Compulsory income management and family violence
13.36 This section considers the appropriateness of compulsory income management as a means to improve the safety of victims of family violence. It does so by examining how the assessment of ‘indicators of vulnerability’ may affect victims of family violence. It also considers how this assessment may affect a victim’s willingness to disclose family violence, …
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Read moreVoluntary income management and family violence
13.78 Income management remains a highly controversial policy within urban, rural and remote Australian communities. As noted above, the most controversial welfare reform in income management has, and continues to be, the compulsory quarantining of a person’s welfare payment. Despite various amendments to Compulsory IM, there has been an ongoing call to the Australian Government …
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Read moreOperation of income management
13.13 Under income management, a percentage of a person’s welfare payments is set aside for their ‘priority needs’ and that of their children; namely, for services such as food, rent and utilities.[15] Income management does not affect or otherwise reduce the total amount of welfare payments payable to a recipient. Rather, it changes the way …
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Read moreBaby bonus
12.88 The baby bonus is a flat rate payment—$5,437 in 2011–12—to assist with the costs of a newborn or adopted child.[124] It is generally paid in 13 fortnightly instalments[125] to a parent of a child or a person who cares for or adopts the child.[126]12.89 The Family Assistance Guide discusses the payment of the baby …
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Read moreFamily Tax Benefit
Background12.13 FTB is an income-tested payment for eligible parents and carers. FTB includes two parts: FTB Part A and FTB Part B. 12.14 Family Tax Benefit Part A (FTB Part A) is the ‘primary payment designed to help with the cost of raising children’.[23] It is paid to eligible parents and carers for each dependent …
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Read moreChild Care Benefit
Background12.51 Child Care Benefit (CCB) is an income-tested payment that assists eligible parents and carers with the cost of child care. In addition to assisting parents and carers with child care costs, CCB aims to provide incentives for parents and carers with low and middle incomes to participate in the workforce and community, and to …
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Read moreReasonable maintenance action exemptions
Reasonable maintenance action11.7 As discussed in Chapter 9, A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999 (Cth) (referred to in this Discussion Paper as the Family Assistance Act) requires a person who receives more than the base rate of FTB Part A for a child to take reasonable action to obtain maintenance, where it is …
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Read moreDetermination of percentage of care
Percentage of care11.96 The ‘percentage of care’ is the amount of time a parent or carer provides care for a child (also referred to as the ‘care percentage’). A person must provide at least 35% of care to be eligible for both child support payments and FTB.[99] 11.97 The percentage of care is used in …
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Read morePersonal information and information exchange
Disclosure of personal informationInformation exchange10.29 Child support legislation requires that the CSA disclose information about one party to the other party at certain stages of a child support case. A key point at which the CSA is required to exchange personal information is when making a child support assessment. Pursuant to s 76 of the …
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Read moreCommon interpretative framework
Definition of family violence9.61 As discussed in Chapter 3, the child support legislation does not include a definition of family violence. A broad definition is, however, contained in the Child Support Guide:Family violence covers a broad range of controlling behaviours. They are commonly of a physical, sexual, and/or psychological nature, and typically involve fear, harm, …
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