Family and Community Services
Disability support — assistance for establishing private care arrangements for future care
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Family and Community Services | .. | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.2 |
The Government will provide $5.5 million over four years to provide family mediation and counselling services to parents and their families who are establishing private arrangements to help meet the future financial needs of a son or daughter with a severe disability. These services could include, for example, counselling to help address family disagreements over gifting bequests.
These services will be provided through local family mediation and counselling services funded through the Family Relationships Services Programme.
Further information can be found in the press release of 13 October 2005 issued by the Minister for Family and Community Services.
Disability support — further consultation and research
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Family and Community Services | - | 1.1 | 0.1 | - |
The Government will provide funding of $1.2 million over two years from 2006-07 to undertake research into the needs of carers in relation to the future care and support of sons and daughters with severe disabilities.
The measure will include consultation with parents and families that include people with severe disabilities and will explore ways that carers might make private provision for the future care of a person with a disability should they wish to do so.
Further information can be found in the press release of 13 October 2005 issued by the Minister for Family and Community Services.
Disability support — future care planning information package
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Family and Community Services | - | 2.4 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
The Government will provide $4.6 million over three years from 2006-07 to publish an information package on future care arrangements to assist parents of sons and daughters with disabilities. The package will include a guide on various support options, including advice on accessing financial and legal advice, and establishing co-operative housing and care arrangements.
Further information can be found in the press release of 13 October 2005 issued by the Minister for Family and Community Services.
Disability support — trusts and gifting exemption from assets test
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Family and Community Services | 0.9 | 19.7 | 69.7 | 104.1 |
| Centrelink | - | 5.4 | 2.4 | 2.6 |
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | .. | 1.6 | 4.6 | 6.8 |
| Total | 0.9 | 26.7 | 76.7 | 113.4 |
| Related capital ($m) | ||||
| Department of Veterans’ Affairs | 0.1 | 0.1 | - | - |
The Government will exempt assets gifted to trusts established to help provide for the future care of people with a severe disability from the social security and veterans’ assets test. This will apply for the first $500,000 held by a trust and the exemption will only be available for parents, guardians or immediate relatives of the person with the disability. The Government will also exempt related trust income, for the person with a severe disability, from social security and veterans’ affairs income tests. These changes are estimated to cost $217.9 million over four years (including $0.2 million in capital funding over two years from 2005-06). The measure will commence on 20 September 2006.
Further information can be found in the press release 13 October 2005 issued by the Minister for Family and Community Services.
Drought assistance — Family Relationships Services Programme
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Family and Community Services | 1.5 | 1.6 | - | - |
| Centrelink | 0.4 | 0.4 | - | - |
| Total | 2.0 | 2.0 | - | - |
The Government will provide $4.0 million from 2005-06 to 2006-07 for the Family Relationships Services Programme. Face-to-face and telephone counselling services will be provided to people in exceptional circumstances declared areas through Centrelink and the Department of Family and Community Services.
Further information can be found in the press release of 30 May 2005 issued by the Prime Minister.
Family assistance — changes to arrangements for separated couples
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Family and Community Services | 3.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 |
The Government will amend the family assistance reconciliation arrangements to allow Family Tax Benefit (FTB) recipients to reconcile their FTB even if their ex-partner has not lodged a tax return. This measure will commence on 1 January 2006 and is expected to cost $7.3 million over four years.
When parents separate, the current system enables a reconciliation of FTB payments in the year before separation even if one partner had not lodged a tax return for that year. However, it was not possible to reconcile the FTB entitlement in the second year before separation if either partner had not lodged their tax return for this year. This has prevented an FTB top-up payment in these situations where the recipient would have otherwise been entitled to such a payment.
This measure will also allow for those FTB and Child Care Benefit debts that exist solely because of the failure of an ex-partner to lodge a tax return to be written off.
Family Income Management Programme — additional funding
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Family and Community Services | 0.2 | - | - | - |
The Government will provide $0.2 million in additional funding for Family Income Management Programme centres in Aurukun, Coen and Mossman Gorge. This funding will enable their operation to continue until the end of the financial year while a review is undertaken to examine continued funding.
The Family Income Management Programme aims to develop the capacity of Indigenous Australians to manage their income effectively and achieve improved living standards.
Family Tax Benefit — preventing duplicate Rent Assistance payments
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centrelink | 3.7 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| Department of Family and Community Services | -4.0 | -4.1 | -4.2 | -4.3 |
| Total | -0.3 | -1.3 | -3.4 | -3.6 |
| Related capital ($m) | ||||
| Centrelink | 1.5 | - | - | - |
The Government has amended the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999, the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999, the Social Security Act 1991 and the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 to ensure that Family Assistance recipients are only entitled to receive Rent Assistance once through the family assistance and social security systems.
By preventing duplicate rent assistance payments, this measure is estimated to reduce Rent Assistance outlays by $16.6 million over four years, and will cost $9.5 million over four years to administer.
Floods — ex-gratia assistance to affected households
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Family and Community Services | 0.1 | - | - | - |
The Government will provide $94,000 in 2005-06 to make ex-gratia payments to assist those affected by the floods, which occurred in Virginia and Two Wells in South Australia and the Central West of New South Wales. Payments will be made where a household member was killed in the floods or the principal place of residence has been destroyed or otherwise rendered uninhabitable.
Further information can be found in the press release of 9 November 2005 issued by the Prime Minister.
