{"id":"F2020L01226","name":"Social Security (Administration) (Deductible portion — section 123XPA) Specification 2020","slug":"social-security-administration-deductible-portion-section-123xpa-specification-2020","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":440616,"registerId":"F2020L01226-fast-fetch-1775956178072","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Social Security (Administration) (Deductible portion — section 123XPA) Specification 2020","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nSocial Security (Administration) (Deductible portion — section 123XPA) Specification 2020\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nI, Anne Ruston, Minister for Families and Social Services, make the following Specification.\n\nDated    25 September 2020\n\nSenator the Hon Anne Ruston\n\nMinister for Families and Social Services\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1  Name\n\n2  Commencement\n\n3  Authority\n\n4  Definitions\n\n5  Schedule\n\n6  Deductible Portions..........................................3\n\nSchedule 1—Repeals\n\nSocial Security (Administration) (Deductible portion — section 123XZPA) specification 2010\n\n \n\n1  Name\n\n  This instrument is the Social Security (Administration) (Deductible portion — section 123XPA) Specification 2020.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n \n\n- Commencement information\n- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3\n- Provisions Commencement Date/Details\n- 1. The whole of this instrument The day after this instrument is registered.\n\n\nNote: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.\n\n3  Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under paragraph 123XPA(3)(b) of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999.\n\n4  Definitions\n\nNote: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in the Social Security Act 1991 and Student Assistance Act 1973, including the following:\n\n(a) ABSTUDY;\n\n(b) living allowance;\n\n(c) pensioner education supplement\n\n  In this instrument:\n\n  Act means the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999.\n\n5  Schedule\n\n  The instrument that is specified in Schedule 1 to this instrument is repealed as set out in the Schedule.\n\n\n\n\n \n\n6  Deductible Portions\n\n  For paragraph 123XPA(3)(b) of the Act:\n\n1.     50% is specified as the deductible portion of an instalment of a category I welfare payment, other than a category I welfare payment specified in subparagraph (b)(i) or (ii); and\n2.     100% is specified as the deductible portion of an instalment of the following category I welfare payments:\n  1.             a payment under the scheme known as the ABSTUDY scheme that includes an amount identified as the living allowance; and\n  2.             a payment under the scheme known as the ABSTUDY scheme that includes an amount identified as pensioner education supplement.\n\nSchedule 1—Repeals\n\nSocial Security (Administration) (Deductible portion — section 123XZPA) specification 2010\n\n1  The whole of the instrument\n\n  Repeal the instrument.\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument maintains the same narrow scope as its predecessor — setting deductible portions for debt recovery from welfare payments. It does not expand beyond this specific administrative function."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument (only 6 substantive sections plus a repeal schedule)","Only 1 defined term ('Act') in the interpretation section","Simple conditional structure with only two categories of payment and clear percentage allocations","No nested exceptions or complex cross-referencing beyond basic references to the parent Act","Straightforward repeal of a single previous instrument"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument sets the legal limits on how much Centrelink can automatically deduct from certain welfare payments to recover debts, chiefly a standard half-rate and a special full-rate for ABSTUDY payments that include a living allowance or pensioner education supplement.  \n\nIt affects welfare recipients in debt — notably Indigenous students and apprentices on ABSTUDY — and matters because the 100% rule can leave recipients without their living allowance while repaying debts."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument replaces the 2010 specification (Schedule 1) and sets deductible percentages, but the text itself does not state an expansion or narrowing of legal scope. Without the prior instrument’s text included here, there is no direct evidence in this instrument that the policy scope has changed; it merely prescribes the deductible portions under paragraph 123XPA(3)(b)."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument with a single operative rule (section 6) specifying two percentage outcomes.","Relies on cross-references to defined terms (eg, 'category I welfare payment', 'ABSTUDY', 'living allowance') located in other Acts, requiring look-up to apply.","Repeals a prior specification (Schedule 1) without reproducing or comparing prior text, forcing external comparison to assess change.","Uses the statutory hook paragraph 123XPA(3)(b) of the Act, so legal effect depends on that provision’s scope and mechanisms.","Ambiguity potential limited to terms defined elsewhere (eg, what counts as an 'instalment'), creating minor interpretive work for administrators."],"plain_english_summary":"Specifies what fraction of a Category I welfare instalment counts as the “deductible portion” under paragraph 123XPA(3)(b) of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999: generally 50%, but 100% for ABSTUDY living allowance and ABSTUDY pensioner education supplement. Affects recipients of Category I payments and the officials who apply recoveries and entitlement adjustments, because it fixes how much of each instalment may be deducted or treated as recoverable, altering entitlement accounting and compliance obligations."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/social-security-administration-deductible-portion-section-123xpa-specification-2020","history":"/api/acts/social-security-administration-deductible-portion-section-123xpa-specification-2020/history","analysis":"/api/acts/social-security-administration-deductible-portion-section-123xpa-specification-2020/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/social-security-administration-deductible-portion-section-123xpa-specification-2020/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/social-security-administration-deductible-portion-section-123xpa-specification-2020/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/social-security-administration-deductible-portion-section-123xpa-specification-2020/documents"}}