Child Care Payments Act 1997

1 Short title [see Note 1] 

2 Commencement [see Note 1] 

3 Identifying defined terms 

4 Overview 

Part 2—Interpretation

5 Definitions 

6 Meaning of comply with a tax file number request—request for person’s tax file number             

7 Meaning of comply with a tax file number request—request for tax file number of person’s partner             

8 Meaning of conscientious objection 

9 Extended meaning of inhabitant of Australia—students receiving financial assistance             

10 Extended meaning of inhabitant of Australia—hardship and special circumstances             

11 Meaning of member of a couple 

12 Meaning of payment commencement day 

13 Meaning of receiving 

14 Meaning of satisfies the work/training/study test 

15 Work/training/study test—recognised work or work related commitments             

16 Work/training/study test—recognised training commitments 

17 Work/training/study test—recognised study commitments 

18 Minister’s power to make determinations for the purposes of other definitions             

Chapter 2—Child care assistance

Part 1—Entitlement

19 Entitlement to child care assistance 

Part 2—Qualification

20 Qualification for child care assistance 

21 Meaning of dependent child 

22 The immunisation requirement—prospective claimants and recipients             

23 The immunisation requirement—retrospective claimants 

24 Sessions of care in respect of which emergency child care assistance generally not to count             

25 Treatment of absences of child from care 

Part 3—Limitations on payability

26 Part sets out limits on payability 

27 Assets test 

28 Assets test—determining value of assets 

29 Assets test—indexation of assets limit 

30 Non-temporary cessation of qualification criteria 

31 No payment unless proper claim made 

32 Nil rate of payment 

33 Prospective claims—no payment in respect of periods before or after the maximum assistance period             

34 Prospective claims—provision of tax file numbers 

35 Prospective claims—provision of information required by recipient reconciliation notice             

36 Retrospective claims—no payment in respect of periods before or after maximum assistance period             

Part 4—Claims for child care assistance

37 Prospective and retrospective claims 

38 Need for a claim 

39 Secretary may also treat claim as claim for child care rebate 

40 Form of claim 

41 Lodgment of claim 

42 Claim may be withdrawn 

43 Secretary may give notice stating that child must be immunised 

44 Secretary may request claimant to give statement of tax file number 

45 Secretary may request claimant to give statement of partner’s tax file number             

Part 5—Determination of claims

Division 1—Prospective claims

46 Division applies if person makes a prospective claim that is a proper claim             

47 Secretary to determine claim 

48 Maximum assistance period 

Division 2—Retrospective claims

49 Division applies if person makes a retrospective claim that is a proper claim             

50 Secretary to determine claim 

51 Maximum assistance period 

Division 3—Date of effect etc. of determinations

52 Date of effect etc. of determinations may be dealt with in regulations 

Part 6—Rate of child care assistance

53 Rate of child care assistance 

Part 7—Payment of child care assistance

Division 1—General provisions about payment

54 Payment by instalments 

55 Prospective claims payment system 

56 Retrospective claims payment system 

Division 2—Payment pursuant to prospective claims

57 Division deals with payment pursuant to prospective claims 

58 Commencement of payment 

59 Payment by instalments 

60 Payments generally to be made to operator of child care assistance service             

61 Payment may be made to the person 

62 Payment into bank account 

63 Where payday would fall on public holiday etc. 

64 Payment after death of person 

Division 3—Payment pursuant to retrospective claims

65 Division deals with payment pursuant to retrospective claims 

66 Payment in lump sum 

67 Payment into bank account 

68 Payment after death of person 

Part 8—Recipient obligations

69 Part deals with obligations of people paid pursuant to prospective claims             

70 Secretary may give notice stating that child must be immunised 

71 Secretary may request person to give statement of tax file number 

72 Secretary may request person to give statement of partner’s tax file number             

73 Secretary may require notice of the happening of an event or a change of circumstances             

74 Secretary may require person to give particular information relevant to payment of child care assistance             

75 Secretary may require person to give information relating to entitlement to child care assistance in a past period             

76 Secretary may require person to give notice of change of address 

Chapter 3—Child care rebate

Part 1—Entitlement

77 Entitlement to child care rebate 

Part 2—Qualification

78 Qualification for child care rebate 

79 Meaning of dependent child 

80 The immunisation requirement—prospective claimants and recipients             

81 The immunisation requirement—retrospective claimants 

82 Treatment of absences of child from care 

Part 3—Limitations on payability

83 Part sets out limits on payability 

84 Non-temporary cessation of qualification criteria 

85 No payment unless proper claim made 

86 Nil rate of payment 

87 Prospective claims—no payment in respect of periods before or after the maximum rebate period             

88 Prospective claims—provision of information required by recipient reconciliation notice             

89 Retrospective claims—no payment in respect of periods before or after maximum rebate period             

Part 4—Claims for child care rebate

90 Prospective and retrospective claims 

91 Need for a claim 

92 Secretary may also treat claim as claim for child care assistance 

93 Form of claim 

94 Lodgment of claim 

95 Claim may be withdrawn 

96 Secretary may give notice stating that child must be immunised 

97 Secretary may request claimant to give statement of tax file number 

98 Secretary may request claimant to give statement of partner’s tax file number             

Part 5—Determination of claims

