-of-date and we check your DHOAS eligibility or entitlement against them when it is time to progress your subsidy payments or to determine your Service Credit, this may result in a miscalculation.
Continuous Full-Time Service
A special condition will be available to Reserve members who perform CFTS during the DHOAS qualifying period. The condition provides Reservists with an opportunity to accelerate their qualifying period.
If you complete CFTS of up to six months during your qualifying period for DHOAS, it will count in lieu of 20 days reserve service. This will contribute one year towards your qualifying period.
If you complete more than six months of CFTS within a financial year you will contribute a total of two years towards your eight year qualifying period.
This includes one standard Reserve year in lieu of 20 days service, as well as one extra year for the CFTS special condition.
This special application of CFTS also applies retrospectively. In reviewing your service history to work out your eligibility for DHOAS, periods of CFTS completed before 1 July 2008 can be counted towards your qualifying period, including the special entitlement.
(This excludes ineligible service because of breaks in service and the rejoining members' provisions. Whilst you're still within the qualifying period, CFTS completed in a previous financial year will not make up for a later break in continuity of service of more than 12 months (during your qualifying period).)
Please note this special application of CFTS is only valid during your qualifying period. Once you have completed your qualifying period of eight years, you will accrue a standard year of entitlement to DHOAS for every year of service you complete (whether that is by doing Reserve service or CFTS).
CFTS will not help you to fast track through the subsidy tiers nor will it add extra years to your standard accrued entitlement.
Example
A member of the Reserves completes six years of consecutive, efficient service. The member then provides seven months of CFTS within the financial year. This adds two years towards their qualifying period.
This means the member has completed the eight year qualifying period for DHOAS. (This includes six years Reserve service plus two years gained from more than six months of CFTS).
After this qualifying period, the member then completes another eight months of CFTS within a financial year. This CFTS will not add two years towards their accrued entitlement. They will gain the standard one year of accrued entitlement. The following table indicates their entitlement:
Service provided | Towards 8 year qualifying period | Towards accrued subsidy entitlement |
| 6 years Reserve service | 6 years | Nil |
| 7 months CFTS | 2 years | Nil |
8 months CFTS, after end of qualifying period | n/a | 1 year |
CHECK: You should check your PMKeyS records to ensure that they're up-to-date and include all of your service in the ADF, in either the Permanent Forces or the Reservists, as well as any war-like service you have completed.
If your records include any errors or omissions you should raise the matter with your chain-of-command.
If your records are out-of-date and we check your DHOAS eligibility or entitlement against them when it is time to progress your subsidy payments or to determine your Service Credit, this may result in a miscalculation. This could result in a drop to your subsidy tier level or even your payments being ceased.
Lateral recruits
Members who have joined the ADF subsequent to providing service in the Defence Force of another country may be eligible for the DHOAS from the date of joining.
Eligibility will be determined by the period of seniority awarded by a Chief of Staff to you for your former service.
As a general rule, if the Chief of Staff awards you four years or more seniority, you will be eligible for the DHOAS.
However, only your ADF service will count towards your subsidy tier level and length of accrued entitlement.
That is, if you've completed one year of ADF service, you will only be entitled to subsidy assistance at the Tier 1 level subsidy level and have a Service Credit of one year.
Example
You provided 10 years of service in the Royal Navy up to July 2005 before joining the Royal Australian Navy in July 2006. The Chief of Navy determines that your former service is to contribute five years towards seniority.
The award of seniority satisfies the DHOAS eligibility requirements. However, your earlier Royal Navy service does not contribute to your entitlement. You have only accrued entitlement from the date you enlisted/engaged in the ADF.
Given you started with the ADF in July 2006, as at 1 July 2008, you will have accrued two years of entitlement under DHOAS at the Tier 1 level.
You will become entitled to subsidy assistance at the Tier 2 subsidy level should you continue to serve in the ADF until the fourth anniversary of your engagement in the ADF, i.e. July 2010.