Part D—Income Management

Chapters

13. Income Management—Social Security Law

Proposals and Questions in this Part

Proposal 13–1        The Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 (Cth)and the Guide to Social Security Law should be amended to ensure that a person or persons experiencing family violence are not subject to Compulsory Income Management.

Question 13–1      Are there particular needs of people experiencing family violence, who receive income management, that have not been identified?

Proposal 13–2        In order to inform the development of a voluntary income management system, the Australian Government should commission an independent assessment of voluntary income management on people experiencing family violence, including the consideration of the Cape York Welfare Reform model of income management.

Proposal 13–3       Based on the assessment of the Cape York Welfare Reform model of income management in Proposal 13–2, the Australian Government should amend the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 (Cth) and the Guide to Social Security Law to create a more flexible Voluntary Income Management model.

Question 13–2      In what other ways, if any, could Commonwealth social security law and practice be improved to better protect the safety of people experiencing family violence?

Proposal 13–4        Priority needs, for the purposes of s 123TH of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 (Cth) are goods and services that are not excluded for the welfare recipient to purchase. The definition of ‘priority needs’ in s 123TH and the Guide to Social Security Law should be amended to include travel or other crisis needs for people experiencing family violence.