Division 1—Prospective claims

99 Division applies if person makes a prospective claim that is a proper claim             

100 Secretary to determine claim 

101 Maximum rebate period 

Division 2—Retrospective claims

102 Division applies if person makes a retrospective claim that is a proper claim             

103 Secretary to determine claim 

104 Maximum rebate period 

Division 3—Date of effect etc. of determinations

105 Date of effect etc. of determinations may be dealt with in regulations 

Part 6—Rate of child care rebate

106 Rate of child care rebate 

Part 7—Payment of child care rebate

Division 1—General provisions about payment

107 Payment by instalments 

108 Prospective claims payment system 

109 Retrospective claims payment system 

Division 2—Payment pursuant to prospective claims

110 Division deals with payment pursuant to prospective claims 

111 Commencement of payment 

112 Payment by instalments 

113 Payments to be made to person 

114 Payment into person’s bank account 

115 Where payday would fall on public holiday etc. 

116 Payment after death of person 

Division 3—Payment pursuant to retrospective claims

117 Division deals with payment pursuant to retrospective claims 

118 Payment in lump sum 

119 Payment into bank account 

120 Payment after death of person 

Part 8—Recipient obligations

121 Part deals with obligations of people paid pursuant to prospective claims             

122 Secretary may give notice stating that child must be immunised 

123 Secretary may request person to give statement of tax file number 

124 Secretary may request person to give statement of partner’s tax file number             

125 Secretary may require notice of the happening of an event or a change of circumstances             

126 Secretary may require person to give particular information relevant to payment of child care rebate             

127 Secretary may require person to give information relating to entitlement to child care rebate in a past period             

128 Secretary may require person to give notice of change of address 

Chapter 4—Overpayments and debt recovery

Part 1—Preliminary

129 Amount paid to person includes amount paid on person’s behalf to another person             

130 Special provisions relating to operators of child care assistance services             

131 Chapter does not apply to emergency child care assistance 

Part 2—Amounts recoverable under this Act

132 Debts due to the Commonwealth 

133 Debts arising under this Act 

134 Debts arising from AAT stay orders 

135 Debts arising from recipient’s contravention of this Act 

136 Person other than payee obtaining payment of a cheque 

137 Debts arising from conviction of person for involvement in contravention of this Act by debtor             

138 Data-matching Program (Assistance and Tax) Act debts 

139 Interest payable on debt for failure to enter agreement to pay debt 

140 Interest payable on debt for breach of agreement to pay debt 

141 Penalty interest rate 

142 Debt from failure to comply with garnishee notice 

143 Overseas application of provisions 

144 Recoverable debts 

Part 3—Methods of recovery

145 Deductions generally 

146 Deductions from debtor’s child care payment 

147 Deductions from group payments made to child care assistance service             

148 Time limits on recovery action under sections 146 and 147 

149 Legal proceedings 

150 Garnishee notice 

151 Time limits on recovery action under section 150 

152 Secretary may allow payment of debt by instalments 

153 Deductions by consent from child care payment of person who is not a debtor             

Part 4—Non-recovery of debts

154 Meaning of debt 

155 Secretary may write off debt 

156 Power to waive Commonwealth’s right to recover debt 

157 Waiver of debt arising from error 

158 Waiver of debt relating to an offence 

159 Waiver of small debt 

160 Waiver in relation to settlements 

161 Waiver where debtor or debtor’s partner would have been entitled to child care rebate             

162 Waiver in special circumstances 

163 Secretary may waive debts of a particular class 

164 Determination that penalty interest not payable in relation to particular periods             

Chapter 5—Emergency child care assistance

165 Definitions 

166 What is emergency child care assistance? 

167 Minister may make guidelines 

168 Application 

169 Consequences of failure to comply with requirement for other information             

170 Children in respect of whom emergency child care assistance is not payable             

171 Payability and rate of payment of emergency child care assistance 

172 Duration of payment of emergency child care assistance 

Chapter 6—Approval and registration of child care services

Part 1—Approval for child care assistance purposes

Division 1—Obtaining approval and conditions of approval

173 What is the significance of approval of a child care service? 

174 Application 

175 Approval of child care services 

176 Statement that applicant has tax file number 

177 Conditions of approval 

178 Allocation of hours condition ceases to apply to centre based long day care services after 31 December 1999             

179 Consequences of breach of conditions of approval 

180 Procedure for imposing a sanction 

181 Cancellation 

182 Procedure for cancellation 

183 Effect of cancellation of approval on child care rebate service status 

184 Notification of matters affecting eligibility for approval 

185 Eligibility rules—centre based long day care services 

186 Eligibility rules—family day care services 

187 Eligibility rules—occasional care services 

188 Eligibility rules—outside school hours care services 

189 Exemption from eligibility rules 

190 Eligibility rules may deal with who may operate a service and change of operator of a service             

191 Determinations disallowable 

Division 2—Allocation of child care assistance hours

Subdivision 1—General

192 Purpose of Division 

193 Secretary to allocate child care assistance hours 

194 Allocation guidelines 

195 Notice of allocation 

196 Re-allocation of surrendered child care assistance hours 

197 Application for new child care assistance hours 

198 Determination of application 

Subdivision 2—New child care assistance hours for centre based long day care services

