SEE THE LIST: Government payments Maryborough locals are using

With over 20 different government payments available under the Australian Government’s Services Australia, just how many locals are using them? And, could you be eligible without realising? SEE THE FULL LIST.

THE Australian Government has multiple financial support options under Services Australia, including carer allowance and disability support.

But just how many Maryborough locals are using them? And, which ones?

Well, The Fraser Coast Chronicle has listed it all out for you. You may even be eligible for financial assistance without knowing.

ABSTUDY, Living Allowance

43 locals receive ABSTUDY for Living Allowance - fortnightly payments to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with living costs while studying or training.

To receive this allowance, you must:

• Be getting ABSTUDY as a secondary, tertiary, masters, or doctorate student.
• Be a full time or approved concessional study load student.

You can also get Living Allowance as an Australian Apprentice if you are eligible to get ABSTUDY as a tertiary student and are doing a full time Australian Apprenticeship or traineeship under the Australian Apprenticeship scheme.

ABSTUDY, Non-Living Allowance

156 locals receive ABSTUDY for Non-Living Allowance.

Underneath the non-living allowances are:

• Away from base assistance
• Fares allowance
• Incidentals allowance
• Lawful custody allowance
• Relocation allowance
• School fees allowance
• School term allowance
• Thesis allowance

Age Pension

20,169 locals receive Age Pension - the main income support payment for people who have reached ‘Age Pension age’.

To receive this income support, you must:

• Be the ‘Age Pension age’ or older.
  This is determined by your birthdate, increasing to requirements meaning you must be 67 years old on July 1, 2023. You currently must be 66 years old or older.
• Under the income and assets test limits.
• Have been an Australian resident for about at least 10 years.

Austudy

136 locals receive Austudy - financial help if you‘re 25 years old or older and studying or an Australian Apprentice.

To receive this financial assistance, you must:

• Be 25 years old or older.
• A full-time student in an approved course or Australian Apprenticeship under the income test limits.

If you’re 25 years old or over, and you’re an Australian Apprentice, you may be eligible to receive financial help through Services Australia’s Austudy allowance.

Carer Allowance

5,627 locals receive Carer Allowance - fortnightly supplements if you give additional daily care to someone who has a disability, serious illness, or is frail aged.

To receive this allowance, you must:

• Meet an income test.
• Give additional daily care to someone with a disability, severe illness or who is frail aged.
• Care for someone whose care needs score is high enough on the assessment tools used for an adult or a child.
• Care for someone who'll have these needs for at least 12 months or the rest of their life.

Carer Allowance: Child Health Care Care only

38 locals receive Carer Allowance for Child Health Care - an income supplement available to people who provide daily care and attention in a private home to a person with disability or a severe medical condition.

To receive this allowance, you must be providing daily care and attention to a person with disability or a severe medical condition who is either:

• 16 years old or over and whose disability or severe medical condition is permanent or for an extended period.
• A dependent child under 16 years old whose disability appears on the List of Recognised Disabilities.

If the child‘s medical condition or disability is not on the list, and the disability causes the child to function below the standard for their age, assessed under the Disability Care Load Assessment, they may still be eligible.

Carer Payment

3,123 locals receive Carer Payment - an income support payment if you give constant care to someone who has a severe disability, illness, or an adult who is frail aged.

To receive this payment, you must:

• Be under the pension income and assets test limits.
• Be an Australian resident.
• Care for someone who is an Australian resident.
• Care for one or more people who have care need scores high enough on the assessment tools used for an adult or child.
• Care for someone who’ll have these needs for at least 6 months or the rest of their life.

Commonwealth Seniors Health Card

1,675 locals have a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card - a concession card to get cheaper health care and some discounts if you’ve reached Age Pension age.

To receive this health card, you must:

• Be Age Pension age.
• Meet residence rules.
• Not be getting a payment from Australian Government’s Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
• Provide Services Australia with a Tax File Number (or be exempt from doing so).
• Meet identity requirements.
• Meet the income test.

Disability Support Pension

6,253 locals receive the Disability Support Pension - financial help if you have a permanent physical, intellectual or psychiatric condition which stops you from working.

To receive this pension, you must meet:

• Non-medical rules.
• Medical rules (either manifest medical rules or generic medical rules).

A whopping 6,253 locals have Disability Support Pension.

Double Orphan Pension

Less than five* locals receive the Double Orphan Pension - regular payments if you’re caring for a child whose parents can’t care for them or have passed away.

To receive this pension, you must care for a child at least 35 per cent of the time, with either:

• Both the child’s parents deceased.
• One of the child’s parent’s deceased, while the other is in a psychiatric institution or nursing home for an indefinite time, in prison for at least 10 years or their whereabouts unknown.
• The child being a refugee, with both parents living outside of Australia or their whereabouts unknown.

Family Tax: Benefit A

7,401 locals receive Family Tax Benefit A - the first part of a two-part payment which helps with the cost of raising children. Family Tax Benefit A is paid to you per child, with the amount depending on your family’s circumstances.

To receive this benefit, you must care for a dependent child who’s either zero to 15 years old, or is 16 to 19 years old and meets the study requirements, you must also:

• Meet an income test.
• Meet residence rules.
• Care for the child at least 35 per cent of the time.

Your child must also meet immunisation requirements and Healthy Start for School requirements. For each child who doesn’t, payments may be decreased.

Family Tax: Benefit B

6,028 locals receive Family Tax Benefit B - the second part of a two-part payment which helps with the cost of raising children.

To receive this benefit, you must be a member of a couple with one main income and care for a dependent child under 13 years old, or; be a single parent, non-parent carer, or a grandparent carer and care for a dependent child under 18 years old. The child must meet study requirements if they’re 16 to 18 years old.

