WARNING:
This Digest was prepared for debate. It reflects the legislation as
introduced and does not canvass subsequent amendments. This Digest
does not have any official legal status. Other sources should be
consulted to determine the subsequent official status of the
Bill.
CONTENTS
Passage History
Purpose
Background
Main Provisions
Concluding Comments
Endnotes
Contact Officer and Copyright Details
Payment Processing Legislation Amendment
(Social Security and Veterans' Entitlements) Bill 1998
Date Introduced: 12 November 1998
House: House of Representatives
Portfolio: Family and Community Services
Commencement: Generally 1 July 1999
The Payment Processing
Legislation Amendment (Social Security and Veterans' Entitlements)
Bill 1998 (the Bill) implements initiatives to pay most social
security and veterans' affairs payments fortnightly in arrears.
In addition, it seeks to spread pension and
family payments over each fortnightly period to facilitate an even
distribution of paydays each period, which will result in an
evening out of annual expenditure.
Currently the social security system
accommodates three different cycles under which payments are made.
These are payday-based payments, period-based payments and lump sum
payments.
The existence of three different regimes largely
arises from the divergent origins and evolutionary paths of the
payments.(1)
Approximately 2.5 million payday-based payments
for pensions are made each alternate Thursday and 2.0 million
payday-based benefits and supplements (for example family
allowance) are made in the alternate week to the week that the
pensions are paid. It is argued this results in peaks of demand
that lead to administrative inefficiencies.
There has been criticism of the current system
in a number of areas:
-
- three different payment cycles and their attendant rules cause
unnecessary complexity for recipients and staff
-
- transfer from period-based payments to payday-based payments
can result in substantial overpayments. A recipient may receive 27
days payment for a 14 day period
-
- different date of effect provisions result in inconsistent
recipient treatment across payment categories
-
- for couples receiving payments under different cycles,
different payment days combined with different date of effect
provisions can cause changes in the circumstances of the couple to
be applied to each member at different times. In addition, payments
can rarely be coordinated, and
-
- payday-based payments place administrative strain on
Centrelink, financial institutions and other businesses.
This Bill presents for the first time, in any
legislative forum, an opportunity to examine the rationale and
sensibility of the payment regimes.
The Acts to be amended are the
Social Security Act 1991, the Veterans' Entitlements
Act 1986, the Child Care Payments Act 1997 and the
Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.
Schedule 1 - Amendments relating
to the Payment of Social Security Payments
Schedule 1 amends the Social Security
Act 1991 and commences on 1 July 1999.
To facilitate the payment of most social
security payments fortnightly in arrears it is proposed to
substitute existing sections for new provisions:
-
- new section 57 in relation to the age pension
(Item 31)
- new section 119 in relation to the disability
support pension (Item 39)
- new section 161 in relation to the wife
pension (Item 43)
- new section 212 in relation to the carer
payment (Item 53)
- new section 331 in relation to the bereavement
allowance (Item 61)
- new section 378 in relation to the widow B
pension (Item 66)
- new section 504A in relation to the parenting
payment (Item 75)
- new section 660XGB in relation to the mature
age allowance and mature age partner allowance (Item
98)
- new section 798 in relation to the special
needs pension (Item 114)
- new section 900AZE in relation to the family
tax payment (Item 125)
- new section 969 in relation to the child
disability allowance (Item 132)
- new section 1012 in relation to the double
orphan pension (Item 138)
- new section 1046 in relation to the mobility
allowance, ( Item 144) and
- new section 1061PZI in relation to the
pensioner education supplement.(Item 154)
General Discussion - Schedule
1
1. Item 1 - Age Pension
New section 57 in respect of
the age pension will provide that the pension:
-
- is payable in arrears and by instalments relating to such
periods (not exceeding 14 days) as the Secretary determines;
new subsection 57(1)
-
- is paid at such times as the Secretary determines; new
subsection 57(2)
-
- is the sum of the daily rates for the days in that period;
new subsection 57(3)
-
- is paid at such times as the Secretary determines in relation
to a person who is outside Australia; new subsection
57(4)
-
- is to be paid at such times as the Secretary determines in the
case of a person receiving a veterans' disability pension or the
person's partner receiving an age pension and a veterans'
disability pension; new subsection 57(5) and
-
- each period is an instalment period. new subsection
57(6)
New subsection 57(3) will
ensure that the new rules concerning the effective date of a
determination will be followed.
