Bills Digest no. 78 2015–16
PDF version [668KB]
WARNING: This Digest was prepared for debate. It reflects the legislation as introduced and does not canvass subsequent amendments. This Digest does not have any official legal status. Other sources should be consulted to determine the subsequent official status of the Bill.
Don Arthur
Social Policy Section
1 October 2015
Contents
The Bills Digest at a
glance
Purpose
Background
Committee
consideration
Policy
position of non-government parties/independents
Position
of major interest groups
Financial
implications
Statement
of Compatibility with Human Rights
Key
issues and provisions
Date introduced: 2
December 2015
House: House of
Representatives
Portfolio: Social
Services
Commencement: Sections 1 to 3 and Schedule 4 commence on Royal Assent. Schedules 2 and 3
commence on 1 January 2016 and Schedule 1 on 1 January 2017.
Links: The links to the Bill,
its Explanatory Memorandum and second reading speech can be found on the
Bill’s home page, or through the Australian
Parliament website.
When Bills have been passed and have received Royal Assent, they
become Acts, which can be found at the ComLaw
website.
- The
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015 reintroduces
four savings measures previously included in earlier Bills.
- The
Government announced the first measure, earlier proportional payment of
pensions outside Australia (Schedule 1), in the 2015 budget. The remaining
three measures, which were first announced in the 2014 budget, are:
- cease
pensioner education supplement (Schedule 2)
- cease
education entry payment (Schedule 3) and
- pausing
indexation for three years of:
- the
income free areas for all working age allowances (other than student payments)
and for parenting payment single
- the
income free areas and other means test thresholds for student payments,
including student income bank limits (Schedule 4).
- All
of the measures in the Bill are savings measures. Much of the criticism from
interest groups relates to the claim that the savings come at the expense of
people who are on low incomes.
- The
measure on earlier proportional payment of pensions outside Australia is
attracting the most attention from the public. This measure achieves savings by
reducing the period of time some pensioners can receive the full means tested
rate of payment while they are overseas from 26 weeks to six weeks.
The purpose of the Social Services Legislation Amendment
(Budget Repair) Bill 2015 (the Bill) is to amend eight Acts, including the Social
Security Act 1991[1],
Social Security (Administration) Act 1999[2],
A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999[3],
Farm Household Support Act 2014[4],
Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986[5],
and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997[6]
to re-introduce four savings measures previously introduced in earlier Bills.
The Bill contains four schedules with each schedule dealing
with a single measure (see table below).
Table 1: List of measures and previous Bills where the
measure has appeared
The Government announced the first measure, earlier
proportional payment of pensions outside Australia (Schedule 1), in the 2015
budget.[9]
The remaining three measures were first announced in the 2014 budget. These are:
- cease
pensioner education supplement (Schedule 2)[10]
- cease
education entry payment (Schedule 3)[11]
and
- pausing
indexation for three years of:
- the
income free areas for all working age allowances (other than student payments)
and for parenting payment single and
- the
income free areas and other means test thresholds for student payments,
including student income bank limits (Schedule 4).[12]
Proportional payment of pensions
outside Australia
An income support payment is ‘portable’ when a recipient can
continue to receive the payment when they are overseas. Portability varies by
payment type and the recipient’s circumstances. For most payments portability
is temporary (usually limited to six weeks). However, in most circumstances,
recipients of the Age Pension can continue to receive payment indefinitely.
This is known as unlimited portability.[13]
A limited number of recipients of Wife Pension, Widow B Pension and Disability
Support Pension also have unlimited portability.[14]
While income support recipients with unlimited portability
can continue to receive a payment indefinitely while overseas, those who have
not resided in Australia for at least 35 years (between the age of 16 and
pension age) currently receive a reduced amount after they have been overseas
for more than 26 weeks.
The reduction in payment is based on the period of time
the person has resided in Australia between the age of 16 and pension age. This
is known as their Australian Working Life Residence (AWLR). The payment rate is
calculated by dividing the AWLR by 35. For example, a person who has resided in
Australia for 10 years between 16 and age pension age will usually receive
10/35ths of the full means tested rate.[15]
This reduction in payments is known as ‘proportionality’.
