Summary

Amends: nine Acts to provide a mechanism (a ‘recoverable payment’) to provide authority for inadvertent overpayments of certain benefits and for their recovery;

to enable the Commissioner of Taxation to make a ‘recoverable advance’ of an amount to which the recipient may become entitled to in future because the likely cost of not making these payments would exceed the total of the advance; seven Acts to authorise the Commonwealth to make ‘recoverable death payments’ to recipients until ComSuper or the relevant secretary is notified of the recipient’s death; eight Acts to require that where recoverable payments, advances or death payments are made, the relevant secretary or chief executive ensures that a report is published; 11 Acts to align administrative processes for making certain payments with the relevant legislation; to enable the Chief Executive Officer to delegate certain functions and powers; to clarify that an expenditure program may be approved by the minister after payments are required to be made; and to clarify that the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation’s (CSC) ability to recover amounts of benefit paid applies only to amounts paid by CSC. Also validates certain benefits under the to regularise the treatment of certain benefit recipients.