Commonwealth Numbered Acts

CHILD CARE PAYMENTS ACT 1997

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

           Long Title

   PART 1--PRELIMINARY MATTERSýÜ

   1.      Short title 
   2.      Commencement 
   3.      Identifying defined terms 
   4.      Overview  

   PART 2--INTERPRETATION

   5.      Definitions 
   6.      Meaning of comply with a tax file number request--request for 
   7.      Meaning of comply with a tax file number request--request for tax 
   8.      Meaning of conscientious objection 
   9.      Extended meaning of inhabitant of Australia--students receiving 
   10.     Extended meaning of inhabitant of Australia--hardship and special 
   11.     Meaning of member of a couple 
   12.     Meaning of payment commencement day 
   13.     Meaning of receiving 
   14.     Meaning of satisfies the work/training/study test 
   15.     Work/training/study test--recognised work or work related 
   16.     Work/training/study test--recognised training commitments 
   17.     Work/training/study test--recognised study commitments 
   18.     Minister's power to make determinations for the purposes of other 

   PART 1--ENTITLEMENT

   19.     Entitlement to child care assistance 

   PART 2--QUALIFICATION

   20.     Qualification for child care assistance 
   21.     Meaning of dependent child 
   22.     The immunisation requirement--prospective claimants and 
   23.     The immunisation requirement--retrospective claimants 
   24.     Sessions of care in respect of which emergency child care assistance 
   25.     Treatment of absences of child from care 

   PART 3--LIMITATIONS ON PAYABILITY

   26.     Part sets out limits on payability 
   27.     Assets test 
   28.     Assets test--determining value of assets 
   29.     Assets test--indexation of assets limit 
   30.     Non-temporary cessation of qualification criteria 
   31.     No payment unless proper claim made 
   32.     Nil rate of payment 
   33.     Prospective claims--no payment in respect of periods before or after the 
   34.     Prospective claims--provision of tax file numbers 
   35.     Prospective claims--provision of information required by recipient 
   36.     Retrospective claims--no payment in respect of periods before or after 

   PART 4--CLAIMS FOR CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE

   37.     Prospective and retrospective claims 
   38.     Need for a claim 
   39.     Secretary may also treat claim as claim for child care rebate 
   40.     Form of claim 
   41.     Lodgment of claim 
   42.     Claim may be withdrawn 
   43.     Secretary may give notice stating that child must be immunised 
   44.     Secretary may request claimant to give statement of tax file 
   45.     Secretary may request claimant to give statement of partner's tax file 

   PART 5--DETERMINATION OF CLAIMS

   46.     Division applies if person makes a prospective claim that is a proper 
   47.     Secretary to determine claim 
   48.     Maximum assistance period 
   49.     Division applies if person makes a retrospective claim that is a proper 
   50.     Secretary to determine claim 
   51.     Maximum assistance period 
   52.     Date of effect etc. of determinations may be dealt with in 

   PART 6--RATE OF CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE

   53.     Rate of child care assistance 

   PART 7--PAYMENT OF CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE

   54.     Payment by instalments 
   55.     Prospective claims payment system 
   56.     Retrospective claims payment system 
   57.     Division deals with payment pursuant to prospective claims 
   58.     Commencement of payment 
   59.     Payment by instalments 
   60.     Payments generally to be made to operator of child care assistance 
   61.     Payment may be made to the person 
   62.     Payment into bank etc. account 
   63.     Where payday would fall on public holiday etc. 
   64.     Payment after death of person 
   65.     Division deals with payment pursuant to retrospective claims 
   66.     Payment in lump sum 
   67.     Payment into bank etc. account 
   68.     Payment after death of person 

   PART 8--RECIPIENT OBLIGATIONS

   69.     Part deals with obligations of people paid pursuant to prospective 
   70.     Secretary may give notice stating that child must be immunised 
   71.     Secretary may request person to give statement of tax file 
   72.     Secretary may request person to give statement of partner's tax file 
   73.     Secretary may require notice of the happening of an event or a change of 
   74.     Secretary may require person to give particular information relevant to 
   75.     Secretary may require person to give information relating to entitlement 
   76.     Secretary may require person to give notice of change of address 

   PART 1--ENTITLEMENT

   77.     Entitlement to child care rebate 

   PART 2--QUALIFICATION

   78.     Qualification for child care rebate 
   79.     Meaning of dependent child 
   80.     The immunisation requirement--prospective claimants and 
   81.     The immunisation requirement--retrospective claimants 
   82.     Treatment of absences of child from care 

   PART 3--LIMITATIONS ON PAYABILITY

   83.     Part sets out limits on payability 
   84.     Non-temporary cessation of qualification criteria 
   85.     No payment unless proper claim made 
   86.     Nil rate of payment 
   87.     Prospective claims--no payment in respect of periods before or after the 
   88.     Prospective claims--provision of information required by recipient 
   89.     Retrospective claims--no payment in respect of periods before or after 

