House of Representatives

Explanatory Memorandum

(Circulated by the authority of the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin MP)

Schedule 4 - Administrative scheme for 2008 one-off payments to carers

Summary

This Schedule contains provisions to enable an administrative scheme to be established. In broad terms, the purpose of the administrative scheme will be to provide payments in circumstances where the statutory one-off payments regime provided for in Schedule 3 does not produce an appropriate result in relation to circumstances that occur in the 2007-2008 financial year. The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs can determine the details of the scheme by legislative instrument.

Background

This Schedule enables an administrative scheme to be established alongside the statutory one-off payment scheme.

Explanation of the changes

Item 1 provides for the establishment by legislative instrument of an administrative scheme by the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, under which one-off lump sum payments can be made to carers in specified circumstances. The purpose of the scheme is to provide payments in circumstances where the statutory one-off payments regime does not produce an appropriate result in relation to circumstances that occur in the 2007-2008 financial year.

The details of the administrative scheme (including such matters as eligibility, amount of the payment, debt recovery and administrative matters) would be set out in a legislative instrument.

Payments under the administrative scheme would be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (in accordance with subitem 1(4) ).

Discussion regarding the legislative instrument and appropriation basis of the administrative scheme can be found under Schedule 2 above.