Pensioner Education Supplement and
Education Entry Payment
Pensioner Education Supplement
The Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) helps eligible
income support recipients meet some of the ongoing costs associated with study.
The rationale for making the payment is to improve recipients’ later employment
prospects.[16]
PES is not means tested and is non-taxable. Depending on
their study load, eligible students receive $62.40 or $31.20 per fortnight.[17]
It is available to recipients of Parenting Payment (single), Disability Support
Pension, Carer Payment, Widow B Pension, Widow Allowance, Wife Pension, and
certain other groups of income support recipients (including recipients of some
Veterans’ Affairs payments).[18]
There is a separate ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement
available to Indigenous income support recipients.[19]
As the ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement is not administered under the Social
Security Act 1991 it is not affected by this measure (ABSTUDY is governed
by the ABSTUDY Policy Manual).[20]
The National Commission of Audit noted that recipients of
the PES received the payment during vacation periods as well as during study
terms or semesters. The Commission recommended ‘that the Supplement only be
provided to recipients during study terms or semesters.’[21]
Education Entry Payment
The Education Entry Payment is a taxable lump sum payment of
$208 to help recipients meet the up-front costs of education and training. It
is paid once a year.[22]
The National Commission of Audit recommended that the
Education Entry Payment be abolished, partly on the grounds that it duplicated
the assistance available through the PES.[23]
Pause indexation for three years of
income free areas
Indexation of income free areas was explained in the Bills Digest
for the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures
No. 1) Bill 2014:
Currently, the income test free area for a single person for
most of the working age income support allowance payments is $100 per
fortnight. The free area is $200 a fortnight (combined) for partnered persons.
Once income is in excess of these free areas in a fortnight, the maximum rate
payable is reduced by 50 cents for each dollar of income over the free area.
Income over $250 in a fortnight reduces the rate by 60 cents in each dollar.
These income test free areas are indexed once a year on 1 July to increases in
the [Consumer Price Index] CPI. The working age income support allowance
payments that use this income test are Newstart Allowance, Widow Allowance,
Partner Allowance and Sickness Allowance.[24]
Since that digest was published the income free areas have
been indexed. The current income test free area is $102 per fortnight; payments
are reduced by 50 cents for each dollar between $102 and $252, and 60 cents for
each dollar over $252.[25]
Further background about the indexation of income free areas is available in
the Bills digest for the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014
Budget Measures No. 1) Bill 2014.[26]
Senate Community Affairs
Legislation Committee
The Bill has been referred to the Senate Community Affairs
Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 4 February 2016. Details
of the inquiry are at: Social
Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015.
Senate Standing Committee for the
Scrutiny of Bills
The Bill has yet to be considered by the Senate Standing
Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills. The Committee did not raise concerns about
any of the measures when they were put forward in earlier Bills.[27]
Opposition and Greens Senators have commented on these
measures in committee. As of 3 February 2016 no public comments from
independent members or senators have been identified.
Proportional payment of pensions
outside Australia
When this measure was included in an earlier Bill, Labor
Senators on the Community Affairs Legislation Committee did not support it and
recommended that it be removed.[28]
They did so on the basis that there had been:
... significant concerns raised in submissions about the
changes to proportional payment of pension overseas, and the likelihood that
these will have a detrimental impact on pensioners who have lived in Australia
for many years, but who wish to spend time overseas in retirement.[29]
Greens Senators did not state a position on the measure in
their additional comments because it had already been removed from the Bill.
