Summary

Amends: the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999 to: increase family tax benefit (FTB) Part A fortnightly rates by $20.02 for each FTB child in the family up to 19 years of age; remove the entitlement to FTB Part B for single parent families who are not single parents aged 60 or more or grandparents or great-grandparents from the start of the calendar year their youngest child turns 17 years of age; and phase out the FTB Part A and Part B end-of-year supplements; the Social Security Act 1991 to: increase certain youth allowance and disability support pension fortnightly rates by approximately $19.37 for recipients under 18 years of age; reduce from 26 to six weeks the period during which age pension and other payments with unlimited portability can be paid outside Australia at the means-tested rate; pause for three years the indexation of various income thresholds that apply to certain social security benefits and allowances and the income test free area for parenting payment single; extend and simplify the ordinary waiting period for all working age payments; extend youth allowance (other) to 22 to 24 year olds in lieu of newstart allowance and sickness allowance; and provide for a four-week waiting period for certain persons aged under 25 years applying for youth allowance (other) or special benefit and require these job seekers to complete certain pre-benefit activities; the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999 and A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999 to: cease the child care benefit (CCB) and child care rebate; introduce a child care subsidy (CCS) which is subject to both an income and activity test; introduce various rates of additional child care subsidy (ACCS) that are available in certain circumstances; and make amendments in relation to CCS and ACCS claims, reviews of decisions, provider approvals, and compliance obligations of approved providers of child care services; the Social Security Act 1991 and Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to abolish the pensioner education supplement; the Social Security Act 1991, Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 and Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 to abolish the education entry payment; six Acts to prevent new recipients of welfare payments or concession cards from being paid the energy supplement from 20 September 2017; the Social Security Act 1991 and Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 to cease the payment of pension supplement after six weeks temporary absence overseas and immediately for permanent departures; the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to enable automation of the regular income stream review process; the Social Security Act 1991, Farm Household Support Act 2014 and Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 to trial a social security income test incentive aimed at increasing the number of job seekers who undertake specified seasonal horticultural work, such as fruit picking; the Paid Parental Leave Act 2010 to: provide that parental leave pay under the Paid Parental Leave scheme will only be provided to parents who have no employer-provided paid primary carer leave, or whose employer-provided paid primary carer leave is for a period less than 20 weeks or is paid at a rate below the full-time national minimum wage; remove the requirement for employers to provide paid parental leave to eligible employees, unless an employer chooses to manage the payment to employees and the employees agree for the employer to pay them; and make amendments contingent on the commencement of the proposed Regulatory Powers (Standardisation Reform) Act 2017; and 11 Acts to make consequential amendments.