Explanatory Memorandum
(Circulated by authority of the Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator the Hon Amanda Vanstone)Schedule 7 - Miscellaneous amendments
Summary
Schedule 7 amends the confidentiality provisions in the social security and family assistance laws. The amendments enable customer information held in the records of Centrelink to be used for the purposes of the Family Homelessness Prevention and Early Intervention Pilot (the Pilot).
The amendments made by Schedule 7 are effective from 1 July 2002.
Background
Research into homelessness indicates that, for many families who become homeless, there is a lead-up period in which they frequently move house and experience financial crisis.
The aim of the Pilot is to identify families at risk of homelessness and intervene to prevent homelessness, unmanageable debt and other forms of crisis.
Families at risk would be identified using relevant Centrelink data including: changes of address, debt patterns, multiple breaches for parents on newstart allowance and youth allowance, and families frequently calling on emergency relief for advance payments. These families would then be assisted to regain stability in their housing and financial circumstances, and to access community services, labour market programs and employment.
Explanation of changes
Part 2 - Amendment of the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999
Section 162 of the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999 is cast in the same terms as section 202 of the Administration Act. It is the family assistance equivalent of section 202.
The amendments made by items 4, 5 and 6 mirror those made by items 1, 2 and 3.