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Centrelink in the time of COVID 19
Presented by Nicola Cannon and Jessica Sullivan

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Centrelink in the time of COVID 19
Presented by Nicola Cannon and Jessica Sullivan

What we will cover today
   Summary – what's the latest
   What is ‘Jobseeker Payment’?
   What is ‘Jobkeeper Payment?’
   Claiming a Centrelink payment during COVID-19
   New payments, supplements and other COVID-19
    measures: who is eligible?
   Resources
   Q and A

Summary of the latest changes

 If you have lost work or income due to COVID-19, you may be eligible for
  JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance.

 You must register your intention to claim a payment now, and the
  payment will be backdated.

 The Government has also announced a ‘JobKeeper payment’ to try to
  keep people in jobs even where there employers have suffered
  financially as a result of COVID-19. This is not a Centrelink payment.

 From 27 April 2020, there will be a Coronavirus Supplement of $550 per
  fortnight paid to some Centrelink recipients for 6 months (some payment
  types)
                                    If you need advice about these changes and what you are
 If were living in Australia and receiving a Centrelink payment between 12
  March 2020 and 13 April 2020, you entitled
                                        could beto  please
                                                 eligible forcontact
                                                             up to two $750
  one-off Economic Support Payments.(all payment types)
                                    Legal Aid NSW 1300 888 529, Welfare Rights Centre 02 9211 5300
                                    and Illawarra Legal Centre 02 4276 1939

JobSeeker payment

   From 20 March 2020 some Centrelink payment names
    changed as they moved to the JobSeeker payment.
   22 years old to Age Pension age
   If under 22 – appropriate payment is ‘Youth Allowance for   JobSeeker payment
                                                                Newstart, Sickness, Wife and
    jobseekers’                                                 Bereavement allowances
   Those already receiving Centrelink payment will
    automatically be transferred across

Jobkeeper payment

 COVID measure – commenced 30 March 2020
 6 month subsidy of $1,500 per fortnight paid to ‘eligible employers’ who must pay
  at least $1500 per fortnight to ‘eligible employees’
 Eligible employers can include companies, partnerships, trusts, sole traders, not for
  profits and charities whose:
   • Business has a turnover of $1 billion or less and it has fallen by more than 30%
       since 1 March 2020
   • Business has a turnover of $1 billion or more and it has fallen by more than
       50% since 1 March 2020
 Reimbursements to employers will be processed the first week of May

Jobkeeper payment (cont.)
 ‘Eligible employees’:
    • must have been employed as at 1 March 2020;
    • must have been employed on a full-time, part-time or long-term casual
       (longer than 12 months) basis;
    • must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, subclass 444 visa
       holder (protected or non-protected);
    • includes employees who have been stood down and employees who
       were employed at 1 March, subsequently ceased employment, and
       have since been re-engaged by the same employer
 Employees can only receive the payment from one employer. Must select
  ‘primary employer’

How to claim a payment

Step 1: register an ‘intention to claim’ payments on MyGov

     •   Link MyGov with either Medicare or ATO

     •   Successful claims will be backdated to date intention to claim lodged

Step 2: Confirm identity over the telephone and get CRN (if have not previously claimed Centrelink
payments)

     •   JobSeeker line: 132 850 Youth Allowance line: 132 490

     •   Have identity documents handy when calling
                                                                            For Step by Step Guide, see Economic
                                                                            Justice Australia Fact Sheet:
Step 3: Link Centrelink to MyGov account                                    Claiming Centrelink during COVID-19
Step 4: Make online claim through My Gov Centrelink account

Step 5: Phone appointment with Centrelink

     •   Make declaration about identity, residency status and income

     •   If a worker, make declaration re redundancy or reduced hours

     •   If a sole trader, make a declaration that business has been suspended or had turnover
         reduced significantly

Clients experiencing difficulty with identity
          confirmation and verification?

 Generally photo ID is required.
 If ‘genuine difficulty’ providing identity confirmation documents, Centrelink can assist
  them to confirm their identity under alternative indentity confirmation arrangements.
 See Guide to Social Security Law: https://guides.dss.gov.au/guide-social-security-
  law/2/2/1/40

            For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, there is a ‘Confirmation of
            Identity’ form that can be used where an ‘authorised referee’ in the community
            can verify the identity of the person

Waiver of waiting periods

 Newly Arrived Residents Waiting Period waived for 6 months from 25                       Which payment types?
  March 2020.                                                                            JobSeeker Payment
                                                                                         Youth Allowance
      At the end of 6 months the person will be required to serve the remainder of      Austudy
       their waiting period., but the time they were receiving payments will still       Parenting Payment
       count towards their NARWP.                                                        Farm Household Allowance
                                                                                         Special Benefit

 Ordinary Waiting Period, Liquid Assets Waiting Period and Seasonal
  Work Preclusion Period all waived for 6 months from 25 March 2020.

      If people applied for payments before 25 March 2020 and were required to
       serve an OWP, LAWP or SWPP, their payment should be backdated to the
       date of claim after this date

Waiver of assets test

 No assets test for JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance,
  Parenting Payment, Austudy or ABSTUDY
 Extends eligibility for payments to people who are “asset
  rich and income poor”

Partner income test limit increased

• Previously when a person’s partner earned $1,858.50 per
  fortnight, their JobSeeker payment reduced to nil.
• This has now been increased to $3,068.80 per fortnight by
  reducing the taper rate for partner income from 60 cents in the
  dollar to 25 cents in the dollar

        This equates to about $79,000 per year in partner earnings

Who misses out?

