The Howard Government's $470 million veterans' support package has now received Royal Assent after it was passed by Parliament last week, Minister for Veteran's Affairs Bruce Billson said today. The Royal endorsement means the package is now enshrined in law.

Mr Billson moved swiftly to have the Disability, War Widow and War Widower Pensions Bill passed by both houses of parliament last week and commended the Opposition for assisting its quick passage.

"The package now has Royal Assent which provides certainty to our veterans' community and paves the way for the benefits to flow to more than 250,000 veterans, war widows and widowers from March 2008," Mr Billson said.

Under the new measures all veterans' affairs disability pensions will now be indexed with reference to both the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Male Total Average Weekly Earnings (MTAWE) from March 2008, the next scheduled indexation review period. In addition, more than 13,500 veterans who receive the Extreme Disablement Adjustment (EDA) will receive a fortnightly increase of $15, from March 2008, to the Above General Rate component of their disability pension.

The entire General Rate Table will also be increased by 5 per cent from March 2008. This initiative will deliver Above and 100 per cent General Rate recipients, including EDA veterans, a fortnightly boost of up to $20 from March 2008, also adjusted by the more beneficial indexation method.

War widows and widowers will also receive a $10 increase a fortnight to the non-indexed component of their pensions from March 2008, taking this amount to $35 per fortnight. This payment will also now be indexed with reference to both the CPI and MTAWE from March 2008.

"I am delighted that the Opposition recognised that the package put forward by the Howard Government was far more substantial and comprehensive than its own attempts at addressing some of these important areas of veterans' affairs policy," Mr Billson said.

"At no stage did the Opposition propose to increase the General Rate Table, or increase the non-indexed component of war widows and widowers pensions by $10 per fortnight. Under this new package EDA veterans will also receive a $15 a fortnight increase. This follows the $50 a fortnight increase to the Special Rate and $25 to the Intermediate Rate disability pensions delivered through the 2007-08 Budget in a $160 million measure.

"Labor at no stage proposed any of these increases either, but instead echoed its support for the Government's policies after all the hard policy work had been done. While the Government's measures will take effect from March 2008, any proposal put forward by Labor would not have taken effect until September 2008 for some unknown reason," Mr Billson said.

"It takes a great deal of thought, effort and time to develop principled and meaningful veterans' policy; it's not something you can do properly either on the run or in a half-hearted fashion. I am pleased the Opposition has finally acknowledged this and fully and unequivocally endorsed the work of the Howard Government in the best interests of our veterans' community."

In Federal Parliament last week Opposition veterans' affairs spokesman Alan Griffin said: "I want to sincerely thank the Minister for his efforts in bringing this matter to fruition before we break for the coming election … I congratulate the Government for taking these actions. I particularly congratulate Minister Billson. It is a tough job being the Minister for Veterans' Affairs. It is a demanding constituency. Although we have our problems and our fights, and will continue to do so, I want to stress that I still have a fair bit of time, most of the time, for this Minister." In the past 18 months about $1.8 billion in new funding has flowed into the veterans' affairs portfolio, underlining the Howard Government's continued commitment to supporting those who have served our country, as well as their families.