Home > Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook > Appendix A: Policy decisions taken since the 2013-14 Budget > Expense Measures - Social Services

Appendix A: Policy decisions taken since the 2013‑14 Budget (Continued)

Expense Measures (Continued)

Social Services

Aged Care Service Improvement and Healthy Ageing Grants Flexible Fund — redirection of funding

Expense ($m)
	2012‑13	2013‑14	2014‑15	2015‑16	2016‑17
Department of Social Services	‑	‑	‑10.0	‑10.0	‑

The Government will redirect $20.0 million over two years from the Aged Care Service Improvement and Healthy Ageing Grants Flexible Fund.

This funding was identified as a saving by the former Government to fund its election commitments and will be redirected by the Government to repair the Budget and fund policy priorities.

Building Better Regional Cities — redirection of funding

Expense ($m)
	2012‑13	2013‑14	2014‑15	2015‑16	2016‑17
Department of Social Services	‑	‑1.2	‑	‑	‑

The Government will redirect funding of $1.2 million from the Building Better Regional Cities programme to the Community Development Grants programme, which will support around 300 community projects promoting stable, secure and viable local and regional economies.

Savings from this programme were identified in the Government's pre‑election costings document.

Building Multicultural Communities Programme — cessation

Expense ($m)
	2012‑13	2013‑14	2014‑15	2015‑16	2016‑17
Department of Social Services	‑	‑11.5	‑	‑	‑
Total — Expense	‑	‑11.5	‑	‑	‑

The Government will achieve savings of $11.5 million by not proceeding with funding for the Building Multicultural Communities programme, announced in 2013‑14 Budget and extended in the 2013 Economic Statement.

This funding was identified by the former Government to fund its election commitments and will be redirected by the Government to repair the Budget and fund policy priorities.

Cessation of the trial of mandatory pre‑commitment technology in the Australian Capital Territory

Expense ($m)
	2012‑13	2013‑14	2014‑15	2015‑16	2016‑17
Department of Social Services	‑	‑21.6	‑22.0	‑	‑

The Government will achieve savings of $43.6 million over two years by ceasing funding for the trial of mandatory pre‑commitment technology on gaming machines in the Australian Capital Territory which was announced in the 2012‑13 Budget measure titled Tackling Problem Gambling — trial of mandatory pre‑commitment technology in the Australian Capital Territory.

The savings from this measure will be redirected by the Government to repair the Budget and fund policy priorities.

This measure implements the savings announced in the Government's pre‑election costings document.

Community Investment Programme — redirection of funding

Expense ($m)
	2012‑13	2013‑14	2014‑15	2015‑16	2016‑17
Department of Social Services	‑	‑0.1	‑5.9	‑3.2	‑3.2

The Government will achieve savings of $12.5 million over four years by redirecting funds from the Community Investment programme. The remaining funding for the programme is $180.7 million over four years from 2013‑14.

The programme provides funding to improve the responsiveness and integration of local community services to increase participation of vulnerable people in community life.

This funding was identified as a saving by the former Government to fund its election commitments and will be redirected by the Government to help repair the Budget and fund policy priorities.

Family and Parental Payments — extend period for receiving payments overseas

Expense ($m)
	2012‑13	2013‑14	2014‑15	2015‑16	2016‑17
Department of Social Services	‑	‑	0.4	0.5	0.5

The Government will provide $1.3 million over three years to extend the allowed period of temporary absence from Australia for accessing certain family and parental payments from one year to 56 weeks from 1 July 2014. This proposal amends the 2013‑14 Budget measure titled Family and Parental Payments — change to rules for receiving payments overseas, which reduced the period of absence from three years to one year. Affected payments include Family Tax Benefit and Paid Parental Leave.

Australian Defence Force and Australian Federal Police personnel deployed overseas will not be affected by this measure and will continue to be able to access payments while overseas for up to three years.

Financial Management Programme — redirection of funding

Expense ($m)
	2012‑13	2013‑14	2014‑15	2015‑16	2016‑17
Department of Social Services	‑	‑3.6	‑1.9	‑0.7	‑

The Government will achieve savings of $6.2 million over three years by redirecting funding from the Financial Management programme. The remaining funding for the programme is $403.0 million over four years from 2013‑14.