   PART 4--CLAIMS FOR CHILD CARE REBATE

   90.     Prospective and retrospective claims 
   91.     Need for a claim 
   92.     Secretary may also treat claim as claim for child care 
   93.     Form of claim 
   94.     Lodgment of claim 
   95.     Claim may be withdrawn 
   96.     Secretary may give notice stating that child must be immunised 
   97.     Secretary may request claimant to give statement of tax file 
   98.     Secretary may request claimant to give statement of partner's tax file 

   PART 5--DETERMINATION OF CLAIMS

   99.     Division applies if person makes a prospective claim that is a proper 
   100.    Secretary to determine claim 
   101.    Maximum rebate period 
   102.    Division applies if person makes a retrospective claim that is a proper 
   103.    Secretary to determine claim 
   104.    Maximum rebate period 
   105.    Date of effect etc. of determinations may be dealt with in 

   PART 6--RATE OF CHILD CARE REBATE

   106.    Rate of child care rebate 

   PART 7--PAYMENT OF CHILD CARE REBATE

   107.    Payment by instalments 
   108.    Prospective claims payment system 
   109.    Retrospective claims payment system 
   110.    Division deals with payment pursuant to prospective claims 
   111.    Commencement of payment 
   112.    Payment by instalments 
   113.    Payments to be made to person 
   114.    Payment into person's bank etc. account 
   115.    Where payday would fall on public holiday etc. 
   116.    Payment after death of person 
   117.    Division deals with payment pursuant to retrospective claims 
   118.    Payment in lump sum 
   119.    Payment into bank etc. account 
   120.    Payment after death of person 

   PART 8--RECIPIENT OBLIGATIONS

   121.    Part deals with obligations of people paid pursuant to prospective 
   122.    Secretary may give notice stating that child must be immunised 
   123.    Secretary may request person to give statement of tax file 
   124.    Secretary may request person to give statement of partner's tax file 
   125.    Secretary may require notice of the happening of an event or a change 
   126.    Secretary may require person to give particular information relevant to 
   127.    Secretary may require person to give information relating to 
   128.    Secretary may require person to give notice of change of 

   PART 1--PRELIMINARY

   129.    Amount paid to person includes amount paid on person's behalf to 
   130.    Special provisions relating to operators of child care assistance 
   131.    Chapter does not apply to emergency child care assistance 

   PART 2--AMOUNTS RECOVERABLE UNDER THIS ACT

   132.    Debts due to the Commonwealth 
   133.    Debts arising under this Act 
   134.    Debts arising from AAT stay orders 
   135.    Debts arising from recipient's contravention of this Act 
   136.    Person other than payee obtaining payment of a cheque 
   137.    Debts arising from conviction of person for involvement in 
   138.    Data-matching Program (Assistance and Tax) Act debts 
   139.    Interest payable on debt for failure to enter agreement to pay 
   140.    Interest payable on debt for breach of agreement to pay debt 
   141.    Penalty interest rate 
   142.    Debt from failure to comply with garnishee notice 
   143.    Overseas application of provisions 
   144.    Recoverable debts 

   PART 3--METHODS OF RECOVERY

   145.    Deductions generally 
   146.    Deductions from debtor's child care payment 
   147.    Deductions from group payments made to child care assistance 
   148.    Time limits on recovery action under sections 146 and 147 
   149.    Legal proceedings 
   150.    Garnishee notice 
   151.    Time limits on recovery action under section 150 
   152.    Secretary may allow payment of debt by instalments 
   153.    Deductions by consent from child care payment of person who is not a 

   PART 4--NON-RECOVERY OF DEBTS

   154.    Meaning of debt 
   155.    Secretary may write off debt 
   156.    Power to waive Commonwealth's right to recover debt 
   157.    Waiver of debt arising from error 
   158.    Waiver of debt relating to an offence 
   159.    Waiver of small debt 
   160.    Waiver in relation to settlements 
   161.    Waiver where debtor or debtor's partner would have been entitled to 
   162.    Waiver in special circumstances 
   163.    Secretary may waive debts of a particular class 
   164.    Determination that penalty interest not payable in relation to 
   165.    Definitions 
   166.    What is emergency child care assistance? 
   167.    Minister may make guidelines 
   168.    Application 
   169.    Consequences of failure to comply with requirement for other 
   170.    Children in respect of whom emergency child care assistance is not 
   171.    Payability and rate of payment of emergency child care 
   172.    Duration of payment of emergency child care assistance 

   PART 1--APPROVAL FOR CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE PURPOSES

   173.    What is the significance of approval of a child care service? 
   174.    Application 
   175.    Approval of child care services 
   176.    Statement that applicant has tax file number 
   177.    Conditions of approval 
   178.    Allocation of hours condition ceases to apply to centre based long day 
   179.    Consequences of breach of conditions of approval 
   180.    Procedure for imposing a sanction 
   181.    Cancellation 
   182.    Procedure for cancellation 
   183.    Effect of cancellation of approval on child care rebate service 
   184.    Notification of matters affecting eligibility for approval 
   185.    Eligibility rules--centre based long day care services 
   186.    Eligibility rules--family day care services 
   187.    Eligibility rules--occasional care services 
   188.    Eligibility rules--outside school hours care services 
   189.    Exemption from eligibility rules 
   190.     Eligibility rules may deal with who may operate a service and change of 
   191.    Determinations disallowable 
   192.    Purpose of Division 
   193.    Secretary to allocate child care assistance hours 
   194.    Allocation guidelines 
   195.    Notice of allocation 
   196.    Re-allocation of surrendered child care assistance hours 
   197.    Application for new child care assistance hours 
   198.    Determination of application 
   199.    Allocation of new child care assistance hours--1998 and 1999 
   200.    Total number to be divided on regional basis 
   201.    Allocation within a region limited to hours available in region 
   202.    Other factors affecting allocation 
   203.    Allocation of new child care assistance hours 
   204.    Factors affecting allocation of new hours 