Cease pensioner education
supplement
When this measure was included in an earlier Bill, Labor
Senators on the Community Affairs Legislation Committee did not support it and recommended
that it be removed.[30]
The Greens have also opposed this measure.[31]
Labor Senators argued that:
... this cut provides a strong disincentive for people to
remain engaged in study. It is particularly contradictory for the Government to
profess to want to encourage people into work, but then cut support for people
to undertake study, at the same time as they cut their income. This will only
make it harder for people with disability and carers to access training and
education and therefore find suitable jobs.[32]
Greens Senators also argued that ceasing the PES would
reduce vulnerable income support recipients’ access to education.[33]
Cease education entry payment
When this measure was considered by the Community Affairs
Legislation Committee Labor Senators did not support it and recommended that it
be removed from the Bill.[34]
The Greens have also opposed this measure.[35]
Labor Senators argued that, along with the abolition of the
PES, this measure ‘directly contradicts any claim that the government is
supporting low-income people to study.’[36]
Greens Senators argued that:
If the government is invested in the study and training of
people on income support, ceasing the pensioner education supplement and the
education entry payment makes no sense.[37]
Pause indexation for three years of
income free areas
When this measure was considered by the Community Affairs
Legislation Committee Labor Senators recommended that the measure be rejected:
Due to the likely negative impacts on jobseekers financial
position and the reduced incentive to work Labor Senators are of the view that
this measure should be rejected.[38]
The Greens also rejected the measure. According to their
dissenting report:
Freezing free areas reduces incentives to work which is at
odds with the government's other policies which are ostensibly aimed at
encouraging people into work.[39]
All of the measures in the Bill are savings measures. Much
of the criticism from interest groups relates to the idea that the savings should
come at the expense of people who are on low incomes.
Proportional payment of pensions
outside Australia
UnitingCare Australia supported this measure when it was put
forward in the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Fair and Sustainable
Pensions) Bill 2015 on the grounds ‘that budget expenditure should be targeted
to those most vulnerable’.[40]
However, the measure is opposed by a number of other groups
including the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia (FECCA), the
Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS), the Combined Pensioners and
Superannuants Association (CPSA), COTA Australia, and the National Welfare
Rights Network (NWRN).[41]
FECCA argues that treating migrants differently to those
born in Australia is an equity issue and notes that:
Nearly 40 per cent of those receiving the Age Pension were
not born in Australia. It is concerning to see tightening of portability
provisions, as they will disadvantage a significant section of the Australian
population who were born overseas and maintain important ties with their places
of birth.[42]
The Welfare Rights Centre Sydney shares the concerns of
FECCA and notes that: ‘Family issues, including bereavement and caring
responsibilities may dictate that overseas stays need to be for extended
periods of time.’[43]
The CPSA argues that: ‘Those who travel to care for friends and relatives (or
to be cared for themselves) will be particularly affected.’[44]
Cease pensioner education
supplement and cease education entry payment
These measures have been opposed by a number of major
interest groups including ACOSS, the NWRN, the Refugee Council of Australia, and
the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).[45]
The AASW is particularly concerned about the effect ending
the pensioner education supplement will have on recipients of the Disability
Support Pension (DSP). In their submission they report the results of a survey
that found social work students on DSP were more likely than other social work
students to regularly go without food or other necessities (55 per cent for DSP
students compared with 30 per cent for all social work students). According to
the AASW submission ‘[t]he evidence suggests that the well-targeted Pensioner
Education Supplement should be increased rather than removed.’[46]
Pause indexation for three years of
income free areas
This measure has been opposed by a number of major interest
groups including ACOSS, the NWRN, the Salvation Army, and the St Vincent de
Paul Society.[47]
In its submission on the Bill, ACOSS argues that ‘[i]income
free areas should not be adjusted through ad-hoc freezing of indexation to
achieve short term budget savings at the expense of reducing the incomes of
people on low wages.’[48]
The National Welfare Rights Network argues that governments need to address the
problems of adequacy and incentives in working age payments and that: ‘[t]o
propose undermining existing free areas by freezing indexation, in the face of
clear inadequacy of workforce age payments, is indefensible.’[49]
The Salvation Army argues that this measure reduces incentives to work and
‘reduces incomes solely for the purposes of budget savings ...’[50]
According to the figures set out in the Explanatory Memorandum
to the Bill, the total expected budget savings over the forward estimates
period for the four measures in the Bill would be $579 million.[51]
Table 2: Financial impact over the forward estimates by
measure
|
Measure
|
Financial impact over the forward estimates (savings)
|
|
Proportional payment of pensions outside Australia
|
$168.4 million
|
|
Pensioner education supplement
|
$252.4 million*
|
|
Education entry payment
|
$64.4 million*
|
|
Indexation
|
$93.8 million*
|
* Financial impact refers to administered funding for affected
social security payments only and is not net of implementation funding.
