✦ Plain-English Summary

Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Cashless Welfare) 2019

What it does

This bill changes how the government applies cashless welfare schemes (where welfare payments go onto restricted cards instead of cash). It removes some automatic exemptions and creates new rules for when people can be excluded from these schemes if their mental, physical or emotional wellbeing is at serious risk.

Why it matters

The changes give the government more flexibility to decide who gets exempted from cashless welfare, but also potentially make it harder for vulnerable people to automatically escape these restrictions. Cashless welfare cards limit where and how you can spend money, so exemptions directly affect financial control and dignity.

Key details

• The bill came into effect the day after receiving Royal Assent (late 2019)
• It removes previous exemption categories and replaces them with new Secretary-determined exemptions based on wellbeing risk
• Specific exemption criteria related to mental health and personal circumstances now require individual assessment rather than automatic qualification, giving the Department of Services Australia more discretionary power over who qualifies

Official Description

Amends the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to: provide that the Secretary of the Department of Social Services is the decision maker for all cashless debit card exit applications; broaden the criteria for the exit provisions to enable the secretary to take into account a person’s ability to manage their affairs generally, including their financial affairs; clarify that exit applications need to be made in a form that is approved by the secretary; and expand the wellbeing exemption provisions so that they apply more broadly across all regions.

No formal division recorded

This bill passed by voice vote — parliament agreed without calling a formal count. A division is only recorded when a member explicitly requests one.

No votes yet.

No votes were recorded for this bill.