card, in order to make up the 100 points required. The National Australia Bank (NAB) have directly confirmed that they will accept the Relationship Declaration as a form of ID worth 25 points. However the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) will not accept the Relationships Declaration, even though they will accept a Marriage Certificate as ID – same sex couples do not have access to an Australian Marriage Certificate so this creates an unequal situation. Other institutions such as the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages no longer accepts an Australian Marriage Certificate as a form of ID – this creates an equal situation for both opposite sex and same sex couples as both are not allowed to present their relationship certificates as a form of ID. Superannuation Zurich Financial Services and the Russell Superannuation state that the Relationship Declaration can be tendered as evidence of an interdependent relationship. It will provide contributory evidence but not conclusive evidence – that is, other evidence will still have to be submitted in order to prove the relationship existed. When a person dies, the superannuation fund has limits on who it can distribute the dead person's superannuation funds to. For example, you have to prove you are a spouse or that you are interdependent. Application for a death certificate In order to be able to gain a copy of a death certificate you must show that you are a close family member, spouse or otherwise entitled to a copy of the certificate. The Relationships Declaration will be accepted as partial evidence towards proving that your de facto relationship existed with the deceased – and therefore will assist you in part in obtaining this document. In addition, some funeral houses refuse to recognise the existence or rights of a same-sex relationship, and will not allow the surviving same sex partner to have any say in making the funeral arrangements for their deceased partner. A Relationships Declaration may provide some official proof to the funeral house that the relationship existed. The surviving same-sex partner does have a right to have a say in funeral arrangements, and if there are any problems, these should be referred to the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, NSW Anti-Discrimination Board, or the NSW Attorney General's Department. Understandably, due to the limited time that one has to prepare a funeral, one may not have time to receive an answer