Highlights
- The waiting period for Carer Payment, Parental Leave Pay and Dad and Partner Pay will increase from two to four years. For Carer Allowance and Family Tax Benefit Part A, the waiting period will increase from one to four years. The government also wants to introduce a new waiting period of four years for Family Tax Benefit Part B.
- For those who came to Australia before 2019, the waiting period for payment like JobKeeper or Austudy will depend on each circumstance.
- It is important to note that changes to the waiting periods will only affect future permanent residents. People who have been granted a relevant permanent or temporary visa before 1 January 2022 will not be affected.
Social security benefits are available to Australian residents who are in financial need. The Department of Social Services (DSS) considers Australian citizens, permanent visa holders and some New Zealand citizens as Australian residents for social security payments. Temporary partner visa holders can also access some payments.
The Department of Social Services says its longstanding policy is that new migrants should support themselves when they first settle in Australia. One requirement is that new permanent residents serve a waiting period before accessing government payments. To qualify for most payments from January 2022, new residents will have to wait four years from the time their residency is granted. Time outside of Australia will not count towards the four year wait time.
“If you arrive as a refugee then you have normal access to income support as any other Australian that might be in a situation of unemployment or sickness, or ageing or studying and so on. However, if you come on any of the other visas, even as a permanent resident, you serve a four-year waiting period. It’s called the Newly Arrived Migrant Waiting Period.”