Source: Explanatory
Memorandum, Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015,
accessed 1 February 2016.
As required under Part 3 of the Human Rights
(Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011 (Cth), the Government has assessed the Bill’s
compatibility with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the
international instruments listed in section 3 of that Act. The Government
considers that the Bill is compatible.[52]
Parliamentary Joint Committee on
Human Rights
The current Bill has yet to be considered by the
Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights (PJCHR). However, since each of
the Bill’s measures has previously been put forward in earlier Bills the Committee
has had an opportunity to raise concerns. It has not done so.
Table 3: Response by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on
Human Rights by measure
Schedule 1—Proportional payment of
pensions outside Australia
This measure was announced in the 2015–16 Budget and was first
introduced in the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Fair and Sustainable
Pensions) Bill 2015. The government removed the measure to secure passage of that
Bill through the Senate.
The measure achieves savings by reducing the period of time
some pensioners can receive the full means tested rate of payment while they
are overseas from 26 weeks to six weeks. It affects recipients of the age
pension and a limited number of recipients of Widow B Pension, Wife Pension,
and Disability Support Pension who have unlimited portability and who have
resided in Australia for less than 35 years between the age of 16 and age
pension age.
The changes would commence from 1 January 2017.
Amendments to the Social
Security Act 1991
Items 1 to 4 of Schedule 1 of the Bill
apply the measure by omitting references to ‘26 weeks’ and substituting ‘6
weeks’ in sections referring to proportionality (see Table 4).[57]
Item 5 is an application provision, which provides that the amendments
only apply to periods of absence from Australia starting on or after
1 January 2017.
Table 4: Amendments to the Social Security Act 1991
|
Item 1: Subsection 1214(1) (note 2)
|
Payments that are portable with no time limit—a
consequential amendment is made to Note 2 to change the time period to ‘6
weeks’.
|
|
Item 2: Paragraph 1220A(a)
|
Proportionality—age pension rate
|
|
Item 3: Paragraph 1220B(1)(a)
|
Proportionality—Disability Support Pension rate for a
severely disabled person
|
|
Item 4: Paragraph 1221(1)(a)
|
Proportionality—wife pension and widow B pension rate for
entitled persons
|
Recent media coverage
Judith Ireland recently reported that the Government ‘is under
fire from migrant and refugee groups, who say a plan to limit the time
pensioners can spend in another country before their pension is cut discriminates
against Australians born overseas.’[58]
Schedule 2—Cease pensioner education supplement
Under Schedule 2 of the Bill, the Pensioner Education
Supplement will cease. Schedule 2 amends the Social Security Act 1991,
the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999, A New Tax System
(Family Assistance) Act 1999, Farm Household Support Act 2014 and Income
Tax Assessment Act 1997. Item 17 of Schedule 2 repeals Part 2.24A
of the Social Security Act 1991 which regulates the Pensioner Education
Supplement. This Schedule is expressed to commence as from 1 January 2016 and
will have retrospective effect if the Bill is passed.
Schedule 3— Cease Education Entry
payment
Under Schedule 3 of the Bill the Education Entry
Payment will cease. The Schedule amends the Social Security Act 1991, the
Social Security (Administration) Act 1999, Veterans’ Entitlements Act
1986, Farm Household Support Act 2014, Income Tax Assessment Act 1936, Income
Tax Assessment Act 1997 and the Taxation Administration Act 1953.
Item 3 of Schedule 3 of the Bill repeals Part
2.13A of the Social Security Act 1991 which currently regulates the
education entry payment.
