House debates

Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Bills

Social Security Legislation Amendment (Fair Incentives to Work) Bill 2012; Second Reading

1:34 pm

Photo of Natasha GriggsNatasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Fair Incentives to Work) Bill 2012. The effect of this bill is to remove the parenting payment transitional arrangements so that the eligibility for parenting payments for all recipients, including those parents whose payments were grandfathered, will cease when their youngest child turns six years of age for partnered recipients or eight years of age for single recipients.

Removing the grandparenting provisions affects those parenting payment recipients who have been continuously receiving the parenting payments dating back to before 1 July 2006. An important footnote is that the changes proposed by this legislation only affect parents who were grandfathered, not parents who had become new claimants since July 2006. Further, it is noted that there are additional entitlements for single principle carer parents in receipt of the Newstart allowance, which was introduced by the Welfare to Work reforms. These allowances include access to pensioner concession cards.

Photo of Sharon GriersonSharon Grierson (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Solomon still has the call. Has the member for Solomon concluded?

Photo of Natasha GriggsNatasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I have concluded, Madam Deputy Speaker.

Debate adjourned.