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ABSTUDY and DAFF Income Support Payments Reduced to Nil Rate (DFISA ceased 2022)

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Last amended 
25 February 2022

DFISA was removed 1 January 2022.  This is for historical reference only.

DFISA-like payment regulations

The Veterans' Entitlements (DFISA-like Payment) Regulations 2005 provided that if a person's rate of ABSTUDY living allowance or DAFF income support payment was nil but they received DFISA-like in respect of that payment:    

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  • they were entitled to any benefits associated with the ABSTUDY living allowance or DAFF income support payment, and
  • the person was subject to all of the obligations applicable to recipients of that payment, such as the obligation to notify Centrelink of changes to income.

The provision did not apply to people who had elected not to receive DFISA-like payments.

Please note that since 2014, the Department of Agriculture's Farm Household Allowance (FHA) paid by DHS did not include Adjusted Disability Pension in the FHA income test and thus there was no DFISA-like payment.    

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Impact on recipient obligations

A person whose rate of ABSTUDY or DAFF income support payment was nil but who received a rate of DFISA-like in respect of that payment was subject to the obligations applicable to their income support payment.

Entitlement to concessions and benefits

A person whose rate of ABSTUDY or DAFF income support payment was nil but who received a rate of DFISA-like in respect of that payment was also entitled to all additional benefits available to the recipient of that income support payment. These additional benefits included:

  • concession cards available to recipients of the ABSTUDY living allowance,
  • re-establishment grants for certain DAFF clients, and
  • grants under the Training and Advice Scheme for recipients of DAFF.

The department that administers the primary payment administered these benefits.


 

 

 

Reference Library - Departmental Instruction - Department of Agriculture - Farm Household Allowance

DI/C09/2014

 

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Aboriginal study assistance scheme means:

  • the ABSTUDY scheme, or
  • the Aboriginal Overseas Study Assistance Scheme.

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

From 1 January 2022, DFISA-like payments ceased.  The information below is for historical reference only.

The Defence Force Income Support Allowance-like (DFISA-like) payment was an ISP under regulations made under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986. DFISA-like payment may have been payable to a person whose:

  • income support payment was administered by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), or
  • living allowance made under ABSTUDY

was reduced or not payable because of adjusted disability pension ADP.

 

 

Centrelink is a Government service delivery agency responsible for delivering a range of Commonwealth Government services (including social security pensions and allowances) to the Australian community through a network of more than 400 Centrelink offices.

On 1 January 2022, both DFISA and the Disability Income Rent Test were removed.   Thus the term Adjusted Disability Pension was made redundant.  The following is for historical reference only.

Section 118NA of the VEA defined adjusted disability pension as:

  • disability pension (known as disability compensation payment from 2022) paid under Parts II or IV of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA); and
  • permanent impairment payments and special rate disability pension paid under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.

Adjusted disability pension did not include war widow's/widower's pension, or payments made by other governments to compensate for war or service related injuries.