Other than the delayed commencement of the measure from 1
January 2015 to 1 January 2016, there are no differences between the amendments
proposed by Schedules 2 and 3 of this Bill and Schedules 6 and 7 of the Social
Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 2) Bill
2014. These measures are explained in the Bills Digest for that earlier Bill.[59]
This Schedule is expressed to commence on 1 January 2016 and if passed will
mean that the provisions have retrospective effect.
Schedule 4—Indexation
Pause indexation for three years of
income free areas
Schedule 4 of the Bill amends the Social Security Act
1991 to:
- pause
the indexation of income free areas for all working age allowances (other than
student payments) and for parenting payment single; and
- pause
the indexation of income free areas and other means test thresholds for student
payments, including the student income bank limits.
If passed, indexation for the income test free areas for
non-student payment allowances and Parenting Payment Single will start again on
1 July 2019, and indexation of the income test free areas and means test limits
for student payments will start again on 1 January 2019.[60]
This measure was last introduced as part of the Social Services Legislation
Amendment (Youth Employment and Other Measures) Bill 2015. As the Bills Digest
for that Bill explained:
These means test levels are usually adjusted once a year (on
either 1 January or 1 July) in line with movements in the CPI. Pausing
indexation (that is, not adjusting the amounts) is a simple way of finding
budget savings without directly cutting benefits or limiting eligibility. The
threshold amounts will decline in real value over time and savings arise as
payment rates are reduced as recipients’ income and assets gradually increase
beyond the relevant thresholds.[61]
This measure is explained in the Bills Digest for the
Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 1) Bill
2014.[62]
Members, Senators and Parliamentary staff can obtain
further information from the Parliamentary Library on (02) 6277 2500.
[1]. Social Security Act 1991,
accessed 28 January 2016.
[2]. Social Security (Administration)
Act 1999, accessed 28 January 2016.
[3]. A New Tax System (Family
Assistance) Act 1999, accessed 28 January 2016.
[4]. Farm Household Support
Act 2014, accessed 28 January 2016.
[5]. Veterans’ Entitlements
Act 1986, accessed 28 January 2016.
[6]. Income Tax Assessment
Act 1997, accessed 28 January 2016.
[7]. The
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Pensions) Bill 2015
passed both Houses on 22 June 2015 and received Royal Assent on 30 June 2015—see
Social Services
Legislation Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Pensions) Act 2015,
accessed 2 February 2016.
[8]. Parliament
of Australia, Final
Senate Bills List for 2014, 15 December 2014, accessed 1 February 2016.
[9]. Australian
Government, Budget
measures: budget paper no. 2 2015–16, p. 150, accessed 17 December
2015.
[10]. Australian
Government, Budget
measures: budget paper no. 2 2014–15, p. 206, accessed 17 December
2015.
[11]. Ibid.,
p. 197.
[12]. Department
of Human Services (DHS), ‘Budget
2014-15: Maintain eligibility thresholds for Australian Government payments for
three years’, DHS website, accessed 17 December 2015.
[13]. Department
of Social Services (DSS), ‘Portability
of Australian income support payments’, DSS website, accessed 21 January
2016.
[14]. For
details on the application of portability rules see: DSS, ‘7.1.2.20
Application of Portability Rules (Portability Table)’, Guide to social
security law, version 1.218, released 4 January 2016, DSS website, last
updated 4 January 2016, accessed 21 January 2016.
[15]. DHS,
‘Age
Pension while travelling outside Australia’, DHS website, accessed 21
January 2016.
[16]. DSS,
‘1.2.7.30
Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) – Description’, Guide to social
security law, 4 January 2016, accessed 29 January 2016.
[17]. Ibid.
[18]. DSS,
‘Pensioner
Education Supplement’, DSS website, accessed 29 January 2016.
[19]. DSS,
ABSTUDY policy
manual, DSS, 1 January 2016, pp. 237–240, accessed 1 February 2016.
[20]. Ibid.
[21]. National
Commission of Audit, Towards
responsible government: the report of the National Commission of Audit, phase
two, National Commission of Audit, Canberra, March 2014, pp. 107–108,
accessed 1 February 2016.
