House of Representatives

Family Assistance and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012

Explanatory Memorandum

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

Schedule 2 - Baby bonus

Summary

This Schedule pauses the indexation of baby bonus for three years from 1 July 2012, and resets the amount of baby bonus to $5,000 per child for an individual who becomes eligible (for example, their child is born) on or after 1 September 2012.

Background

The family assistance law currently provides that the amount of baby bonus for a child is $5,437, and the amount is to be indexed annually each 1 July based on the Consumer Price Index. Baby bonus is paid in 13 fortnightly instalments.

Explanation of the changes

Part 1 - Amendments

Amendments to the Family Assistance Act

Item 1 repeals and substitutes subsection 66(1), commencing on 1 September 2012. The new provision resets the amount of baby bonus to $5,000 on 1 September 2012.

Item 2 adds a new subclause 3(9) to Schedule 4 to the Family Assistance Act, commencing on the day this Act receives the Royal Assent. This new provision provides that baby bonus will not be indexed on 1 July 2012, 1 July 2013 and 1 July 2014.

The note at the end of new subclause 3(9) notes that indexation of baby bonus will resume on 1 July 2015 based on a current figure of $5,000, and refers to the transitional provision in item 6 of this Schedule.

Amendments to the Family Assistance Administration Act

Item 3 amends paragraph 47(2A)(a) to extend to 31 August 2012 the period that the upfront part of the amount of baby bonus is $879.77. This extension is a consequence of indexation not occurring on 1 July 2012 because of the item 2 amendment and baby bonus being reset to $5,000 on 1 September 2012 by item 1 .

Item 4 repeals paragraph 47(2A)(b) and substitutes new paragraphs 47(2A)(b) and (c). New paragraph 47(2A)(b) provides that the upfront part will be $846.15 for eligibility between 1 September 2012 and 30 June 2015. This reflects the resetting of baby bonus to $5,000 by item 1 , and ensures that the upfront part exceeds subsequent instalments of baby bonus by $500. New paragraph 47(2A)(c) provides that the upfront part for eligibility from 1 July 2015 (when indexation resumes) will be 16.92 per cent of the amount of baby bonus. The new figure of 16.92 per cent for the upfront part from 1 July 2015 reflects the upfront part of $846.15 from 1 September 2012 as a percentage of $5,000.

Part 2 - Application and transitional provisions

Item 5 sets out that item 1 (resetting baby bonus to $5,000) applies to individuals who become eligible for baby bonus on or after 1 September 2012.

Item 6 is a transitional provision due to the amendments made by this Schedule. This item sets out that, when indexation of baby bonus resumes on 1 July 2015, the current figure immediately before 1 July 2015 (that is, the amount to be indexed) is taken to be $5,000. This reflects the resetting of baby bonus to $5,000 on 1 September 2012.


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