I, MICHAELIA CASH, Minister for Employment, make the following instrument under subsection 500(2) of the Social Security Act 1991 (the Act).

Dated 8 January 2016  

MICHAELIA CASH

Minister for Employment

1        Name of instrument

 This instrument is the Social Security (Parenting payment participation requirements – classes of persons) Specification 2016 (No. 1).

2 Commencement

 This instrument commences on 1 April 2016.

3 Revocation of previous instrument

 The Social Security (Parenting payment participation requirements – classes of persons) (DEEWR) Specification 2011 (No. 1) is revoked.

4  Definitions

 In this instrument:

Job Seeker Classification Instrument means the tool used by the Department of Human Services to measure a job seeker’s relative level of disadvantage based on the expected difficulty in finding the job seeker employment because of the job seeker’s personal circumstances and labour market skills.

location means the Local Government Areas of:

(a)   Logan (QLD);

(b)   Rockhampton (QLD);

(c)   Playford (SA);

(d)   Bankstown (NSW);

(e)   Wyong (NSW);

(f)    Shellharbour (NSW);

(g)   Greater Shepparton (VIC);

(h)   Hume (VIC);

(i)     Burnie (TAS); or

(j)     Kwinana (WA).

work means:

(a)   work which generates employment income; or

(b)   work where the person carries on a business, and where the most recent information reported to the Department of Human Services in relation to the profitability of the business was that the business was generating a profit.

Note:  See the definition of employment income in subsection 8(1) of the Act.

5 Class of persons – Participating Parent 

(1)   For subsection 500(2) of the Act, a person is in a specified class of persons if, on a particular day on or after 1 April 2016, the person:

(a)   resides in a location;

(b)   has been receiving parenting payment (partnered or single) for a continuous period of at least 6 months immediately prior to the day;

(c)   has a youngest PP child aged between 6 months and under 6 years;

(d)   has not been receiving a pensioner education supplement in the 3 month period  immediately prior to the day;

(e)   has not engaged in work in the 6 month period immediately prior to the day; and

(f)    the person:

1. is an early school leaver – aged under 22 and has not completed the final year of secondary school or an equivalent level of education and is not undertaking full-time study; or
2. has a youngest PP child who is aged 5 years; or
3. has been assessed as eligible for assistance by their Job Seeker Classification Instrument.

(2)   For subsection 500(2) of the Act, a person is also in the  specified class of persons if, on 31 March 2016, the person is in the specified class of persons of ‘teenage parent’ in section 4 of the Social Security (Parenting payment participation requirements – classes of persons) (DEEWR) Specification 2011 (No. 1).

(3)   Despite subsections 5(1) and 5(2), a person will cease to be in the specified class of persons if the person ceases to meet the requirements of subsection 5(1)(a) or (c).