New subsection (5) will enable
the age pension payments to be made at the same time as instalments
of veterans' disability pensions. This will permit the current
arrangements to continue that allow age and wife pensioners to have
their pensions managed by the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
2. Items 2 -14: Disability Support Pension, Wife
Pension, Carer Payment, Bereavement Allowance, Widow B Pension,
Parenting Payment, Mature Age Allowance and Mature Age Partner
Allowance, Special Needs Pension, Family Allowance, Family Tax
Payment, Child Disability Allowance, Double Orphan Pension,
Mobility Allowance and Pensioner Education Supplement.
The new provisions in relation to these payments
are similar to each other and to new section 57
concerning the age pension and provide that the payments are:
-
- payable in arrears by instalments relating to such periods (not
exceeding 14 days) as the Secretary determines
-
- paid at such times as the Secretary determines
-
- the sum of the daily rates for the days in that period
-
- paid at such times as the Secretary determines in relation to a
person who is outside Australia, and
-
- each period is an instalment period.
3. Widow Allowance, Youth Allowance, Newstart Allowance,
Sickness Allowance, Partner Allowance and Family
Allowance.
These provisions are repealed and substituted
with new sections 408GB (Item
70), 559A (Item
86), 646 (Item
91), 716 (Item
105), 771KG (Item 110)
and 863 (Item 118) respectively.
These new sections generally mirror those referred to above in
point 2. The substitution provides consistency in drafting and
therefore in interpretation.
4. Rate Calculators
Current provisions provide that the fortnightly
rate of a pension is the annual rate divided by 26. To determine
the daily rate of an instalment the fortnightly rate is divided by
10 based on the number of weekdays in the period rather than the
entire week.(2)
The Bill introduces a daily rate.
This has the effect of making redundant all the
current provisions that allowed a calculation of an amount of an
instalment for a period less than a fortnight.
Chapter 3 of the Social Security Act
1991 contains general provisions relating to payability
and rates. There are several rate calculators in Chapter 3. Method
statements specify, step by step, the method of calculating the
appropriate rate of payment. The Bill proposes amendments that will
state that the rate of pension is a daily rate and thus provide for
new denominators and divisors.
The daily rate will be worked out by dividing
the annual rate by 364.
The provisional payment rate for certain
payments(3) will be confirmed to be a fortnightly rate. This will
clarify that the method statement is to provide a basis for
calculating a recipient's fortnightly rate. The daily rate, in this
instance, is calculated by dividing the fortnightly rate by 14.
For examples, refer to new point
1064-A1 and new point 1068-A1.
Schedule 2 - Amendments relating
to Bereavement Payments
Schedule 2 amends the Social Security
Act 1991 and commences on 1 July 1999.
In essence the Schedule seeks to amend the
bereavement provisions so that it introduces consistency of
treatment between these provisions and the amendments contained in
Schedules 1 and 3.
The main amendments:
-
- ensure that the bereavement period starts from the date of the
person's death. It currently starts on the day after the person has
died. Amended subsection 21(2) states that the
bereavement period in relation to the person's death is the period
of 14 weeks starting on the day on which the person dies, and
-
- include numerous consequential amendments to ensure that the
paydays in the bereavement period are the paydays of the person who
has died and where necessary the partner's paydays.
Schedule 3 - Amendments relating
to Certain Notices and Determinations
Schedule 3 amends the Social Security
Act 1991 and commences on 1 July 1999.
This Schedule changes the date of effect of
determination provisions to generally ensure that for the purposes
of calculation of entitlements the date of an event or a change in
circumstances is the actual date of the event or change in
circumstances.
The current position is that date of effect
provisions vary from payment to payment. The date of effect
provisions will be simplified and amended to provide consistent
treatment across all categories of payments.
General Discussion - Schedule
3
1. Age Pension
Pursuant to section 68(1) of the Social
Security Act 1991 a person to whom the age pension is being
paid is given a notice that requires the person to inform the
Department if a specified event or change in circumstances occurs
or is likely to occur.
The period within which the person is to give
the information is proposed to be 7 days. It is currently 14 days.
Accordingly, new subsection 68(4) (inserted by
Item 2) proposes to introduce a tighter
notification period regime than has previously applied to pension
payments.
1.1 Date of Effect of Termination of Pension
If a person informs the Department of an event
or change in circumstances within 7 days and because of the change
ceases to be qualified for the pension and the pension is not
cancelled before the expiration of the 7 days, then depending upon
when the change is processed pursuant to new subsection
72(f) inserted by Item 5:
-
- the pension continues to be payable until the end of the
instalment period in which the event or change in circumstances
took place, or
-
- until the end of the notification period.