The programme provides funding for services to improve the financial knowledge, skills, capabilities and financial resilience of vulnerable individuals and families, to alleviate the immediate impact of financial stress, and to progress initiatives in relation to problem gambling.

This funding was identified as a saving by the former Government to fund its election commitments and will be redirected by the Government to help repair the Budget and fund policy priorities.

Insight Education Centre for the Blind and Vision Impaired — contribution

Expense ($m)
	2012‑13	2013‑14	2014‑15	2015‑16	2016‑17
Department of Social Services	‑	‑	‑	‑	‑

The Government will provide $1.5 million in 2013‑14 to enable the completion of the Insight Education Centre for the Blind and Vision Impaired in Victoria. This funding will ensure the recommencement of the building works so the specialist school can open for the first term of 2014.

The cost of this measure will be met from within the existing resources of the Department of Social Services.

This measure delivers on the Government's election commitment.

National Gambling Regulator — cessation

Expense ($m)
	2012‑13	2013‑14	2014‑15	2015‑16	2016‑17
Department of Social Services	*	*	*	*	*

The Government will cease funding for the National Gambling Regulator, announced in the 2013‑14 Budget measure titled Tackling Problem Gambling — establishing the National Gambling Reform Regulator.

This measure delivers on the Government's election commitment.

Paid Parental Leave — removing the mandatory obligation for employers to administer payments

Expense ($m)
	2012‑13	2013‑14	2014‑15	2015‑16	2016‑17
Department of Social Services	‑	‑	‑	‑	‑
Department of Human Services	‑	‑1.3	‑0.2	‑0.2	‑0.3
Total — Expense	‑	‑1.3	‑0.2	‑0.2	‑0.3
Related capital ($m)
Department of Human Services	‑	‑1.3	‑	‑	‑

The Government will remove the requirement for all employers to make Government funded Paid Parental Leave payments to eligible employees from 1 March 2014. Payments will then be made by the Department of Human Services. Employers will still be able to elect to make payments to employees, with the employee's agreement.

This measure will reduce administrative complexity and save $3.4 million over four years.

This measure amends the Pre‑Election Economic and Fiscal Outlook 2013 measure titled Improved operating environment for small and medium enterprises by expanding the removal of the mandatory role to all employers.

Repeal of the Minerals Resource Rent Tax — cessation of certain social security payments

Expense ($m)
	2012‑13	2013‑14	2014‑15	2015‑16	2016‑17
Department of Human Services	‑	7.6	‑3.0	‑3.6	‑5.0
Department of Agriculture	‑	‑0.1	‑	‑	‑
Department of Veterans' Affairs	‑	‑0.1	‑0.2	‑0.2	‑0.2
Department of Social Services	‑	‑1,354.6	‑1,634.0	‑1,646.3	‑1,666.5
Total — Expense	‑	‑1,347.2	‑1,637.3	‑1,650.1	‑1,671.7
Related capital ($m)
Department of Human Services	‑	‑	‑0.3	‑	‑

The Government will achieve savings of $6.3 billion over four years by immediately ceasing certain payments to individuals and families as part of the legislative package to repeal the minerals resource rent tax (MRRT). The need for these savings has arisen as the proceeds of the MRRT have not raised enough money to cover the expenses locked in against the tax.

These payments are:

the Schoolkids Bonus, a yearly payment of $820 for each child in secondary school and $410 for each child in primary school, made in two equal instalments in January and July to eligible families, saving $5.2 billion over four years; and
the Income Support Bonus, a twice‑yearly payment in March and September of $105.80 for singles and $88.20 for members of a couple receiving eligible payments and allowances, saving $1.1 billion over four years.

See also the related revenue measures titled Repeal of the Minerals Resource Rent Tax in the Treasury Portfolio.

This measure implements the savings announced in the Government's pre‑election costings document.

White Ribbon Campaign — contribution

Expense ($m)
	2012‑13	2013‑14	2014‑15	2015‑16	2016‑17
Department of Social Services	‑	‑	‑	‑	‑

The Government will provide $1.0 million over four years from 2013‑14 to support the White Ribbon Campaign. White Ribbon Australia is working to develop a culture of gender equality and respect. This funding will be used to expand the White Ribbon Campaign to support engagement from culturally and linguistically diverse communities — particularly new and emerging communities.

The cost of this measure will be met from within the existing resources of the Department of Social Services.

This measure delivers on the Government's election commitment.

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