Indigenous Land Reform — Home Ownership Incentive Programme
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Family and Community Services | - | - | - | - |
The Government will provide $5.0 million in 2005-06 under the Community Housing and Infrastructure Programme (CHIP) for the Home Ownership Incentive Programme on community title land. The programme will give those long-term tenants of Indigenous Community Housing Organisations (ICHOs) who have a capacity to repay a housing loan the option to purchase their home.
This represents an extension of the Home Ownership Incentive Scheme currently operating under CHIP on non-community land. The cost of this measure will be met from existing resources for the CHIP.
See also the related expense measures titled Indigenous Land Reform — Home Ownership on Indigenous Land Programme and Indigenous Land Reform — Northern Territory township tenure in the Employment and Workplace Relations, and Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs portfolios, respectively.
Further information can be found in the press release of 5 October 2005 issued by the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.
Institutional care — response to Senate Committee reports
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Family and Community Services | - | - | - | - |
The Government will provide $0.3 million over three years from 2005-06 to 2007-08 as part of its response to the two Senate Committee reports on children in institutional or foster care Forgotten Australians: a report on Australians who experienced institutional or out-of-home care as children and Protecting Vulnerable Children: a national challenge.
This measure will provide funding for a national conference of out-of-home care service providers and support organisations; organisations supporting children formerly in institutional care; suitable memorials commemorating people who were in institutional care; and a national conference on child protection.
In its response to the reports, the Government has also addressed issues relating to support for people who have left care, acknowledged what happened to children in institutional care and recognised State and Territory Governments’, non-government agencies’ and churches’ responsibility for the well being of children in institutional care.
The cost of this measure will be met from within the existing resourcing of the Department of Family and Community Services.
Further information can be found in the press release of 10 November 2005 issued by the Minister for Family and Community Services.
London Bombings — ex-gratia assistance
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Family and Community Services | 0.4 | 0.2 | .. | - |
| Centrelink | 0.3 | - | - | - |
| Total | 0.7 | 0.2 | - | - |
The Government will provide $1.0 million over three years to assist Australians affected by the 7 July 2005 bombings in London.
The Government will provide for reimbursement of reasonable costs not covered by insurance incurred in connection with the death or serious injury of an Australian as a result of the bombings. This will include funeral expenses, out-of-pocket medical costs, and the reasonable costs of counselling and psychological care for families of Australian victims and Australians who have lost non-Australian family members.
Further information can be found in the press release of 10 July 2005 issued by the Minister for Family and Community Services.
Reconnecting people — assistance package for those adversely affected by inappropriate immigration detention
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Family and Community Services | 1.8 | 0.6 | - | - |
| Centrelink | 0.7 | 0.1 | - | - |
| Total | 2.5 | 0.7 | - | - |
The Government will provide $3.1 million over two years from 2005-06 to help those adversely affected by inappropriate immigration detention re-establish themselves in the Australian community. The assistance package will provide affected people with support towards medical and accommodation costs, Centrelink case officers to help them access other programmes and services, personal assistance for essentials and travel costs to a permanent place of residence.
Further information can be found in the press release of 14 July 2005 issued by the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.
Stronger Families and Communities Strategy — additional funding for the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Children
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Family and Community Services | 3.1 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 1.0 |
The Government will provide an additional $10.6 million over six years, including $2.5 million in 2009-10 and $0.6 million in 2010-11, to complete the second, third and fourth surveys that will form part of the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Children.
The survey is a comprehensive national study of children and their families. It will help to establish an evidence base for future family and child policy formulation.
The Government originally provided $20.2 million over nine years for four waves of this survey as part of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy in the 2000-01 Budget.
Supported Accommodation Assistance Program — continuation of funding
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Family and Community Services | - | - | - | - |
The Government will provide $932.2 million over five years to the States and Territories as its contribution to the fifth Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP V).
The latest agreement, which commenced on 1 October 2005, governs the arrangements for the distribution of funding to the States and Territories to assist them to provide support for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The agreement includes the establishment of the Innovation and Investment Fund (the Fund) that will improve the delivery of services to homeless people. The costs of the Fund will be met jointly by the Australian Government and States and Territories.
This measure involves funding of $178.5 million in 2005-06, $182.5 million in 2006-07, $186.5 million in 2007‑08, $190.4 million in 2008-09 and $194.3 million in 2009-10. Provision for the conclusion of the SAAP V was already included in the forward estimates.
Further information can be found in the press release of 5 October 2005 issued by the Minister for Family and Community Services.
Welfare to Work — expanded eligibility for Carer Payment
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centrelink | 0.4 | -0.2 | -0.4 | -0.5 |
| Department of Family and Community Services | 0.3 | 21.5 | 33.0 | 37.6 |
| Department of Health and Ageing | - | 1.2 | 1.9 | 2.1 |
| Department of Employment and Workplace Relations | - | -9.9 | -15.1 | -17.1 |
| Total | 0.7 | 12.8 | 19.4 | 22.1 |
The Government will expand eligibility for Carer Payment to those individuals caring for children with severe intellectual, psychiatric or behavioural disabilities.
This measure, to be implemented on 1 July 2006, builds on the assistance provided to parents and people with disabilities in the Welfare to Work package announced in the 2005-06 Budget. It is expected to lead to additional expenses from the Department of Family and Community Services of $92.4 million over four years, comprising $92.0 million in Carer Payment and $0.4 million in administrative costs. It will also reduce other income support payments by an expected $36.8 million over four years as some recipients on other income support payments transfer to Carer Payment, and save $0.7 million in Centrelink administration costs. This is expected to cost $55.0 million over four years.
Further information can be found in the press release of 12 September 2005 issued by the Minister for Family and Community Services.