A Bill for an Act to amend the Social Security Act 1991, and for related purposes
The Parliament of Australia enacts:
1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the Social Security Amendment (Caring for People on Newstart) Act 2014.
2 Commencement
(1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.
| Commencement information |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
| Provision(s) | Commencement | Date/Details |
| 1. Sections 1 to 3 and anything in this Act not elsewhere covered by this table | The day this Act receives the Royal Assent. | |
| 2. Schedule 1 | The 28th day after this Act receives the Royal Assent. | |
Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.
(2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.
3 Schedule(s)
Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.
Schedule 1—Amendments
Part 1—Newstart amendments
Social Security Act 1991
1 Point 1068‑A1 (method statement, before step 2)
Insert:
Step 1C. Work out the newstart supplement amount (if any) using Module CA below.
2 Section 1068 (after Module C)
Insert:
Module CA—Newstart supplement
Newstart supplement
1068‑CA1 A newstart supplement amount is to be added to the person’s maximum basic rate if:
(a) the person is qualified for a newstart allowance in respect of a period; and
(b) the person’s family situation is covered by item 4A, 4B, 5, 9 or 11 of the table in point 1068‑B1.
1068‑CA2 The person’s newstart supplement amount is $100.
Part 2—Youth allowance amendments
Social Security Act 1991
3 Point 1067G‑B3 (table item 1, column 3)
Omit “$145.40”, substitute “$245.40”.
4 Point 1067G‑B3 (table item 2, column 3)
Omit “$174.80”, substitute “$274.80”.
5 Point 1067G‑B3 (table item 3, column 3)
Omit “$145.40”, substitute “$245.40”.
6 Point 1067G‑B3 (table item 4, column 3)
Omit “$174.80”, substitute “$274.80”.
7 Point 1067G‑B3 (table item 5, column 3)
Omit “$265.50”, substitute “$365.50”.
8 Point 1067G‑B3 (table item 6, column 3)
Omit “$347.80”, substitute “$447.80”.
9 Point 1067G‑B3 (table item 8, column 3)
Omit “$265.50”, substitute “$365.50”.
10 Point 1067G‑B4 (table item 3, column 3)
Omit “$227.20”, substitute “$327.20”.
11 Point 1067G‑B4 (table item 4, column 3)
Omit “$341.40”, substitute “$441.40”.
Part 3—Indexation amendments
Social Security Act 1991
12 Section 1190 (at the end of the table)
Add:
| 72. | Newstart supplement | NEW | points 1068‑CA1 and 1068‑CA2 |
13 Subsection 1191(1) (at the end of the table)
Add:
| 44. | NEW | 1 July | December | highest December quarter before reference quarter (but not earlier than the December quarter of 2012) | $1.00 |
14 At the end of Division 2 of Part 3.16
Add:
1195A Indexation of certain newstart amounts
(1) This section applies to the following amounts (the starting amounts):
(a) the amount referred to in column 2 of item 1 of the table in subsection 1191(1);
(b) the amount referred to in column 2 of item 1A of the table in subsection 1191(1);
(c) the amount referred to in column 2 of item 1B of the table in subsection 1191(1);
(d) the amount referred to in column 2 of item 1C of the table in subsection 1191(1);
(e) the amount referred to in column 2 of item 2 of the table in subsection 1191(1);
(f) the amount referred to in column 2 of item 3 of the table in subsection 1191(1);
(g) the amount referred to in column 2 of item 3A of the table in subsection 1191(1);
(h) the amount referred to in column 2 of item 3B of the table in subsection 1191(1);
(i) the amount referred to in column 2 of item 4 of the table in subsection 1191(1);
(j) the amount referred to in column 2 of item 9 of the table in subsection 1191(1);
(k) the amount referred to in column 2 of item 10 of the table in subsection 1191(1);
(l) the amount referred to in column 2 of item 27 of the table in subsection 1191(1);
(m) the amount referred to in column 2 of item 44 of the table in subsection 1191(1).
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Part, the starting amount is to be indexed under this Division on each indexation day for the amount, using the following method statement:
Method statement
Step 1. Work out the CPI indexed amount by indexing the starting amount on each indexation day for the amount in accordance with section 1191.
Step 2. Work out the MTAWE indexed amount by indexing the starting amount on each indexation day for the amount by:
(a) treating the starting amount as a category A amount for the purposes of section 1195; and
(b) applying the rules in section 1195 to that amount.
Step 3. Work out the pensioner and beneficiary living cost index amount by indexing the starting amount on each indexation day for the amount in accordance with section 1196.
Step 4. The indexed amount of the starting amount is the highest of the CPI indexed amount, the MTAWE indexed amount and the pensioner and beneficiary living cost index amount.
Part 4—Other amendments
Social Security (Administration) Act 1999
15 Section 242
Before “Payments”, insert “(1)”.
16 At the end of section 242
Add:
(2) Payments for the purposes of the 1991 Act, to the extent that Act was amended by the Social Security Amendment (Caring for People on Newstart) Act 2014, are to be made out of money appropriated by the Parliament for those purposes.