Contents
1............ Short title............................................................................................. 1
2............ Commencement................................................................................... 1
3............ Schedules............................................................................................ 2
Schedule 1—Amendments 3
Part 1—Newstart, sickness and widow allowance amendments 3
Social Security Act 1991 3
Part 2—Youth allowance amendments 4
Social Security Act 1991 4
Part 3—Austudy amendments 5
Social Security Act 1991 5
Part 4—Indexation amendments 6
Social Security Act 1991 6
Part 5—Other amendments 8
Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 8
Part 6—Amendments once Parts 1 to 5 of Schedule 1 to the Social Services Legislation (Welfare Reform) Act 2018 commence 9
Social Security Act 1991 9
A Bill for an Act to amend the law relating to social services, and for related purposes
The Parliament of Australia enacts:
1 Short title
This Act is the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Ending the Poverty Trap) Act 2018.
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 |
| Provisions | 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, Parts 1 to 5 | 1 January 2019. | |
| 3. Schedule 1, Part 6 | Immediately after the commencement of Parts 1 to 5 of Schedule 1 to the Social Services Legislation (Welfare Reform) Act 2018. However, the provisions do not commence at all if those Parts do not commence. | |
Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted.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 Schedules
Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.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, sickness and widow allowance 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, sickness allowance or widow allowance in respect of a period; and
(b) the person’s family situation is covered by item 3, 4, 4A, 4B, 5, 9 or 11 of Column 2 of the table in point 1068‑B1.
1068‑CA2 The person’s newstart supplement amount is $150.
Part 2—Youth allowance amendments
Social Security Act 1991
3 Point 1067G‑B2 (table item 3, column 3)
Omit “$265.50”, substitute “$415.50”.
4 Point 1067G‑B3 (table item 3, column 3)
Omit “$145.40”, substitute “$295.40”.
5 Point 1067G‑B3 (table item 4, column 3)
Omit “$174.80”, substitute “$324.80”.
6 Point 1067G‑B3 (table item 5, column 3)
Omit “$265.50”, substitute “$415.50”.
7 Point 1067G‑B3 (table item 6, column 3)
Omit “$347.80”, substitute “$497.80”.
8 Point 1067G‑B3 (table item 8, column 3)
Omit “$265.50”, substitute “$415.50”.
9 Point 1067G‑B4 (table item 2, column 3)
Omit “$341.40”, substitute “$491.40”.
10 Point 1067G‑B4 (table item 4, column 3)
Omit “$341.40”, substitute “$491.40”.
Part 3—Austudy amendments
Social Security Act 1991
11 Point 1067L‑B2 (table item 1, column 3)
Omit “$281.10”, substitute “$431.10”.
12 Point 1067L‑B2 (table item 3, column 3)
Omit “$368.30”, substitute “$518.30”.
13 Point 1067L‑B3 (table item 2, column 3)
Omit “$341.40”, substitute “$491.40”.
Part 4—Indexation amendments
Social Security Act 1991
14 Section 1190 (at the end of the table)
Add:
| 71. | Newstart supplement | NS | Benefit Rate Calculator B—point 1068‑CA2 |
15 Subsection 1191(1) (at the end of the table)
Add:
| 43. | NS | 1 July | December | highest December quarter before reference quarter (but not earlier than the December quarter of 2017) | $1.00 |
16 At the end of Division 2 of Part 3.16
Add:
1195A Indexation of certain payment rates
(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 43 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 1192.
Step 2. 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 3. The indexed amount of the starting amount is the highest of the CPI indexed amount and the pensioner and beneficiary living cost index amount.
Part 5—Other amendments
Social Security (Administration) Act 1999
17 Section 242
Before “Payments”, insert “(1)”.
18 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 Services Legislation Amendment (Ending the Poverty Trap) Act 2018, are to be made out of money appropriated by the Parliament for those purposes.
Part 6—Amendments once Parts 1 to 5 of Schedule 1 to the Social Services Legislation (Welfare Reform) Act 2018 commence
Social Security Act 1991
19 Paragraph 1068‑CA1(a)
Omit “newstart allowance”, substitute “jobseeker payment”.