The Farm Household Support Bill 2014 and the Farm Household Support (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2014 were introduced in the House of Reps on Thur 6.3.2014. The Farm Household Support Bill provides the mechanism to implement a new Farm Household Allowance (FHA), an income support payment for farmers and their partners who are in financial hardship. Among other things, the Bill provides for:
- up to 3 cumulative years of income support for farmers and their partners in hardship without the need for a climatic trigger;
- a requirement for a person to meet a means test, composed of an asset and income test, to qualify for payment;
- an assets test that is higher than mainstream asset limits in recognition that farm assets are relatively illiquid compared with other types of business assets and therefore cannot readily be drawn on for self-support;
- a requirement for a person to enter into, and comply with, a financial improvement agreement to qualify for payment;
- ancillary benefits such as a health care card, telephone allowance, remote area allowance, clean energy supplement, pharmaceutical allowance and rent assistance, subject to a recipient meeting certain requirements;
- an income support payment for farmers and their partners that aligns with social security law where possible.
The Consequential Bill proposes to repeal the Farm Household Support Act 1992, which contains provisions relating to the exceptional circumstances arrangements, the related payment of Exceptional Circumstances Relief Payment (ECRP), as well as other payments and schemes that have ceased.
[LTN 44, 6/3/14]
Passed by House of Representatives
Both Bills were passed by the House of Reps without amendment on 18.3.2014 and now move to the Senate.
[LTN 53, 19/3/14]
Bills pass Senate and await Royal Assent
The Farm Household Support Bill 2014 and Farm Household Support (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2014 have now passed all stages without amendment and effectively await Royal Assent, after having been passed by the Senate on Thur 20.3.2014.
[LTN 54, 20/3/14]