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FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (FURTHER ASSISTANCE FOR OLDER AUSTRALIANS) BILL 2001

1998-1999-2000-2001

The Parliament of the
Commonwealth of Australia

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES




Presented and read a first time







Family and Community Services and Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Further Assistance for Older Australians) Bill 2001

No. , 2001

(Family and Community Services)



A Bill for an Act to amend the Social Security Act 1991 and the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986, and for related purposes


ISBN: 0642 457859

Contents

Social Security Act 1991 3

Social Security Act 1991 6

Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 7

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 8

Social Security Act 1991 10

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 10

A Bill for an Act to amend the Social Security Act 1991 and the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986, and for related purposes

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1 Short title

This Act may be cited as the Family and Community Services and Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Further Assistance for Older Australians) Act 2001.

2 Commencement

(1) This Act (other than Schedules 2 and 3) commences on 1 July 2001.

(2) Schedules 2 and 3 commence on 1 September 2001.

3 Schedule(s)

Subject to section 2, each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Beneficial treatment of superannuation assets for people aged between 55 and pension age


Social Security Act 1991

1 Subsection 8(1) (definition of income)

Omit “, (7A)”.

2 Subsections 8(7A) and (7B)

Repeal the subsections (including the notes).

3 After paragraph 8(8)(a)

Insert:

(b) any return on a person’s investment in:

(i) a superannuation fund; or

(ii) an approved deposit fund; or

(iii) a deferred annuity; or

(iv) an ATO small superannuation account;

until the person:

(v) reaches pension age; or

(vi) starts to receive a pension or annuity out of the fund;

4 Paragraph 9(1B)(d) (note)

Omit “by persons who are neither prescribed pre-pension age persons nor persons who have reached pension age”, substitute “before pension age is reached”.

5 Paragraph 9(1B)(e) (note)

Omit “by persons who are neither prescribed pre-pension age persons nor persons who have reached pension age”, substitute “before pension age is reached”.

6 Paragraph 9(1B)(f) (note)

Omit “by persons who are neither prescribed pre-pension age persons nor persons who have reached pension age”, substitute “before pension age is reached”.

7 Paragraph 9(1B)(g) (note)

Omit “by persons who are neither prescribed pre-pension age persons nor persons who have reached pension age”, substitute “before pension age is reached”.

8 Paragraph 9(1C)(a)

Omit “is not a prescribed pre-pension age person and has not yet turned”, substitute “has not yet reached”.

9 Paragraph 9(1C)(b)

Omit “is not a prescribed pre-pension age person and has not yet turned”, substitute “has not yet reached”.

10 Paragraph 9(1C)(c)

Omit “is not a prescribed pre-pension age person and has not yet turned”, substitute “has not yet reached”.

11 Paragraph 9(1C)(ca)

Omit “is not a prescribed pre-pension age person and has not yet turned”, substitute “has not yet reached”.

12 Subsection 9(1C) (note 1)

Repeal the note.

13 Subsection 23(1) (definition of prescribed pre-pension age person)

Repeal the definition.

14 Paragraph 1096(aa)

Omit “is not a prescribed pre-pension age person and has not reached pension age”, substitute “has not turned 55”.

15 Section 1096 (notes)

Repeal the notes.

16 At the end of section 1096

Add:

(2) However, if the person turns 55 before the end of the period of 12 months, this section does not apply to the person in relation to:

(a) the week, during that period, in which the person turns 55; and

(b) any later weeks during that period.

17 After paragraph 1118(1)(e)

Insert:

(f) the value of the person’s investment in:

(i) a superannuation fund; or

(ii) an approved deposit fund; or

(iii) a deferred annuity; or

(iv) an ATO small superannuation account;

until the person:

(v) reaches pension age; or

(vi) starts to receive a pension or annuity out of the fund;

18 Section 1118A

Repeal the section (including the note).

Schedule 2—Extension of telephone allowance to holders of seniors health cards


Social Security Act 1991

1 After subsection 1061Q(4)

Insert:

(4A) A person is qualified for a telephone allowance if:

(a) either:

(i) the person is the holder of a seniors health card; or

(ii) the person is temporarily absent from Australia for a continuous period not exceeding 26 weeks and was the holder of a seniors health card immediately before leaving Australia; and

(b) the person is a telephone subscriber.

