Summary

Amends the:

to reduce the qualifying period of employment of Australian Defence Force firefighters in relation to primary site oesophageal cancer from 25 years to 15 years and change the requirement for firefighting to have been a ‘substantial’ proportion of their duties to be a ‘not insubstantial’ proportion; and to allow payments and benefits from Commonwealth and State or Territory employment programs to not be considered as income for income support means testing purposes; to include a discretionary power to provide Commonwealth rent assistance beyond 26 weeks for eligible recipients who are temporarily absent from Australia and unable to return due to a prescribed event occurring; and , and to extend eligibility to the Defence, Veterans’ and Families’ Acute Support Package to grandparents who are full time carers of the children of a deceased veteran.