If a person does not inform the Department of an
event or change in circumstances within 7 days and because of the
change ceases to be qualified for the pension, the pension ceases
to be payable to the person on the day on which the event or change
in circumstances occurs. New section 73.
1.2 Date of Effect of Reduction in Pension
If a person informs the Department of an event
or change in circumstances within 7 days and because of the change
the person's rate of pension is to be reduced and the pension is
not reduced before the expiration of the 7 days, then depending
upon when the change is processed pursuant to new
subsection 73B(f) inserted by Item 8:
-
- the pension becomes payable at the reduced rate at the end of
the instalment period in which the event or change in circumstances
took place, or
-
- at the end of the notification period.
If a person does not inform the Department of an
event or change in circumstances within 7 days and because of the
change the person's rate of pension is to be reduced, the pension
becomes payable to the person at the reduced rate on the day on
which the event or change in circumstances occurs. New
section 74 (Item 9).
1.3 Date of Effect of Favourable Determination
If a person informs the Department within 7 days
of the occurrence of an event or change in circumstances and the
determination is favourable; it takes effect on the day on which
the change occurred.(4) New subsection 80(5)
(Item 10).
If a person does not inform the Department
within 7 days of the occurrence of an event or change in
circumstances and the determination is favourable, it takes effect
on the day on which the advice was received or the day on which the
event or change in circumstances occurred, whichever is the later.
New subsection 80(5).
1.4 Date of Effect of Adverse Determination
If a person informs the Department within 7 days
of the occurrence of an event or change in circumstances and the
determination is adverse, it takes effect on the day on which the
change occurred. New subsection 81(2)(Item
12).
If adverse determinations are made because of
certain specified events, then a determination may take effect on a
day earlier than the day of the determination, on the day on which
it is made or if a later day is specified in the determination, on
that day.
1. Other Social Security Payments
Amendments to other payments, including those
specified in Items 2-14 of Schedule 1, along the lines outlined for
the age pension in point 1 of this Schedule 2 make up the balance
of Schedule 3.(5)
2. Extended Notice Period
In several sections the Secretary is enabled to
extend the notification period to not more than 28 days after the
day on which the event or change in circumstances occurs.
This will allow for an extended period to apply
in situations where the Secretary is satisfied that there are
special circumstances related to the person to whom the
notification provisions apply. It will include recipients such as
those who are severely disabled, living in a remote locality in
Australia, overseas or in situations requiring the notification of
death.(6)
Schedule 4 - Amendments relating
to the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.
Schedule 4 amends the Veterans' Entitlements
Act1986 and commences on 1 July 1999, except for amendments to
the notice and determination provisions, which will commence on 13
July 1999.
1. Payments to be made fortnightly in arrears with daily
entitlements.
Under the current method of paying instalments
of service pension and income support supplement a recipient is
either paid a full 14 day instalment or nothing. The payment is
dependent upon the rate or pension that the recipient is entitled
to on the pension payday.
To enable all income support payments payable
under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to be paid
fortnightly in arrears with daily entitlements to bring them into
line with payments made under the Social Security Act
1991, it is proposed to make amendments to the
arrangements for calculating the instalment of the pension as
follows:
-
- pension is payable in arrears and by instalments relating to
each pension period (a pension period is 2 weeks, the start and end
days varying depending on whether the payment is for income support
supplements); new subsection 58A(1) (Item
55)
-
- an instalment of pension is payable to the person for the days
in the period for which pension was payable; new subsection
58A(2) (Item 55)
-
- an instalment of pension is payable on the next payday after
the end of the pension period; new subsection
58A(3) (Item 55), and
-
- the rate of pension payable to a person for a day is calculated
by dividing the annual rate of pension by 364; new
subsection 58A(4) (Item 55)
2. Notice and determination provisions
If a person informs the Department of an event
or change in circumstances within 7 days and
-
- the person's rate of pension or income support supplement is to
be reduced then the pension becomes payable at the reduced rate
from the day after the end of the notification period; new
subsection 56(3) (Item 49)
-
- the person ceases to be eligible for the pension or income
support supplement then the pension or income support supplement is
cancelled at the end of the notification period; paragraph
56(1)(e)(i), and
-
- the person's pension or income support supplement is to be
increased then the pension becomes payable at the increased rate
from the day on which the event or change in circumstances occurs.
