3.12.1 Overview of Crisis Payment

Last updated 5 March 2013

What is a crisis payment

A crisis payment is immediate financial assistance to people in severe financial hardship and suffering from extreme circumstances, domestic or family violence, or release from lawful custody. The payment is designed to assist them in establishing a new residence following specifically defined extreme circumstances or release from lawful custody, or to re-establish their residence after domestic or family violence has occurred. It is a non-taxable, 'one-off' non-refundable payment.

Eligibility for crisis payments

To receive a crisis payment a person must be in severe financial hardship, receiving or be eligible to receive certain income support payments (excluding Veteran Payment) from DVA, and meet one of the qualifying circumstances:    

• extreme circumstances forcing departure from home,    
  More ?

   

  Section 3.12.3 Extreme Circumstances Causing Departure from the Home

   

  More ? (go back)
• have been subjected to domestic or family violence by a family member and choose to remain in the family home after the perpetrator has left or been removed from the home, or    
  More ?

   

  Section 3.12.4 Domestic or Family Violence – Remaining in the Home

   

  More ? (go back)
• release from lawful custody – prison or psychiatric confinement.    
  More ?

   

  Section 3.12.5 Release from Lawful Custody

   

  More ? (go back)

A person is not eligible if:

• a disaster relief payment has been paid for the same circumstances at the time of the determination,
• the Commission is satisfied that the extreme circumstance or the departure from the home by the perpetrator of the domestic or family violence was brought about in order to obtain a crisis payment, or
• the person has received four crisis payments for extreme circumstances or domestic or family violence in the twelve months prior to the claim.
• the person is receiving Veteran Payment.

Limitations on the number of crisis payments

There is a limit of four crisis payments payable in a twelve month period which only applies to crisis payments due to extreme circumstances and domestic or family violence. Crisis payments that are made to a person on release from lawful custody do not count towards the maximum of four crisis payments due to extreme circumstances or domestic or family violence in a twelve month period.

Example 1 – limitations

A person serves two short prison terms and receives crisis payment on release from prison each time. The person also suffers extreme circumstances due to the house being damaged by fire, then later by flood, and receives crisis payment for each extreme circumstance. The person is then made the subject of an apprehended violence order and must leave the home. The person is eligible for crisis payment again, as the maximum of four crisis payments due to extreme circumstances or domestic or family violence has not yet been reached. Over the twelve month period, the person has received a total of five crisis payments – two on release from lawful custody, and three due to extreme circumstances.

Example 2 – limitations

A person is subjected to domestic or family violence three times during a twelve month period, receiving a crisis payment each time the perpetrator is removed from the home. The person then suffers extreme circumstances due to the house being damaged by fire, and receives another crisis payment as they are forced to leave the home. The person is then subjected to domestic or family violence again, within the same twelve month period. As the person has already received four crisis payments due to domestic or family violence or extreme circumstances within a twelve month period, they are not eligible for a crisis payment for the fifth incident. The person then serves a short prison term. On release, they are eligible for a crisis payment even though they have already received four payments in the twelve month period, as there is no limit on the number of crisis payments payable on release from lawful custody.

Claim and payment

A claim for a crisis payment must be on a form approved by the Commission. An informal claim must be followed by a proper claim within fourteen days. The rate of crisis payment is a flat rate of one week's pension based upon the maximum basic rate of pension, pension supplement and clean energy supplement.    

Legislative authority

The Veterans' Entitlements (Special Assistance) Regulations 1999, were created under s106 of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (Special Assistance), to authorise payment of a crisis payment.  The Regulations, approved by the Repatriation Commission, set out the prescribed conditions.