[22]. DSS,
‘1.2.7.60
Education Entry Payment (EdEP) – Description’, Guide to social security
law, version 1.218, released 4 January 2016, DSS website, last updated 2
January 2013, accessed 29 January 2016.
[23]. National
Commission of Audit, op. cit., p. 107.
[24]. P
Yeend and L Buckmaster, ‘Social
Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 1) Bill 2014’,
Bills digest, 14, 2014–15, Parliamentary Library, Canberra, p. 12, accessed 1
February 2016.
[25]. DHS,
‘Income
test for Newstart Allowance, Partner Allowance, Sickness Allowance and Widow
Allowance’, DHS web site, accessed 29 January 2016.
[26]. P
Yeend and L Buckmaster, op. cit., p. 12.
[27]. Standing
Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, Alert
digest, 7, 2014, 25 June 2014, pp.35–41 (Social Services and Other
Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 1) Bill 2014 and Social
Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 2) Bill
2014); Alert
digest, 14, 2014, 29 October 2014, p. 49 (Social Services and Other
Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 4) Bill 2014); Alert
digest, 6, 2015, 17 June 2015, pp.53 and 55 (Social Services
Legislation Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Pensions) Bill 2015 and Social Services
Legislation Amendment (Youth Employment and Other Measures) Bill 2015), all
accessed 2 February 2016.
[28]. Senate
Community Affairs Legislation Committee, Social
Services Legislation Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Pensions) Bill 2015
[Provisions], The Senate, Canberra, June 2015, pp. 30–31, accessed 14
January 2016.
[29]. Ibid.,
p. 30–31.
[30]. Ibid.,
p. 31.
[31]. Senate
Community Affairs Legislation Committee, Social
Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 1) Bill 2014
[Provisions] and Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014
Budget Measures No. 2) Bill 2014 [Provisions], The Senate, Canberra, June 2015, p. 66,
accessed 14 January 2016.
[32]. Ibid.,
p. 51.
[33]. Ibid.,
p. 66.
[34]. Ibid.,
p. 31. Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee, Social
Services Legislation Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Pensions) Bill 2015
[Provisions], The Senate, Canberra, June 2015, p. 31, accessed 14
January 2016.
[35]. Senate
Community Affairs Legislation Committee, Social
Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 1) Bill 2014
[Provisions] and Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014
Budget Measures No. 2) Bill 2014 [Provisions], The Senate, Canberra, June 2015, p. 66,
accessed 14 January 2016.
[36]. Ibid.,
p. 53.
[37]. Ibid.,
p. 66.
[38]. Senate
Community Affairs Legislation Committee, Social
Services Legislation Amendment (Youth Employment and Other Measures) Bill 2015
[Provisions], The Senate, Canberra, June 2015, p. 24, accessed 3
February2016.
[39]. Ibid.,
p. 33.
[40]. UnitingCare
Australia, Submission
to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, Inquiry into the
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015, 11 June
2015, pp. 1–2.
[41]. FECCA,
Submission
to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, Inquiry into the
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015, 14 January
2016; ACOSS, Submission
to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, Inquiry into the
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015, 18 January
2016; CPSA, Submission
to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, Inquiry into the
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015, January
2016; COTA, Submission
to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, Inquiry into the
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Pensions) Bill 2015,
15 June 2015, pp. 6–7; NWRN, Submission
to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, Inquiry into the
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015, 15 January
2016, all accessed 1 February 2016.
[42]. FECCA,
op. cit., p. 1.
[43]. Welfare
Rights Centre Sydney, Submission
to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, Inquiry into the
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015, 15 January
2016, pp. 2–3, accessed 3 February 2016.
[44]. CPSA,
op. cit., p. 3.
[45]. ACOSS,
Submission
to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, Inquiry into the
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015, 18 January
2016; NWRN, Submission
to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, Inquiry into the
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015, 15 January
2016; Refugee Council of Australia, Submission
to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, Inquiry into the
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015, January
2016; AASW, Submission
to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, Inquiry into the
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015, January
2016; all accessed 1 February 2016.
[46]. AASW,
op. cit., p. 4.