New subsection 56G(2)(a) (Item
52)
If a person does not inform the Department of an
event or change in circumstances within 7 days and
-
- the person ceases to be eligible for the pension or income
support supplement then the pension or income support supplement is
cancelled from the day on which the event or change in
circumstances occurs; new section 56A
(Item 50)
-
- the person's rate of pension or income support supplement is to
be reduced then the pension becomes payable at the reduced rate
from the day on which the event or change in circumstances occurs;
new section 56B (Item 51),
and
-
- the person's pension or income support supplement is to be
increased then the pension becomes payable at the increased rate
from the day on which the event or change in circumstances occurs.
new subsection 56G(2)(b) (Item
52)
3. Extension of Notification Period
The Secretary may extend the notification period
to not more than 28 days after the day on which the event or change
in circumstances occurs.
This will allow for an extended period to apply
in situations where the Secretary is satisfied that there are
special circumstances related to the person to whom the
notification provisions apply. New subsection
54(5A) (Item 45). The
Secretary may also extend the notification period for notification
of death for a pensioner whose partner dies or a pensioner whose
dependent child dies. New subsection 54 (5AA).
Schedule 5 - Amendment of Other
Acts
Schedule 5 amends the Child Care Payments
Act 1997 and the Income Tax Assessment Act
1997 and commences on 1 July 1999.
1. Child Care Payments Act 1997
Section 5 of the Child Care Payments
Act 1997 provides various definitions used in that
Act.
The definition of payday currently states that
the payment of child care payments is made on the family allowance
payday under the Social Security Act 1991.
The Bill repeals and substitutes this definition
to provide that payments made under the Child Care Payments
Act 1997 will continue to be made on the family
allowance payday as if that definition had not been amended.
The actual payment of child care payments is not
dependent upon whether a person is or is not receiving family
allowance under the Social Security Act 1991.
2. Income Tax Assessment Act 1997
The Income Tax Assessment Act provides
for the calculation of certain amounts paid to a person during the
bereavement period under the Social Security Act
1991 because of the death of a person's partner to be
exempt from tax.
The amendments ensure that the calculation will
reflect the changes made to the Social Security Act
1991 in Schedules 1 and 2.
The example in subsection 52-25(3) of the
Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 is repealed and
replaced by the example found in Item 5 of
Schedule 5.
Schedule 6 -
Transitional Provisions relating to amendments of the Social
Security Act 1991
Schedule 6 amends the Social Security
Act 1991 and commences on the day that Royal Assent
is given.
It is proposed that the transitional provisions
in Schedule 6 will provide for the payment of social security
benefits for the period commencing at the end of payday-based
payments and ending at the beginning of the regular payment of
instalments under the period-based payments system.
1. Determination of transitional instalment periods and
payment times
In order to transfer recipients from a
payday-based cycle to period-based payments a one-off transitional
payment will be made. Item 1
If recipients elect to change their payday they
will receive on their first new payday after 1 July 1999 a one-off
payment for the number of days between their last payday-based
payment and their new payday.(7) Item 2
2. Payments relating to instalment periods beginning
before 1 July 1999
If a person becomes entitled to a social
security payment during the transitional period, the person will be
paid for the number of days they qualify during the transitional
period. Item 2
If a person becomes entitled to a social
security payment before the transitional period but the
determination to grant the claim is made during or after the
transitional period, the person will be paid for each payday they
were qualified before the transitional period and they will also be
paid for the number of days they qualify during the transitional
period. Item 2
3. Application of Amendments in Schedule 3 (Amendments
relating to notices and determinations)
The amendments of the Social Security
Act 1991 made by Schedule 3 do not apply in relation
to a person until the beginning of the person's first new
instalment period.(8)
Until the beginning of a person's first new
instalment period, the Social Security Act 1991
continues to apply as if Schedule 3 had not been enacted.
Item 3
4. Transitional Regulations
Item 4 will allow transitional
regulations to be made arising out of amendments made by Schedule
1, 2 or 3.
The regulations can be used to cater for
unforeseen circumstances.
Schedule 7 - Transitional
Provisions relating to amendments of the Veterans' Entitlements
Act 1986
Schedule 7 amends the Veterans' Entitlements
Act 1986 and commences on the day that Royal Assent
is given.
It is proposed that the transitional period
specified in Schedule 7 will be from 1 July 1999 to 15 July 1999.
