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Social Services

Services Australia - Additional resourcing

The Government will provide $2.8 billion over five years from 2023-24 (and $144.7 million per year ongoing) to improve the way Services Australia delivers services to the Australian community. Funding includes:

• $1.8 billion over three years from 2023-24 for additional frontline staff to help stabilise Services Australia claims backlogs and service standards, to continue emergency response capability and improve the cyber security environment
• $580.3 million over four years from 2024-25 (and $139.6 million per year ongoing) to sustain the myGov platform and ensure the continued development of its capability, including continuing an independent advisory board to provide guidance and advice to the Government on potential myGov enhancements until 2027-28
• $50.0 million over four years from 2024-25 (and $5.2 million per year ongoing) for enhancements to the myGov platform to continue to respond to the findings of the Critical National Infrastructure myGov User Audit and advice from the independent advisory board, including enhancements to the myGov support tool, strengthening myGov fraud detection capabilities, improving the myGov inbox and other communication tools and supporting users to better secure their myGov accounts
• $314.1 million over two years from 2024-25 to continue to enhance safety and security at Services Australia centres and respond to the recommendations of the Security Risk Management Review for Services Australia, including an increased security presence, enhancements to service centre design, incident management systems and security monitoring, staff training and the progression of legislative changes to support Commonwealth frontline staff.

Budget Paper No 2 p 175
Budget Overview p 49
Regional Ministerial Budget Statement p 95
Media Release

Commonwealth Rent Assistance - Increase the maximum rates

The Government will provide $1.9 billion over five years from 2023-24 (and $0.5 billion per year ongoing from 2028-29) to increase all Commonwealth Rent Assistance maximum rates by 10 per cent from 20 September 2024 to help address rental affordability challenges for recipients.

Budget Speech p 6
Budget Paper No 2 p 167
Budget Overview p 15
Women's Budget Statement p 48
Regional Ministerial Budget Statement p 92
Easing cost-of-living pressures p 2
Media Release

Commonwealth Government-Funded Paid Parental Leave - Enhancement

The Government will provide $1.1 billion over five years from 2023-24 (and $0.6 billion per year ongoing) to strengthen Australia's government-funded Paid Parental Leave (PPL) scheme and improve women's retirement outcomes. Funding includes:

• $1.1 billion over four years from 2024-25 (and $0.6 billion per year ongoing) to pay superannuation on Commonwealth government-funded PPL for births and adoptions on or after 1 July 2025. Eligible parents will receive an additional payment based on the Superannuation Guarantee (12 per cent of their PPL payments), as a contribution to their superannuation fund

This measure is expected to increase tax receipts by $155.0 million over two years from 2026-27. The cost of this measure will be partially met from within the existing resourcing of the Department of Social Services. This measure builds on the October 2022-23 Budget measure titled Boosting Parental Leave to Enhance Economic Security, Support and Flexibility for Australia's Families and 2023-24 MYEFO measure titled Paid Parental Leave Scheme - expansion and is consistent with the Government's proposed objective of superannuation to deliver income for a dignified retirement, alongside government support, in an equitable and sustainable way. This measure will help normalise parental leave as a workplace entitlement, like annual and sick leave, and reduce the impact of parental leave on retirement incomes.

Budget Paper No 2 p 166
Budget Overview p 53
Easing cost-of-living p 2
Media Release

The Leaving Violence Program - Financial support for victim-survivors of intimate partner violence

The Government will provide $925.2 million over five years from 2023-24 (and $263.3 million per year ongoing) to make permanent the Leaving Violence Program that will provide financial support, safety assessments and referrals to support services for victim-survivors leaving a violent intimate partner relationship. Funding includes:

• $756.4 million over five years from 2023-24 (and $258.2 million per year ongoing) to establish the Leaving Violence Program (LVP) from 1 July 2025 to provide financial support of up to $5,000 (indexed annually to Wage Cost Index) and support services including risk assessments, safety planning and short-term referral services for up to 12 weeks
• $152.3 million over three years from 2023-24 to extend and expand the Escaping Violence Payment and the Temporary Visa Holders Experiencing Violence Pilot trials to 30 June 2025, and to continue to provide support services for a further 12 weeks beyond the pilot end date for active cases. The LVP will replace these trials.

Budget Speech p 14
Budget Paper No 2 p 176
Budget Overview p 52
Women's Budget Statement p 18
Regional Ministerial Budget Statement p 90
Media Release

Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program

The Government will provide $777.4 million over five years from 2023-24 (and $255.5 million per year ongoing) to establish the Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program, which will create 3,000 jobs in remote Australia and support income support recipients move into paid employment. Funding includes:

• $188.7 million over four years from 2024-25 (and $61.2 million per year ongoing) for a Community Jobs and Business Fund, to support community development and the creation of employment opportunities through funding capital, equipment and capacity building services
• $45.5 million over three years from 2024-25 to extend the current Community Development Program (CDP) provider arrangements from 31 October 2024 to 30 June 2025 - when a new remote employment services program will replace the current CDP provider arrangements - and provide supplementary funding to support the increased caseload following impacts of COVID-19, to provide continuity of support to participants who are not job-ready or able to commence employment under the Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program

The cost of this measure will be partially met by a reprioritisation of funding from the 2023-24 Budget measure titled Closing the Gap - further investment and within the existing resources of the National Indigenous Australians Agency.