You must also:

• Meet an income test.
• Meet residence rules.
• Care for the child at least 35 per cent of the time.

Medication costs can be cut down through having a Health Care Card, which almost 10,000 locals already use.

Health Care Card

9,992 locals have a Health Care Card - a concession card to get cheaper medicines and some discounts if you already receive certain payments from Services Australia.

To receive this health care card for up to one year, you must live in Australia and get any of the following payments (while also meeting the residence rules of the specific payment):

ABSTUDY Living Allowance.

Austudy,

JobSeeker Payment,

Partner Allowance.

Partnered Parenting Payment.

Special Benefit.

Widow Allowance,

Youth Allowance.

Carer Allowance for a child younger than 16 (with the card only for the child in your care).

Carer Payment (for short term or irregular care less than six months).

• The highest rate of Family Tax, Benefit A.
• Mobility Allowance (if you’re not getting Disability Support Pension).

JobSeeker Payment

7,960 locals are on JobSeeker payment - financial help if you’re looking for work, or, when you’re sick or injured and are unable to do usual work or study for a short time.

Services Australia pay JobSeeker Payments every two weeks, with the amount depending on your personal situation.

To receive this payment you must be between 22 years old and Age Pension age, and also meet:

• The income and assets tests.
• Residence rules.

Low Income Card

847 local have a Low Income Card - a concession card to get cheaper health care and some discounts if you’re on a low income.

To receive this card, you must meet:

• The income test.
• Residence rules.

Parenting Payment: Partnered

481 locals are on Partnered Parenting Payment - the main income support payment while you’re looking after a young child as a partnered main carer.

To receive this payment, you must:

• Be under the income and asset test limits.
• Meet principal carer rules care for a child under six years old.
• Meet residence rules.
• Not have claimed the payment before the birth of the child.

Parenting Payment: Single

1,602 locals receive a Single Parenting Payment - the main income support payment while you’re looking after a young child as a single main carer.

To receive this payment, you must:

• Be under the income and asset test limits.
• Meet principal carer rules for a child under eight years old.
• Meet residence rules.
• Not have claimed the payment before the birth of the child.

Partner Allowance

Less than five* locals receive Partner Allowance - an old payment for non-working partners of people on income support.

This allowance closed to new claims on September 20, 2003.

However, for those who were on this allowance prior to the closing date, in order to keep ongoing payments, they must:

• Be born on or before July 1, 1955.
• Be a member of a couple.
• Have their partner getting an income support payment when they claimed Partner Allowance.
• Not have worked for at least 20 hours a week, for 13 weeks or more in the last 12 months.
• Meet residence rules.

You don’t have to be elderly to receive a Pension (Concession) Card.

Pension Concession Card

35,430 locals have a Pension Concession Card - a concession card to get cheaper health care, medicines and some discounts if you already receive certain payments from Services Australia.

To receive this concession card, you must already get any of the following payments:

• Age Pension.
  
• Carer Payment.
• Disability Support Pension.
• JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance (if you are single, caring for a dependent child and looking for work).
• Single Parenting Payment.

If you're at least 60 years old, you may also receive a Pension Concession card, if for more than nine months you have been getting any of the following payments:

• JobSeeker Payment.
• Partnered Parenting Payment.
• Partner Allowance.
• Special Benefit.
• Widow Allowance.

If you have partial capacity to work, you may also receive a Pension Concession card, if you have been getting any of the following payments:

• JobSeeker Payment.
• Partnered Parenting Payment.
• Youth Allowance (as a job seeker).

Special Benefit

Less than five* locals receive Special Benefit - a payment if you’re not eligible for any other income support from Services Australia.

To receive this benefit, you must be:

• Unable to receive any other income support payment from Services Australia.
• In severe financial hardship for reasons beyond your control.

Widow Allowance

20 locals receive Widow Allowance - a payment for widowed, divorced or separated women over a set age.

This allowance closed to new claims on July 1, 2018.

However, for those who were on this allowance prior to the closing date, in order to keep ongoing payments, they must:

• Be a woman born on or before July 1, 1955.
• Not be part of a couple.
• Became widowed, divorced or separated since turning 40.
• Meet income and assets tests.
• Meet residence rules.
• Have not worked 20 hours or more per week, for at least 13 weeks in total, in the 12 months they claimed for Widow Allowance.

Youth Allowance: Other

791 locals are on Other Youth Allowance - financial help if you’re 21 years old or younger and looking for work, or are temporarily unable to work.

To receive this allowance, you must be 16 to 21 years old with one of the following:

• Looking for full time work.
• Studying part time and looking for work.
• Temporarily unable to work.

Youth Allowance: Student and Apprentice

379 locals are on Student and Apprentice Youth Allowance - financial help if you’re 24 years old or younger and a student or Australian Apprentice.

To receive this allowance, you must be one of the following:

• 18 to 24 years old, studying full time.
• 16 to 17 years old, studying full time and either independent or needing to live away from home to study.
• 16 to 17 years old, studying full time and have completed year 12 or equivalent.
• 16 to 24 years old and doing a full time Australian Apprenticeship.

Commonwealth Rent Assistance

12,464 locals receive Commonwealth Rent Assistance - a regular extra payment if you pay rent and already receive certain payments from Services Australia.

To receive this assistance, you must:

• Prove your rent arrangements.
• Get certain payments from Services Australia.
• Request the assistance (telling Serves Australia you have moved address and rent you pay has changed) after paying rent.

*Government support payments given to less than five citizens is referred to as ‘Less than five’ to protect privacy rights of the individuals.

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