   PART 2--REGISTRATION FOR CHILD CARE REBATE PURPOSES

   205.    What is the significance of registration of a child care 
   206.    Application 
   207.    Registration of child care services 
   208.    Statement that applicant has tax file number 
   209.    When does registration take effect? 
   210.    Conditions of registration 
   211.    Consequences of breach of conditions of registration 
   212.    Procedure for imposing a sanction 
   213.    Cancellation 
   214.    Procedure for cancellation 
   215.    Notification of matters affecting eligibility for registration 
   216.    Eligibility rules 
   217.     Exemption from eligibility rules 
   218.     Determinations disallowable 

   PART 3--REVIEW OF DECISIONS

   219.    Review by the AAT 
   220.    Internal review 

   PART 1--INFORMATION GATHERING

   221.    General power to obtain information 
   222.    Power to obtain information from a person who owes a debt to the 
   223.    Power to obtain information about a person who owes a debt to the 
   224.    General provisions about making requirements under sections 221 to 
   225.    Power to obtain information to verify claims etc. 
   226.    General provisions about making requirements under section 225 
   227.    Secretary's obligation in relation to information given under section 
   228.     State/Territory law does not affect obligations to provide information 
   229.    Part does not create offences in relation to emergency child care 

   PART 2--CONFIDENTIALITY

   230.    Authorised access to and use of protected information 
   231.    Offence--unauthorised access to protected information 
   232.    Offence--unauthorised use of protected information 
   233.    Protection extends to court, tribunal etc. proceedings 
   234.    Secretary's certificate 
   235.    Guidelines for exercise of Secretary's disclosure power 
   236.    Offence--soliciting disclosure of protected information 
   237.    Offence--untrue representations 
   238.    Offences--offering to supply protected information 
   239.    Officer's oath or declaration 
   240.    Freedom of Information Act not affected 
   241.    Application of the Criminal Code 
   242.    Crown not liable to be prosecuted for offences 
   243.    Conviction of an offence--repayment of child care payment 
   244.    Secretary's certificate 
   245.    Court certificate 
   246.    Proceedings against non-corporations 

   PART 1--INTERNAL REVIEW

   247.    Decisions to which Part applies 
   248.    Secretary may review decisions 
   249.    Application for review 
   250.    Secretary or CEO may continue payment pending outcome of application 
   251.    Powers of Secretary, CEO or authorised review officer if application 
   252.    Certain determinations not to be revived 
   253.    Notification of further rights of review 

   PART 2--REVIEW BY SOCIAL SECURITY APPEALS TRIBUNAL

   254.    Decisions to which Part applies 
   255.    SSAT objectives 
   256.    Application for review by SSAT 
   257.    Secretary may continue payment pending outcome of application for 
   258.    SSAT review powers 
   259.    Date of effect of SSAT decisions 
   260.    Application requirements 
   261.    Variation of decision before SSAT review completed 
   262.    Parties to SSAT review 

   PART 3--RIGHT TO REVIEW BY ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS TRIBUNAL

   263.    Review of SSAT decision by AAT 
   264.    Variation of decision before AAT review completed 
   265.    Review of SSAT decision on application by the Secretary 
   266.    Secretary may settle proceedings before the AAT 

   PART 4--MODIFICATION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS TRIBUNAL ACT 1975

   267.    Modification of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 
   268.    Statement of reasons for decision 
   269.    Notice of application for review 
   270.    Parties to review by the AAT 
   271.    Lodging documents with the AAT 
   272.    Power of the AAT to obtain additional statements 
   273.    Operation and implementation of the decision under review 
   274.    Power of the AAT if party fails to appear 

   PART 1--GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

   275.    Secretary to have general administration of Act 
   276.    Delegation by Secretary 
   277.    Authorised review officers 
   278.    Decisions to be in writing 
   279.    Notice of decisions under this Act 

   PART 2--SPECIAL PROVISIONS ABOUT THE AGENCY

   280.    References to the Secretary and the Department--requirements etc. by 
   281.    References to the Secretary and the Department--directions by 
   282.    Treatment of unincorporated associations 
   283.    Treatment of partnerships 
   284.    Judicial notice to be taken of certain matters 
   285.    Evidence 
   286.    Source of payments 
   287.    Regulations 
           SCHEDULE 1--Calculation of rate of child care assistance
           SCHEDULE 2--Calculation of rate of child care rebate