10th Dec 2020, 5:58 PM – Senate Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Extension of Coronavirus Support) Bill 2020 - in Committee - Keep part unchanged

The same number of senators voted for and against a motion, which means it failed. The motion was "that division 2 of part 1 of schedule 1 stand as printed." To stand as printed is parliamentary jargon for remaining unchanged.

This vote was technically unsuccessful but, because a majority is needed to actually make a change to the wording of the bill, that particular division remained part of the bill as passed by both houses.

What does this bill do?

According to the bills digest, the bill was introduced in order to:

• provide for the extension of the Coronavirus Supplement for Youth Allowance (Student and Apprentice) recipients from 1 January 2021 to 31 March 2021;
• prevent any extension of the Coronavirus Supplement and the temporary COVID-19-related waivers from the ordinary waiting period, newly arrived resident’s waiting period and seasonal work preclusion period beyond 31 March 2021;
• provide for the extension of the temporary COVID-19-related qualification rules for Youth Allowance (Student and Apprentice);
• remove provisions relating to the COVID-19-related liquid assets test waiting period and assets test waivers (these waivers ended on 25 September 2020);
• allow for specific provisions of social security law to be temporarily modified by the Minister by legislative instrument in response to the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 until 31 March 2021 (or 16 April 2021 for some of the provisions);
• introduce a discretionary power under the Social Security Act 1991 and the Veterans’ Entitlement Act 1986 assets tests to extend the temporary absence provisions used in relation to determining a person’s principal home where an individual is unable to return to Australia, for reasons beyond their control, within the allowable absence period; and
• allow for JobKeeper Payment information provided by the Australian Tax Office to Services Australia on or before 28 March 2021 to be used after that date.