Backgound

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a package of measures for addressing the concerns of Viet Nam Veterans and Families, was agreed on 6 December 2006 between the Government and the Ex Vietnam Services Association (EVSA) and the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association (RNZRSA).

A significant element in the MOU is the provision by the Crown of an endowment of $7 million for a period of 30 years to establish a Trust Fund with the purpose of providing support to Viet Nam Veterans and their families in relation to concerns and circumstances not addressed elsewhere in the Package.

The MOU requires the activities of the Trust to be “financed by interest earned on the endowment”.  This is expected to be between $400,000 and $500,000 annually.

Settlement of the Trust

The Viet Nam Veterans and Families Trust was settled on 16 August 2007, and began calling for applications on 19 October 2007.

The Trustees are:
Government Appointee and Chairperson:        Michael Wintringham
RNZRSA Appointees:                              John Masters, Rick Ottaway
EVSA Appointees                                   Henry (Teach) Macown, Alistair MacKenzie
Michael Wintringham headed the Joint Working Group which led to the MOU.  The other Trustees are all Viet Nam Veterans.

Trust Deed

The Trust Deed has been designed to allow the Trustees the widest possible discretion in addressing the needs of Viet Nam Veterans and their families whether living in New Zealand or overseas, by providing relief from “poverty or hardship.”

A copy of the Trust Deed can be downloaded from the “Documents of Interest” Section of the EVSA Website Home Page.

Applications to the Trust

The Trust has produced an Application Form to assist Veterans and family members apply for assistance.  This can be downloaded from the “Documents of Interest” Section of the EVSA Website Home Page, or obtained by writing to:

Viet Nam Veterans and Their Families Trust
The Department of Internal Affairs
P.O.Box 805
WELLINGTON

Priority will be given in the first instance to cases where there is immediate or obvious need or hardship.

The basic information required in an application includes:
* Who are you?   Your regimental number or relationship to a NZ Viet Nam
Veteran, plus contact details.

*  What are your circumstances?   The situation for which you would like
financial assistance.

* How much money do you need?

* How will this money help you?

* Have you registered with Veterans Affairs NZ.?

If you are unsure whether your situation will meet the criteria for a grant from the Trust, it is better to put in an application, rather than assume you might not be eligible.  The Trust will come back to you if it needs more information.

Look out also for your fellow Viet Nam Veterans and their families, some of whom might be in real need.   It might be that you know of a Viet Nam Veteran, a widow, estranged spouse or partner, or other family member who is struggling.   Encourage them and help them to apply if you believe there is a need.

Registration with VANZ

The Trust strongly encourages all Viet Nam Veterans and their family members to register with Veterans Affairs New Zealand (VANZ).

As well as helping the individual Viet Nam Veteran, this will also benefit the community of Viet Nam Veterans as a whole.  Registration forms for Veterans, their wives/partners, children and grandchildren (whether living or deceased) can be obtained from VANZ on 0800 4838372 or www.veteransaffairs.mil.nz

April 2008 Update

In the six months or so since we have been operating the Trust has received 108 applications for grants, and has made 50 payments totalling $499,858. Ten applications have been declined, and as at 30 April eight are under action and forty awaiting consideration by Trustees. The Trust has distributed all its income as it has been earned.

The Trust was established with a capital grant from the Government of $7 million. The Government also provided $300,000 to be available for distribution by the Trust until the income from the investment of the $7 million capital started coming in.

The Government is also, unusually, meeting most of the Administration costs of the Trust, to leave as much as possible for distribution to veterans and family members. There remain some costs such as audit fees which do however have to be paid from Trust income.

There are a couple of important points which the Trustees want to make to the veterans' community.

First, at around a 7-8% interest rate, the fund will generate about $500,000 each year. In fact, it has been considerably less than this to date because, while the Trust was waiting for its registration as a charitable trust, it has been paying withholding tax on the interest.

The simple arithmetic is that, if the trustees meet 6 times a year, they will have, on average, about $80,000 to distribute at each meeting. With 40 applications now before the trustees, it is simply impossible for us to approve applications in the "high five figure" range. The highest grant approved to date was $35,000 for a veteran in almost unique circumstances. Many of the grants have been less than $5000.

The second point concerns the Trust Deed, in effect the "rules" under which the trustees operate. Although we have a lot of flexibility in the way we can distribute the money, the Trust Deed states that the main object is the relief of "poverty and hardship". We are not set up to make compensation payments for past grievances. We are trying to ease the financial burden that many veterans and family members now face, or give some relief to offset the financial and emotional struggles many veterans' families have had-for example, in bringing up children with physical or other disabilities.

So what does all this mean for those thinking about putting in an application?

1. Remember that the trustees will be looking for "poverty and hardship". An application for funding for something practical, which will help ease daily living, and which a veteran or family member can't afford, will usually get fast consideration. Repairs to the roof, fixing plumbing, replacing appliances, replacing a rotten fence are fairly straightforward things which the Trust can help with.

2. If you have struggled with the challenge of bringing up a family with problems, and as a result haven't got much in the way of ready money to come and go on, we can probably help.

3. We might be able to help with getting rid of debt which is keeping a veteran or a family member from getting ahead. (But don't assume the Trust will be there to pay it off if you decide to run up the credit card balance).

4. We won't fund major capital items like houses (too costly for our budget), nor will we fund business ventures (we are not bankers or business analysts).

5. We are not providing funds for travel and accommodation for Tribute08. This simply does not fit the "rules" for the Trust as set out in the Trust Deed. ( Check the Tribute08 website for the Government's travel subsidy details).

6. Please don't ask us for compensation for the longstanding grievances of the veterans' community. Of course we sympathise, but we are not set up for that purpose.

7. Requests for smaller amounts are much more likely to get approved than applications which seem to be based on the $25,000 and $30,000 compensation packages which the Government has made to veterans, and their children, with prescribed illnesses.

Remember that we have another 29.5 years of income to distribute. A Viet Nam veteran might be lucky to be around to get a grant approved in 2037, but the money will continue to flow over the next few years, and veterans' children and grandchildren will be receiving the benefits for a good few years yet.

Michael Wintringham
Chair, Viet Nam Veterans and Their Families Trust