14.12.2011
9.1 This chapter considers mechanisms that are built into social security law and practice to assist victims of family violence, and others. These mechanisms include:
- Crisis Payment;
- urgent payments; and
- nominee arrangements.
9.2 In particular, the ALRC considers a number of barriers for victims of family violence in accessing Crisis Payment and urgent payments and makes recommendations to overcome them to provide better protection for victims of family violence—including removing the requirement for Crisis Payment that either the victim or the person using family violence must have left the ‘home’.
9.3 The ALRC also recommends amending the Social Security Act 1991 (Cth) to ensure that family violence can be taken into consideration in decisions to waive the repayment of a social security debt—for example, where the debt was incurred due to economic abuse or duress by a family member.