{"id":"F2020L00311","name":"Social Security (Coronavirus Economic Response—2020 Measures No. 2) Determination 2020","slug":"social-security-coronavirus-economic-response-2020-measures-no-2-determination-2020","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":100866,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2020L00311-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Part 1","sectionType":"part","heading":"Preliminary","content":"## Part 1—Preliminary","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Name","content":"#### 1 Name\n\n  This instrument is the Social Security (Coronavirus Economic Response—2020 Measures No. 2) Determination 2020.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Authority","content":"#### 3 Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under the following provisions of the Social Security Act 1991:\n    (a) subsection 540BA(2);\n    (b) subsection 593(6);\n    (c) subsection 1061JIA(2);\n    (d) subsection 1210B(2).","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"Part 2","sectionType":"part","heading":"Qualification","content":"## Part 2—Qualification","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Qualification for youth allowance","content":"#### 4 Qualification for youth allowance\n\n  (1) For the purposes of paragraph 540BA(1)(a) of the Social Security Act 1991, the requirements are:\n    (a) the Secretary is satisfied that:\n    (i) the person became unemployed as a result of the adverse economic effects of the coronavirus known as COVID‑19; and\n    (ii) the person is covered by subsection (2); or\n    (b) if the person is self‑employed or is a sole trader—the Secretary is satisfied that:\n    (i) the person’s business was suspended, or suffered a reduction in turnover, as a result of the adverse economic effects of the coronavirus known as COVID‑19; and\n    (ii) the person is covered by subsection (2); or\n    (c) the Secretary is satisfied that:\n    (i) the person’s working hours were reduced (including to zero) as a result of the adverse economic effects of the coronavirus known as COVID‑19; and\n    (ii) the person is covered by subsections (2) and (3); or\n    (d) the Secretary is satisfied that:\n    (i) the person is in quarantine or self‑isolation as a result of advice from, or a requirement made by, the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory or a health professional regarding the coronavirus known as COVID‑19, or is caring for an immediate family member or a member of the person’s household who is in such quarantine or self‑isolation, throughout the relevant period; and\n    (ii) as a result of the circumstance in subparagraph (i), the person’s working hours were reduced (including to zero); and\n    (iii) the person is covered by subsections (2) and (3).\n  (2) A person is covered by this subsection if, throughout the relevant period, the person satisfies the activity test or is not required to satisfy the activity test.\n  (3) A person is covered by this subsection if the Secretary is satisfied that:\n    (a) the person is not entitled to receive a leave payment in respect of the relevant period; or\n    (b) the person has taken reasonable steps to access any leave payment to which the person may be entitled in respect of the relevant period; or\n    (c) the person is receiving a leave payment in respect of the relevant period but, as a result of the adverse economic effects of the coronavirus known as COVID‑19, the payment is less than it would otherwise have been; or\n    (d) the person is receiving a leave payment in respect of the relevant period, but the total amount of the leave payment in the period is less than the amount of youth allowance that would be payable to the person in the period if the person’s claim were granted.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"5","sectionType":"section","heading":"Qualification for jobseeker payment","content":"#### 5 Qualification for jobseeker payment\n\n  (1) For the purposes of paragraph 593(5)(a) of the Social Security Act 1991, the requirements are:\n    (a) the Secretary is satisfied that:\n    (i) the person became unemployed as a result of the adverse economic effects of the coronavirus known as COVID‑19; and\n    (ii) the person is covered by subsection (2); or\n    (b) if the person is self‑employed or is a sole trader—the Secretary is satisfied that:\n    (i) the person’s business was suspended, or suffered a reduction in turnover, as a result of the adverse economic effects of the coronavirus known as COVID‑19; and\n    (ii) the person is covered by subsection (2); or\n    (c) the Secretary is satisfied that:\n    (i) the person’s working hours were reduced (including to zero) as a result of the adverse economic effects of the coronavirus known as COVID‑19; and\n    (ii) the person is covered by subsections (2) and (3); or\n    (d) the Secretary is satisfied that:\n    (i) the person is in quarantine or self‑isolation as a result of advice from, or a requirement made by, the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory or a health professional regarding the coronavirus known as COVID‑19, or is caring for an immediate family member or a member of the person’s household who is in such quarantine or self‑isolation, throughout the relevant period; and\n    (ii) as a result of the circumstance in subparagraph (i), the person’s working hours were reduced (including to zero); and\n    (iii) the person is covered by subsections (2) and (3).\n  (2) A person is covered by this subsection if, throughout the relevant period, the person satisfies the activity test or is not required to satisfy the activity test.