Social Security Legislation Amendment (One-off Payments for Carers) Act 2005

What This Law Does

This Act provides one-off cash payments to carers — people who look after individuals with disabilities, illnesses, or other care needs — as a 2005 measure by the Australian Government.

Who It Affects

• Carers who may not have qualified for payments under the standard Social Security rules but whom the Government considered deserving of support
• People caring for others during the 2004–2005 financial year

How It Works

The Act operates in two ways:

1. Amends existing Social Security laws (via Schedule 1, not reproduced here) to directly provide payments to eligible carers
2. Creates a backup 'safety net' scheme (Schedule 2) — the Minister can create a separate administrative scheme to pay carers who fall through the cracks of the normal rules. This is a flexible power allowing the Government to catch anyone the standard legislation misses or treats unfairly.

Why the Safety Net Matters

The standard Social Security rules don't always produce fair outcomes for every carer's situation. This Act gives the Minister the power to design a custom scheme — using public money (the Consolidated Revenue Fund) — to make payments in cases where the normal rules fall short.

Key Points

• Payments are (not ongoing)