2 Subsection 1061S(1) (cell at table item 2, column 2)

Repeal the cell, substitute:


Partnered (partner getting neither social security pension nor social security benefit), partner not holder of a seniors health card and person getting pension or benefit before 12 March 1992

3 Subsection 1061S(1) (cell at table item 3, column 2)

Repeal the cell, substitute:


Partnered (partner getting neither social security pension nor social security benefit), partner not holder of a seniors health card and person not getting pension or benefit before 12 March 1992

4 Subsection 1061S(1) (cell at table item 4, column 2)

Repeal the cell, substitute:


Either:
(a) partnered (partner getting pension or benefit); or
(b) partnered and partner is a holder of a seniors health card;

and partner not getting telephone allowance

5 Subsection 1061S(1) (cell at table item 5, column 2)

Repeal the cell, substitute:


Either:
(a) partnered (partner getting pension or benefit); or
(b) partnered and partner is a holder of a seniors health card;

and partner getting telephone allowance

6 After subsection 1061S(3)

Insert:

(3A) For the purposes of working out a person’s rate of telephone allowance under subsection (1), the person’s partner is taken to be the holder of a seniors health card if the partner:

(a) is temporarily absent from Australia for a continuous period not exceeding 26 weeks; and

(b) was the holder of a seniors health card immediately before leaving Australia.

Social Security (Administration) Act 1999

7 Subsection 48(4)

Repeal the subsection and insert:

(4) In this section:

telephone allowance payday means:

(a) for a person who is qualified for telephone allowance otherwise than under subsection 1061Q(4A)—the first day on which an instalment of a social security periodic payment would normally be paid to the person on or after any of the following:

(i) 1 January;

(ii) 20 March;

(iii) 1 July;

(iv) 20 September; and

(b) for a person who is qualified for telephone allowance under subsection 1061Q(4A)—any of the following:

(i) 1 January;

(ii) 20 March;

(iii) 1 July;

(iv) 20 September;

or the first working day after that day if that day is not a working day.

working day means a day other than:

(a) a Saturday; or

(b) a Sunday; or

(c) a day that is a public holiday or bank holiday in Canberra or Sydney.

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

8 After subsection 118Q(3)

Insert:

(3AA) A person is eligible for a telephone allowance if:

(a) either:

(i) the person is the holder of a seniors health card; or

(ii) the person is absent from Australia and was the holder of a seniors health card immediately before leaving Australia; and

(b) the person is a telephone subscriber.

9 Subsection 118S(1)

Omit “and (3)”, substitute “, (3) and (4)”.

10 At the end of section 118S

Add:

(4) The rate of telephone allowance for a person is half the amount of the rate specified in subsection (1) if:

(a) the person is the holder of a seniors health card; and

(b) the person is a member of a couple; and

(c) the person’s partner is receiving a telephone allowance under:

(i) this Act; or

(ii) the Social Security Act; and

(d) the person is living with the person’s partner in the same home.

Schedule 3—Increase in income limits for seniors health card


Social Security Act 1991

1 Point 1071-12 (table)

Repeal the table (including the notes), substitute:


Seniors Health Card Taxable Income Limit Table

Column 1

Item

Column 2

Person’s family situation

Column 3

Amount per year

Column 4

Additional dependent child

Amount per year

1

Not member of couple

$50,000

$639.60

2

Partnered

$40,000

$639.60

3

Member of illness separated couple

$50,000

$639.60

4

Member of respite care couple

$50,000

$639.60

5

Partnered (partner in gaol)

$50,000

$639.60

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

2 Point 118ZAA-11 (table)

Repeal the table, substitute:


Seniors Health Card Taxable Income Limit Table

Column 1

Item

Column 2

Person’s family situation

Column 3

Amount per year

Column 4

Additional dependent child

Amount per year

1

Not member of couple

$50,000

$639.60

2

Partnered

$40,000

$639.60

3

Member of illness separated couple

$50,000

$639.60

4

Member of respite care couple

$50,000

$639.60

Note 1: For member of couple and partnered, see section 5E.

Note 2: For illness separated couple and respite care couple, see section 5R.

Note 3: For dependent child, see section 5F.

 


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