\n  (3) A person is covered by this subsection if the Secretary is satisfied that:\n    (a) the person is not entitled to receive a leave payment in respect of the relevant period; or\n    (b) the person has taken reasonable steps to access any leave payment to which the person may be entitled in respect of the relevant period; or\n    (c) the person is receiving a leave payment in respect of the relevant period but, as a result of the adverse economic effects of the coronavirus known as COVID‑19, the payment is less than it would otherwise have been; or\n    (d) the person is receiving a leave payment in respect of the relevant period, but the total amount of the leave payment in the period is less than the amount of jobseeker payment that would be payable to the person in the period if the person’s claim were granted.","sortOrder":5},{"sectionNumber":"6","sectionType":"section","heading":"Qualification for crisis payment—national health emergency","content":"#### 6 Qualification for crisis payment—national health emergency\n\n  For the purposes of paragraph 1061JIA(1)(b) of the Social Security Act 1991, the following requirements are determined:\n    (a) the Secretary is satisfied that the person is in financial hardship;\n    (b) the Secretary is satisfied that the person:\n    (i) is in quarantine or self‑isolation as a result of advice from, or a requirement made by, the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory or a health professional regarding the coronavirus known as COVID‑19; or\n    (ii) is caring for an immediate family member, or a member of the person’s household, who is covered by subparagraph (i);\n    (c) the Secretary is satisfied that the quarantine or self‑isolation referred to in paragraph (b) commenced before 1 October 2022.","sortOrder":6},{"sectionNumber":"Part 3","sectionType":"part","heading":"COVID‑19 supplement","content":"## Part 3—COVID‑19 supplement","sortOrder":7},{"sectionNumber":"7","sectionType":"section","heading":"COVID‑19 supplement—austudy payment","content":"#### 7 COVID‑19 supplement—austudy payment\n\n  (1) For the purposes of paragraph 1210B(1)(b) of the Social Security Act 1991, austudy payment is determined.\n  (2) For the purposes of paragraph 1210B(1)(c) of the Social Security Act 1991, the period is the period:\n    (a) beginning on 25 September 2020; and\n    (b) ending at the end of 31 December 2020.\n  (3) For the purposes of paragraph 1210B(1)(d) of the Social Security Act 1991, the fortnightly amount of a person’s COVID‑19 supplement for the period is $250 for an instalment period in relation to the person that begins on or after 25 September 2020 and before the end of 31 December 2020.","sortOrder":8}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument remained tightly focused on its original purpose: creating temporary COVID-19 specific modifications to social security payments. It did not expand beyond pandemic-related economic support measures."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple parallel qualification pathways with overlapping but slightly different conditions (four pathways each for Youth Allowance and JobSeeker Payment)","Cross-references to four different sections of the Social Security Act 1991 (subsections 540BA(2), 593(6), 1061JIA(2), and 1210B(2))","Nested conditional logic: subsection (2) and (3) requirements that must be read together with the main qualification tests","Four alternative leave payment conditions in subsection (3) that create complex entitlements arithmetic","Temporal limitations on the COVID-19 supplement (specific dates: 25 September 2020 to 31 December 2020)","Cut-off date for crisis payment qualification (quarantine/self-isolation must have commenced before 1 October 2022)"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument temporarily eased access to Youth Allowance and JobSeeker, created a Crisis Payment for people in COVID‑19 quarantine or isolation, and added a limited $250 Austudy supplement, for people whose work or income were lost, reduced, suspended, or interrupted by the pandemic — including sole traders and those caring for someone. It also relaxed rules about using annual leave when assessing eligibility.\n\nWhy it matters: it removed normal activity‑test hurdles so casual, gig and self‑employed workers and students could get faster income support during lockdowns."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument temporarily broadens eligibility criteria by adding COVID‑19 specific grounds (job loss, reduced hours, business disruption, quarantine/caring) for Youth Allowance, JobSeeker and crisis payments, and establishes a time‑limited $250 per‑fortnight Austudy supplement from 25 Sep to 31 Dec 2020. It centralises many factual determinations to the Secretary and interacts with the activity test and existing leave‑payment rules (see ss 4–7)."},"complexity_factors":["Discretionary 'Secretary is satisfied' standard used throughout (ss 4–6) creates administrative judgement calls and evidentiary requirements.","Multiple alternative qualifying pathways (unemployment, reduced hours, business suspension/reduced turnover, quarantine/caring) increase decision branches (ss 4(1), 5(1)).","Differential treatment of employees and self‑employed/sole traders requires assessing business suspension or turnover (ss 4(1)(b), 5(1)(b)).","Interaction with activity test and exemptions — claimants must either satisfy or be exempt from the activity test for the relevant period (ss 4(2), 5(2)).","Complex interplay with leave payments — Secretary must assess entitlement, attempts to access leave, or comparative amounts (ss 4(3), 5(3)), adding verification and calculation tasks.","Temporal limitation for the Austudy supplement (fixed fortnightly amount and defined start/end dates) creates a short application window and recordkeeping for instalment periods (s 7(2)–(3)).","Cross‑references to multiple sections of the Social Security Act 1991 require administrative alignment with existing statutory rules (s 3 authority).","Crisis payment requirement includes a date cutoff for quarantine commencement (before 1 Oct 2022), adding a discrete eligibility chronology check (s 6(c))."],"plain_english_summary":"This Determination sets temporary COVID‑19 rules for several social security payments. It lets the Secretary treat people as eligible for Youth Allowance, JobSeeker or a crisis payment if they lost work, had reduced hours, had business interruption, or were in quarantine/caring for someone because of COVID‑19, and it authorises a time‑limited Austudy supplement of $250 per fortnight from 25 Sep to 31 Dec 2020. It matters because it changes who can access payments and gives a short, fixed cash boost for Austudy claimants."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/social-security-coronavirus-economic-response-2020-measures-no-2-determination-2020","history":"/api/acts/social-security-coronavirus-economic-response-2020-measures-no-2-determination-2020/history","analysis":"/api/acts/social-security-coronavirus-economic-response-2020-measures-no-2-determination-2020/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/social-security-coronavirus-economic-response-2020-measures-no-2-determination-2020/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/social-security-coronavirus-economic-response-2020-measures-no-2-determination-2020/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/social-security-coronavirus-economic-response-2020-measures-no-2-determination-2020/documents"}}