                                                                    May be eligible for some
                                                                    assistance from Red Cross
        Temporary visa holders e.g. student visas, working holiday visas
                                                                    support under the Red
                                                                    Cross Safety Net program
        Bridging visa holders

        NZ citizens who are not-protected special category visa holders

        (arrived after 26 February 2001).

But NOTE: non-protected SCV holders who have resided in Australia for a
continuous period of at least 10 years since 26 February 2001 may be eligible
for a payment of either JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance for a one-off
period of 6 months (section 7(7) Social Security Act).

New payments, supplements and
   other covid-19 measures

• Coronavirus supplement
• Economic support payments
• Changes to Mutual Obligation requirements
• Debt recovery

Coronavirus supplement

        Eligible payments         Payments commence 27 April 2020 for 6 months

•   JobSeeker Payment             $550 supplement per fortnight on top of normal payment rate
•   Youth Allowance
•   Parenting Payment             Full rate of supplement payable even if only part rate of
•   Farm Household Allowance
                                  payment payable
•   Special Benefit
•   AUSTUDY
                                  No application required, eligible recipients will automatically
•   ABSTUDY (living allowance)
                                  receive the supplement on top of their normal payment

Eligible payments
    Economic Support Payments                                                Pensions:
                                                                              Age Pension
                                                                              Disability Support Pension
                                                                              Wife Pension/Widow B Pension
                                                                              Double Orphan Pension
                                                                              Payments:
   Up to two lump sum payments of $750 each                              
                                                                              Carer Payment
                                                                              Parenting Payment
   No application required                                                   Austudy
                                                                              Jobseeker Payment
   First Economic Support Payment                                            Special Benefit
                                                                              Allowances:
    •   Eligible if residing in Australia and getting an eligible         
                                                                              ABSTUDY (living allowance)
        payment/hold an eligible concession card at any time form 12          Bereavement Allowance
                                                                              Newstart Allowance
        March 2020 to 13 April 2020                                           Youth Allowance
                                                                              Partner Allowance
    •   Payments being processed from 31 March onwards                        Sickness Allowance
                                                                              Widow Allowance
   Second Economic Support Payment                                           Carer Allowance
                                                                              Farm Household Allowance
    •   Same eligibility as above but relevant date is 10 July 2020 and      Family Payments:
        recipients must not be receiving the Coronavirus Supplement           Family Tax Benefit Part A
                                                                              Family Tax Benefit Part B
    •   Payments will be processed from 13 July onwards                      Cardholders:
                                                                              Pensioner Concession Card
                                                                              Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
                                                                             Various veterans payments
                                                                              administered by DVA

JobSeeker Payment   $612
                       single

                       Coronavirus         $550

LEONIE
                       supplement

COULD GET THE          Energy supplement   $9.50
CORONA SUPPLEMENT

Mid-30s, two           FTB parts A and B   $483
dependent children
aged 10 and 12, lost
her job as a travel    Total fortnightly   $1,654.50
agent before 1 March   payment
2020
                       Economic Support    $750 one-
                       Payment 1           off

                       Economic Support
                       Payment 2

DSP partnered             $648.70

                          Coronavirus supplement

ALI
WON'T GET THE             Energy supplement         $10.60
SUPPLEMENT BUT WI LL
GET A NOTHER PAYMENT
                          Max. pension supplement   $52.50

50 year old man
currently receiving       FTB parts A and B         $539
DSP, wife receiving
Carer Payment, two
children aged 10 and      Total fortnightly         $1,250.80
15                        payment

                          Economic Support          $750 one-off
Should Ali change to      Payment 1

JobSeeker payment so he
can get the supplement?   Economic Support
                          Payment 2

Suspension of Mutual Obligation
         Requirements and Debt Recovery

 Suspension of Mutual Obligation Requirements for JobSeekers (currently
  until 27 April 2020)
 Suspension of all Community Development Program activities (indefinitely)
 Debts: all new debt recovery action suspended for 6 months from 3 April
  2020. Existing payment arrangements will not be stopped but you can call
  Centrelink and ask for repayments to be put on hold during this time.
    Debt recovery line:1800 076 072
    Indigenous Debt Recovery line: 1800 138 193

Top things to remember

 Centrelink Payment and Services Finder – for people in need
 If you are not sure whether you are eligible for JobSeeker
  Payment, register your ‘intention to claim’ as soon as possible –
  successful claims will be backdated.
 Get advice if you are not sure – particularly for visa holders

Where to get help

 Centrelink Payment and Service Finder website

 Economic Justice Australia Fact Sheets

 Welfare Rights Centre 9211 5300

 Illawarra Legal Centre 4276 1939

  Simon Howard May 2011

More information

 Centrelink website
    • Dedicated COVID-19 page
    • Payment and Service Finder

 Department of Social Services website
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19) information and support

 Guide to Social Security Law and Family Assistance Guide

 Economic Justice Australia Fact Sheets
    • COVID-19 and Centrelink
    • Claiming Centrelink during COVID-19: a step-by-step guide

 Law for Community Workers on the go - Centrelink podcast

 YouTube – recorded webinar

COMING UP…register now on the Legal Aid NSW website

• Wed 22 April 12.00 noon   Employment rights in the time of COVID-19 Part 2
• Fri 24 April 10.00am      Renting in the time of COVID-19
• Wed 29 April 2.00pm       Money problems in the time of COVID-19

Domestic and family violence in the time of COVID-19 recorded webinar available on
the Legal Aid NSW YouTube channel

Thank you
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                   or email: cle@legalaid.nsw.gov.au

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