[47]. ACOSS,
Submission
to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, Inquiry into the
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015, 18
January 2016; NWRN, Submission
to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, Inquiry into the
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015, 15 January
2016; The Salvation Army Australia, Submission
to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, Inquiry into the
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015, 18 January
2016; St Vincent de Paul Society National Council, Submission
to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, Inquiry into the
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill 2015, 18
January 2016; all accessed 1 February 2016.
[48]. ACOSS,
op. cit., p. 2.
[49]. NWRN,
op. cit. p. 5.
[50]. Salvation
Army, op. cit., p. 3.
[51]. Explanatory
Memorandum, Social Services Legislation Amendment (Budget Repair) Bill
2015, p. 1.
[52]. The
Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights can be found after page 13 of the
Explanatory Memorandum to the Bill.
[53]. Parliamentary
Joint Committee on Human Rights (PJCHR), Human
rights scrutiny report: Twenty-third report of the 44th Parliament, 18
June 2015, accessed 1 February 2016.
[54]. PJCHR,
Human
rights scrutiny report: Twelfth report of the 44th Parliament, 24
September 2015, accessed 1 February 2016.
[55]. Ibid.
[56]. Ibid.
[57]. Social Security Act 1991,
accessed 28 January 2016.
[58]. J
Ireland, ‘Travel
link to pension ‘discriminatory’’, Sydney Morning Herald, 25 January
2016, p. 4, accessed 1 February 2016.
[59]. C
Ey, M Klapdor, M Thomas and P Yeend, Social
Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 2) Bill 2014,
Bills digest, 16, 2014–15, Parliamentary Library, Canberra, pp. 30–32, accessed
1 February 2016.
[60]. Proposed
subsection 1192(5AAA) makes changes to the indexation of the pension free area.
Proposed subsection 1192(5AAB) makes changes to income test free areas and
means test limits for student payments. Item 24 of the table at 1191(1),which
proposed subsection 1192(5AAB) refers to, was repealed with effect from 1
January 2016 by item 18 of Schedule 1 to the Social Services
Legislation Amendment (More Generous Means Testing for Youth Payments) Act 2015,
accessed 2 February 2016.
[61]. M
Klapdor and M Thomas, Social
Services Legislation Amendment (Youth Employment and Other Measures) Bill 2015,
Bills digest, 16, 2014–15, Parliamentary Library, Canberra, p. 15, accessed 3
February 2016.
[62]. P
Yeend and L Buckmaster, Social
Services and Other Legislation Amendment (2014 Budget Measures No. 1) Bill 2014,
Bills digest, 14, 2014–15, Parliamentary Library, Canberra, pp. 30–32, accessed
1 February 2016.
For copyright reasons some linked items are only available to members of Parliament.
© Commonwealth of Australia
Creative Commons
With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, and to the extent that copyright subsists in a third party, this publication, its logo and front page design are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia licence.
In essence, you are free to copy and communicate this work in its current form for all non-commercial purposes, as long as you attribute the work to the author and abide by the other licence terms. The work cannot be adapted or modified in any way. Content from this publication should be attributed in the following way: Author(s), Title of publication, Series Name and No, Publisher, Date.
To the extent that copyright subsists in third party quotes it remains with the original owner and permission may be required to reuse the material.
Inquiries regarding the licence and any use of the publication are welcome to webmanager@aph.gov.au.
Disclaimer: Bills Digests are prepared to support the work of the Australian Parliament. They are produced under time and resource constraints and aim to be available in time for debate in the Chambers. The views expressed in Bills Digests do not reflect an official position of the Australian Parliamentary Library, nor do they constitute professional legal opinion. Bills Digests reflect the relevant legislation as introduced and do not canvass subsequent amendments or developments. Other sources should be consulted to determine the official status of the Bill.
Any concerns or complaints should be directed to the Parliamentary Librarian. Parliamentary Library staff are available to discuss the contents of publications with Senators and Members and their staff. To access this service, clients may contact the author or the Library‘s Central Entry Point for referral.