DFISA ceased 1 January 2022. This is for historical reference only.
When was DFISA payable?
DFISA was payable to a person who was qualified for a social security, DAFF or ABSTUDY income support payment where they or their partner received adjusted DP and they met one of the following criteria:
- their income support payment was reduced because of the impact of adjusted DP, or
- their income support payment was not payable because of the impact of adjusted DP.
When was DFISA not payable?
DFISA was not payable to a person if:
- their social security income support payment was paid under the financial hardship provisions,
- the rate of DFISA would have been nil,
- they had elected not to receive DFISA, or
- they received the Department of Agriculture's Farm Household Allowance. More ?More ? (go back)
Reference Library - Departmental Instruction - Department of Agriculture - Farm Household Allowance
Affected income support payments
Centrelink generally pays the following social security, DAFF and ABSTUDY income support payments, which may have been reduced by adjusted DP and may have attracted DFISA:
Centrelink website: Guide To Australian Government Payments Booklet
http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/publications/co029.htm
- age pension (also paid by DVA)
- disability support pension
- carer payment
- JobSeeker payment
- parenting payment
- youth allowance
- austudy payment
- mature age allowance
- special benefit
- special needs pension
- ABSTUDY living allowance
- exceptional circumstances relief payment (repealed 2014)
- farm help income support (repealed 2014)
- interim income support
Manner of payment
Payment of DFISA was directed to the eligible person's existing DVA payment destination. If there were no current payment destination details recorded with DVA for the eligible person, the DFISA payment could not be released until an authorised person nominated a payment destination. If the person wanted their DFISA payments released into an account other than their own, they would have needed to arrange for appointment of an agent. If the person's ill health, infirmity or age rendered them unable to manage their affairs, a trustee may be appointed.
Payment by Direct Credit
Accrual while awaiting payment destination details
11.5.2/Powers of Commission in Relation to Direct Credit Payments
Agents and Trustees
One off payments
In some circumstances, a person may have been entitled to a one off payment of DFISA. For example, this may have occurred where a person was eligible for a sickness benefit payment for a period of only a few days, and goes on and off payment within the one DVA pension period. In this instance, DFISA was paid on the next DVA pension payday.