Schedule 7 adds a new Part 3 at the end of
Schedule 5 of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to deal
with transitional provisions.
1. Determination of transitional instalment periods and
payment times
The last payday-based pension under the current
rules will be 1 July 1999. A transitional payday-based payment will
be made on 15 July 1999 based upon the rate of pension payable
under the old rules on 12 July 1999. New section
19.
The first pension period under the amended Act
must not commence before 13 July 1999. Therefore the first pension
period will be from 13 to 27 July 1999 and the first period-based
pension payment will be made on the payday of 29 July 1999.
New section 21.
2. Continued operation of the Act in relation to
variation, suspension and cancellation of pensions
In spite of the commencement of Schedule 4 of
this Bill, the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 as
in force immediately before 1 July 1999, continues to apply in
relation to the cancellation and suspension of pensions, and the
variation of the rates of such pensions, until and including 12
July 1999. New section 20.
3. Application of amendments relating to notices and
determinations
If at any time before 13 July 1999 a notice has
been issued under section 54 and the notice has not been revoked,
the notice continues to have effect on and after 13 July 1999 as if
it had been given under the amended provisions with the amended
notification period. New section 22.
If an event or change in circumstances occurs
before 13 July 1999 which must be notified to the Department and
the person notifies the Department before 13 July 1999, then the
current date of effect rules apply and the payment made will be
payday-based, varied on the next payday up to 15 July 1999.
If an event or change in circumstances occurs
before 13 July 1999 which must be notified to the Department and
the person either fails to notify or notifies the Department after
13 July 1999, then the new date of effect rules apply. If the date
of effect is before 13 July 1999 the payment made will be
payday-based, varied on the next payday up to 15 July 1999. If the
date of effect is after 13 July 1999 the payment made will be the
new period-based payment calculated on the basis of daily
entitlement. The variation, cancellation or suspension will take
effect from the actual date of effect.
If an event or change in circumstances occurs
after 13 July 1999 the new date of effect rules and period-based
payments apply.
4. Transitional Regulations
New section 24 will allow
transitional regulations to be made arising out of amendments made
by Schedule 4.
The regulations can be used to cater for
unforeseen circumstances.
1. Choice of payday
The financial impact and projected
administrative efficiencies associated with this Bill rely heavily
on the spreading of payments over each fortnightly period.
The Explanatory Memorandum states that a
fundamental principle in changing recipients' paydays is that there
will be no compulsion for change. It is stated that over time, the
availability of choice to recipients will be sufficient to spread
the payments.
The financial and administrative necessity for
payments to be spread is indicative of the following position;
existing recipients will not be forced to change paydays but new
recipients will most likely be allocated a payday to coincide with
the expiration of a 14 day period from the date of entitlement,
unless the recipient specifies a position to the contrary. This
will ensure a spread of paydays within the fortnightly period.
The exact nature and extent of choice available
to a recipient is not reflected in the legislation. Instalments of
payments are to be paid at such times as the Secretary determines
and therefore as with many of these concepts the degree of
flexibility will be dependent upon the administrative guidelines
issued within the Department.
2. Complexity
One of the stated aims of the amendments is to
remove the undue level of complexity for recipients and staff and
to avoid the position where the interaction of the different
payment cycles can cause anomalies, inefficiencies and
inequities.
Transfer of payments to period-based instalments
with daily rate calculation does appear to be a sensible approach
to solving the administrative difficulties associated with
payday-based payments and avoiding inconsistency resulting from
differing payment cycles.
It would seem, however, that it would be
appropriate to also consider a rationalisation of payment
categories to complement the simplification of payment processing
initiated by this Bill.
3. Financial Impact
3.1 Social Security Act 1991 -Payment fortnightly in
arrears
Normally there are 26 paydays per annum,
however, if a payday falls on 1 July there will be 27 paydays in
that financial year. This would have occurred in 1999-2000.
The current measures have the effect of
spreading payments over each fortnight and it is envisaged that
this will result in an average of 26.2 paydays every year and a
consequent uniformity of annual expenditure.
|
|
Net Outlays $
|
|
1997-98
|
0.194m
|
|
1998-99
|
19.703m
|
|
1999-2000
|
(-100.770m)
|
|
2000-01
|
(-18.873m)
|
3.2 Social Security Act 1991 - Date of effect rules
|
|
Net Outlays $
|
|
1997-98
|
0.164m
|
|
1998-99
|
5.483m
|
|
1999-2000
|
(-23.900m)
|
|
2000-01
|
(-26.754m)
|
3.3 Amendments to the Veterans' Entitlements Act
1986
Similar changes have been made to the
Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986. Income support
payments will be paid fortnightly in arrears with daily
entitlements.