199 Allocation of new child care assistance hours—1998 and 1999 

200 Total number to be divided on regional basis 

201 Allocation within a region limited to hours available in region 

202 Other factors affecting allocation 

Subdivision 3—New child care assistance hours for other services

203 Allocation of new child care assistance hours 

204 Factors affecting allocation of new hours 

Part 2—Registration for child care rebate purposes

205 What is the significance of registration of a child care service? 

206 Application 

207 Registration of child care services 

208 Statement that applicant has tax file number 

209 When does registration take effect? 

210 Conditions of registration 

211 Consequences of breach of conditions of registration 

212 Procedure for imposing a sanction 

213 Cancellation 

214 Procedure for cancellation 

215 Notification of matters affecting eligibility for registration 

216 Eligibility rules 

217 Exemption from eligibility rules 

218 Determinations disallowable 

Part 3—Review of decisions

219 Review by the AAT 

220 Internal review 

Chapter 7—Information management

Part 1—Information gathering

221 General power to obtain information 

222 Power to obtain information from a person who owes a debt to the Commonwealth             

223 Power to obtain information about a person who owes a debt to the Commonwealth             

224 General provisions about making requirements under sections 221 to 223             

225 Power to obtain information to verify claims etc. 

226 General provisions about making requirements under section 225 

227 Secretary’s obligation in relation to information given under section 225             

228 State/Territory law does not affect obligations to provide information under this Act             

229 Part does not create offences in relation to emergency child care assistance             

Part 2—Confidentiality

230 Authorised access to and use of protected information 

231 Offence—unauthorised access to protected information 

232 Offence—unauthorised use of protected information 

233 Protection extends to court, tribunal etc. proceedings 

234 Secretary’s certificate 

235 Guidelines for exercise of Secretary’s disclosure power 

236 Offence—soliciting disclosure of protected information 

237 Offence—untrue representations 

238 Offences—offering to supply protected information 

239 Officer’s oath or declaration 

240 Freedom of Information Act not affected 

Chapter 8—General provisions about offences and penalties

241 Application of the Criminal Code 

242 Crown not liable to be prosecuted for offences 

243 Conviction of an offence—repayment of child care payment 

244 Secretary’s certificate 

245 Court certificate 

246 Proceedings against non-corporations 

Chapter 9—General provisions about review of decisions

Part 1—Internal review

247 Decisions to which Part applies 

248 Secretary may review decisions 

249 Application for review 

250 Secretary or CEO may continue payment pending outcome of application for review             

251 Powers of Secretary, CEO or authorised review officer if application for review             

252 Certain determinations not to be revived 

253 Notification of further rights of review 

Part 2—Review by Social Security Appeals Tribunal

254 Decisions to which Part applies 

255 SSAT objectives 

256 Application for review by SSAT 

257 Secretary may continue payment pending outcome of application for review             

258 SSAT review powers 

259 Date of effect of SSAT decisions 

260 Application requirements 

261 Variation of decision before SSAT review completed 

262 Parties to SSAT review 

Part 3—Right to review by Administrative Appeals Tribunal

263 Review of SSAT decision by AAT 

264 Variation of decision before AAT review completed 

265 Review of SSAT decision on application by the Secretary 

266 Secretary may settle proceedings before the AAT 

Part 4—Modification of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975

267 Modification of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 

268 Statement of reasons for decision 

269 Notice of application for review 

270 Parties to review by the AAT 

271 Lodging documents with the AAT 

272 Power of the AAT to obtain additional statements 

273 Operation and implementation of the decision under review 

274 Power of the AAT if party fails to appear 

Chapter 10—Administration

Part 1—General administration

275 Secretary to have general administration of Act 

276 Delegation by Secretary 

277 Authorised review officers 

278 Decisions to be in writing 

279 Notice of decisions under this Act 

Part 2—Special provisions about the Agency

280 References to the Secretary and the Department—requirements etc. by delegate             

281 References to the Secretary and the Department—directions by Secretary             

Chapter 11—Miscellaneous

282 Treatment of unincorporated associations 

283 Treatment of partnerships 

284 Judicial notice to be taken of certain matters 

285 Evidence 

286 Source of payments