More than five million people receiving income support are about to receive one-off payment from the Federal Government to help with their next energy bill.
Eligible single recipients will receive $75 and eligible couples will receive $125 ($62.50 each).
The payment, which will be paid automatically before June 30, will be exempt from income tax and not count as income for the purposes of means testing.
“The one-off Energy Assistance Payment is one way we are easing the cost of living for people on support payments,” Member for Flynn Ken O’Dowd said.
“We are in a position to offer this support because of our strong economic management.”
Mr O’Dowd said the payment would support:
- 4 million Australians receiving the Age Pension;
- 744,000 recipients of the Disability Support Pension;
- 280,000 carers receiving the Carer Payment;
- 242,000 Parenting Payment Single recipients; and
- 225,000 veterans and their dependants receiving eligible payments from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
The original announcement of the measure excluded lower-rate allowance payments such as the Newstart and Youth Allowance.
However, this attracted significant criticism. When the the Bill was introduced into Parliament, the range of eligible payments was expanded to include all social security allowances and some previously excluded pensions, such as the Wife Pension and Widow B Pension.
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Eligible recipients include people who were residing in Australia on April 2 this year and were receiving:
- Age Pension
- Disability Support Pension
- Carer Payment
- Parenting Payment
- Austudy
- ABSTUDY Living Allowance
- Double Orphan Pension
- Newstart Allowance
- Partner Allowance
- Sickness Allowance
- Special Benefit
- Widow Allowance
- Widow Pension B
- Wife Pension
- Youth Allowance
- Farm Household Allowance
People receiving the following Veterans’ Affairs payments will also be eligible:
- Service Pension
- Income Support Supplement
- Disability Pension
- War Widow’s/er’s Pension or Orphan’s Pension
- Veteran Payment
- Permanent impairment compensation under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA)
- Special Rate Disability Pension (MRCA)
- Compensation as a wholly dependent partner (MRCA)
- Permanent impairment compensation under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988.
However, only one Energy Assistance Payment will be made even if the recipient receives multiple qualifying payments.