There is negligible effect on net outlays for
payments fortnightly in arrears. It is considered that the smaller
number of payments and the comparative stability of payments
contribute to the negligible financial impact.
The date of effect rules will have some impact,
although again smaller than those for social security payments.
|
|
Net Outlays $
|
|
1997-98
|
3.190m
|
|
1998-99
|
5.694m
|
|
1999-2000
|
(-1.284m)
|
|
2000-01
|
(-1.638m)
|
4. Schedule 7 - incorrect citation of Act
Schedule 7 defines the amending Act as the
Social Security and Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment
(Payment Processing) Act 1998.
The Bill states that this Act may be cited as
the Payment Processing Legislation Amendment (Social Security
and Veterans' Entitlements) Act 1998.
-
- The invalid and old age pensions were introduced by the
Invalid and Old-age Pensions Act 1908 and were
substantially modelled on the preceding New South Wales old age
pensions scheme of 1900, which in turn was equally modelled on the
New Zealand pension scheme of 1897. The pension regime of
fortnightly paydays had its origins in the 1908 Act and has been in
place since.
The origins of the family allowance income
supplement payments lie with child endowment introduced in 1941.
Payments were initially made on a monthly basis but this changed to
payment by fortnightly instalment from December 1988.
The regime of making payment in respect of a
period in arrears in relation to income support payments has its
origins in the unemployment and sickness benefits originally
introduced in 1944. It seemed more sensible to pay in arrears
rather than for a period in the future during which a person's
entitlement to payment may change.
- For example see section 408GC, 'Instalment for period less than
a week' in relation to widow allowance.
- Youth allowance, widow allowance, newstart allowance, sickness
allowance, partner allowance and mature age allowance.
- This represents a potential beneficial change for recipients
who report changes within 7 days of the event. They will get the
benefit of any rate of increase from the date of the event. This,
in part, is more generous than the existing rules, in which the
rate increase does not occur until the next pension payday after
the date of event, which can be anything from one to thirteen days
later.
- The following section references provide a guide to locating
date of effect of determination amendments specified in Schedule 3
of the Bill: section 137 disability support pension,
section 176 wife pension, section 226 carer
payment, section 345 bereavement allowance, section
393 widow B pension, section 408LB widow allowance,
section 508C parenting allowance, section 563B
youth allowance, section 660B newstart allowance,
section 728GA sickness allowance, section 762
special benefit, section 771NHA partner allowance,
section 812 special needs pension, section 875
family allowance, section 900AZP family tax payment,
section 982 child disability allowance, section
1027 double orphan pension and section 1061PZT
pensioner education supplement.
- The following section references provide a guide to locating
date of effect of determination amendments specified in Schedule 3
of the Bill: section 137 disability support pension,
section 176 wife pension, section 226 carer
payment, section 345 bereavement allowance, section
393 widow B pension, section 408LB widow allowance,
section 508C parenting allowance, section 563B
youth allowance, section 660B newstart allowance,
section 728GA sickness allowance, section 762
special benefit, section 771NHA partner allowance,
section 812 special needs pension, section 875
family allowance, section 900AZP family tax payment,
section 982 child disability allowance, section
1027 double orphan pension and section 1061PZT
pensioner education supplement.
- An example from the Explanatory Memorandum to the Bill: Andrew
receives a disability support pension. He decides that he would
prefer to be paid on a Tuesday in the week in which his "normal"
Thursday payday would occur. Because his "new" payday has been
moved two days closer to his last "normal" payday (ie the pension
payday of 24 June 1999), Andrew will receive a "transitional"
instalment of his disability support pension on his first "new"
payday after 1 July 1999 which is 12/14ths of the instalment he
would otherwise have received if he had continued to be paid on his
"normal" payday.
- In Schedule 6, 'first new instalment period', in relation to a
person, means the first instalment period after the end of a
transitional instalment period that ends on or after 30 June 1999
and relates to a social security payment being received by the
person. Item 3(1).
Lesley Lang
23 November 1998
Bills Digest Service
Information and Research Services
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ISSN 1328-8091
© Commonwealth of Australia 1998
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Published by the Department of the Parliamentary Library,
1998.
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