{"id":"F2021L01445","name":"Social Security (Ordinary Waiting Period Exemption) Instrument 2021","slug":"social-security-ordinary-waiting-period-exemption-instrument-2021","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":441042,"registerId":"F2021L01445-fast-fetch-1775956468481","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Social Security (Ordinary Waiting Period Exemption) Instrument 2021","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\nmeta-keywords: \"[SEC=OFFICIAL]\"\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nSocial Security (Ordinary Waiting Period Exemption) Instrument 2021\n\n \n\n \n\nI, Ray Griggs, Secretary of the Department of Social Services, make the following Determination.\n\nDated 19 October 2021   \n\nRay Griggs, AO, CSC\n\nSecretary of the Department of Social Services\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1  Name\n\n2  Commencement\n\n3  Authority\n\n4  Definitions\n\n5  Schedules\n\n6  Ordinary waiting period exemptions\n\nSchedule 1—Amendments\n\n \n\n \n\n1  Name\n\n  This instrument is the Social Security (Ordinary Waiting Period Exemption) Instrument 2021\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this instrument is registered.\n\n\nNote:          This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made.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 sections 500WA, 549CA and 620 of the Social Security Act 1991.\n\n4  Definitions\n\n  In this instrument:\n\nAct means the Social Security Act 1991.\n\n5  Schedules\n\n  Each instrument that is specified in the Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in the Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.\n\n6  Ordinary waiting period exemptions\n\n             (1)  For paragraph 500WA(2)(b) of the Act, the following class of people is exempted from application of subsection 500WA(1) of the Act:\n\n(a)   the class of persons undertaking the activity specified in subparagraph 7(a)(ii) or (iii) of the Social Security (Exemptions from Non-payment and Waiting Periods - Activities) Specification 2017, as amended by this instrument.\n\n             (2) For paragraph 549CA(3)(b) of the Act, the following class of people is exempted from application of subsection 549CA(2) of the Act:\n\n(a)    the class of persons undertaking the activity specified in subparagraph 7(a)(ii) or (iii) of the Social Security (Exemptions from Non-payment and Waiting Periods - Activities) Specification 2017, as amended by this instrument.\n\n             (3)  For paragraph 620(2)(b) of the Act, the following class of people is exempted from application of subsection 620(1) of the Act:\n\n(a)    the class of persons undertaking the activity specified in subparagraph 7(a)(ii) or (iii) of the Social Security (Exemptions from Non-payment and Waiting Periods - Activities) Specification 2017, as amended by this instrument.\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nSchedule 1—Amendments\n\nSocial Security (Exemptions from Non-payment and Waiting Periods - Activities) Specification 2017\n\n1  Section 5 (Definitions)\n\nInsert:\n\n              COVID‑19 Australian Government payment means a payment or grant of financial assistance covered by item 492 of the table in Part 4 of Schedule 1AB to the Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Regulations 1997.\n\n2  Paragraph 7(a)\n\nOmit “activity is”, substitute “activities are”.\n\n3  Subparagraph 7(a)(i)\n\nOmit “.”, substitute “;”.\n\n4  At the end of paragraph 7(a)\n\nAdd:\n\n1.             the activity of making a claim for a social security payment by a person during any period they are entitled to a COVID-19 Australian Government payment;\n2.             the activity of making a claim for a social security payment by a person on a day within 13 weeks after the day they were last entitled to a COVID-19 Australian Government payment.\n\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"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":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument performs exactly the limited, targeted function suggested by its title: creating specific exemptions from waiting periods for COVID-19 payment recipients. It does not expand beyond this narrow purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Short length (approximately 2 pages of substantive content)","Only 1 defined term ('COVID-19 Australian Government payment')","Simple structure: 6 operative sections plus a short Schedule of amendments","Cross-references to 3 sections of the Social Security Act 1991 and one other legislative instrument, but these are straightforward pointer provisions","No nested exceptions or conditional logic beyond the basic 'if you are doing X, you are exempt' structure","Amendments are mechanical (inserting list items, changing punctuation)"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument exempts people from the one-week \"ordinary waiting period\" for certain Centrelink payments if they are receiving, or claim within 13 weeks after, a COVID-19 Australian Government payment. \n\nBy amending the earlier 2017 specification, it stops a one-week income gap for people moving from pandemic support to ongoing social security."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument expands the class of people exempted from ordinary waiting periods by adding entitlement to a specified COVID‑19 Australian Government payment (and claims made within 13 weeks after entitlement) to paragraph 7(a) of the 2017 Exemptions Specification (see clause 6 and Schedule 1 items). It adds a definition linking that payment to item 492 of Schedule 1AB of the Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Regulations 1997, thereby broadening the Specification's scope to include recipients of that COVID‑19 payment."},"complexity_factors":["Cross-references to multiple instruments and statutes (Social Security Act ss 500WA, 549CA, 620; Social Security (Exemptions...) Specification 2017; Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Regulations 1997 Schedule 1AB item 492).","Introduces a new defined term (COVID‑19 Australian Government payment) tied to an external instrument (item 492) which requires external lookup to interpret.","Adds timing rule (within 13 weeks after last entitlement), creating look-back and evidentiary requirements for administrators and claimants.","Amendment is narrow and targeted (specific subparagraphs), but affects multiple statutory waiting-period provisions simultaneously.","Operational verification burden on administrators to identify entitlement periods and apply exemptions consistently."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument exempts people who are entitled to a specified COVID‑19 Australian Government payment, or who make a claim within 13 weeks after losing that entitlement, from ordinary waiting periods for certain social security payments by amending the 2017 Exemptions Specification (pursuant to ss 500WA, 549CA and 620 of the Social Security Act). Made by the Secretary of the Department of Social Services, it reduces waiting times for eligible claimants, shifts cost to the social security budget, and requires administrators to verify entitlement under item 492 of Schedule 1AB of the Financial Framework Regulations."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/social-security-ordinary-waiting-period-exemption-instrument-2021","history":"/api/acts/social-security-ordinary-waiting-period-exemption-instrument-2021/history","analysis":"/api/acts/social-security-ordinary-waiting-period-exemption-instrument-2021/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/social-security-ordinary-waiting-period-exemption-instrument-2021/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/social-security-ordinary-waiting-period-exemption-instrument-2021/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/social-security-ordinary-waiting-period-exemption-instrument-2021/documents"}}