Budget Paper No 2 p 162
Budget Overview p 54

Disability Employment Services Reform

The Government will provide $253.6 million over five years from 2023-24 (and $19.0 million per year ongoing) to reform employment services and support for people with disability. Funding includes:

• $227.6 million over five years from 2023-24 (and $11.4 million per year ongoing) to implement a new specialist disability employment program to replace the existing Disability Employment Services program by 1 July 2025
• $23.3 million over four years from 2024-25 (and $7.6 million per year ongoing) to establish a Disability Employment Centre of Excellence.

Budget Paper No 2 p 168
Budget Overview p 48
Women's Budget Statement p 57
Regional Ministerial Budget Statement p 91
Media Release

Department of Veterans' Affairs - Additional resourcing to support service delivery

The Government will provide $194.4 million over four years from 2024-25 (and $20.6 million per year ongoing) to provide additional resourcing to meet increased service delivery pressures including claims processing, and modernise the digital capability of the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Funding includes:

• $186.0 million over four years from 2024-25 (and $20.6 million per year ongoing) to reduce the time taken to process claims, and respond to increased demand for downstream services, particularly the Veteran Access Network, Veteran Support Officers, complex case management, account processing, information access and mental health support
• $8.4 million over two years from 2024-25 to pilot an ICT solution to improve case management and workflow management capabilities in the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Budget Paper No 2 p 81
Budget Overview p 49
Media Release

Digital ID

The Government will provide $288.1 million over four years from 2024-25 to support the initial delivery of the Digital ID system and support more Australians to realise Digital ID's economic and privacy benefits. Funding includes:

• $155.6 million over two years from 2024-25 to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to continue operating and improving the Government's Digital ID, myGovID, and the system which supports authorised access to a range of government business services
• $46.0 million over two years from 2024-25 to Services Australia to continue operating and improving the identity exchange which enables transactions across the Australian Government Digital ID System and performs the function of Digital ID System Administrator
• $35.2 million over two years from 2024-25 to the Department of Finance to continue policy leadership and governance of the Digital ID program
• $23.4 million over two years from 2024-25 for the ATO, Department of Finance and Services Australia to pilot the use of government digital wallets and verifiable credentials.

Budget Paper No. 2 p 97
Budget Paper No. 4 p 11
Media Release

Employment Services Reform

The Government will provide $13.2 million over five years from 2023-24 (and savings of $36.9 million per year ongoing) for improvements to the employment services system and to support future reform. Funding includes:

• $68.6 million over five years from 2023-24 to increase resourcing for the Digital Services Contact Centre to support people using Workforce Australia Online services
• $32.1 million over four years from 2024-25 for the Real Jobs, Real Wages pilot providing tapered payments to employers to support wages for people at risk of long-term unemployment.

The cost of this measure will be partially met by reprioritising funding from within the existing Employment Services program, including:

• $58.8 million over five years from 2023-24 (and $14.0 million per year ongoing) from ceasing the Workforce Specialists initiative
• $53.9 million over four years from 2024-25 (and $17.7 million per year ongoing) from reducing credits to the Workforce Australia - Employment Fund by $100 for each new participant to Workforce Australia Provider Services.

Budget Paper No 2 p 81
Regional Ministerial Budget Statement p 39
Media Release

National Legal Assistance Partnership

The Government will provide additional funding of $44.1 million in 2024-25 to support the National Legal Assistance Partnership and Family Violence Prevention Legal Services, including one-year indexation supplementation to the funding for Legal Aid Commissions, Community Legal Centres and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, and additional funding to reduce community legal sector pay disparity. The Treasury manages Commonwealth payments to the states and territories.

Budget Paper No 2 p 51
Regional Ministerial Budget Statement p 19
Media Release

Financial Wellbeing and Capability Activity - Additional funding

The Government will provide $138.0 million over five years from 2023-24 (and $35.4 million per year ongoing) to boost support for Australians in financial distress or experiencing financial hardship and to build financial resilience, through additional funding to the Financial Wellbeing and Capability Activity. The activity will also be restructured to operate under two streams of support: Financial Capability and Resilience and Financial Crisis Response and Recovery. Funding includes:

• $114.8 million over five years from 2023-24 (and $27.7 million per year ongoing) to support individuals and families experiencing financial distress in times of crisis and natural disasters
• $11.2 million over three years from 2025-26 (and $3.9 million per year ongoing) for the expansion of the Saver Plus program to enable participants to build financial skills, capabilities and resilience.

Budget Paper No 2 p 169
Budget Overview p 19
Regional Ministerial Budget Statement p 93
Easing cost-of-living pressures p 2

A Higher Rate of JobSeeker Payment for Participants with a Partial Capacity to Work (0-14 hours)

The Government will provide $41.2 million over five years from 2023-24 (and $7.0 million per year ongoing from 2028-29) to extend eligibility for the existing higher rate of JobSeeker payment to single recipients with a partial capacity to work of zero to 14 hours per week from 20 September 2024. The higher JobSeeker payment rate is currently provided to single recipients with dependent children and those aged 55 and over who have been on payment for nine continuous months or more.

Budget Speech p 15
Budget Paper No 2 p 164
Budget Overview p 55
Regional Ministerial Budget Statement p 93
Easing cost-of-living pressures p 2
Media Release