Last amended: 27 July 2022
Eligibility
A person is eligible for a top-up amount if their circumstances change in a manner that makes them eligible for a higher clean energy advance (CEA) amount than they originally received. There are three scenarios where a person will have already received a CEA and will be eligible for a top-up payment:
- where a person starts to receive a new clean energy underlying payment (CEUP), including under a different Act or Scheme, which attracts a higher clean energy advance daily rate (CEA daily rate) (eg transfer from newstart allowance to service pension)
- where a person starts to receive a new CEUP which has a longer clean energy advance period (CEAP) and the same CEA daily rate (eg already receiving general rate of Disability Compensation Payment and commences to receive MRCA permanent impairment payment)
- where a person moves to a higher payment rate of the same CEUP (eg VCES student moving to a higher rate of payment on their 18th birthday).
Multiple top-up amounts may be payable
There is no limit to the number of top-up payments a person may receive, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria for a top-up payment.
Payment of top-up amounts when transferring payments
The top-up payment is paid by the agency that pays the person's current CEUP. Where a person moves from a social security payment to a DVA payment, DVA pays the top-up and vice-versa.
Calculation of top-up amount
The following method applies to people receiving their first top-up payment.
Step | Action |
1 | Multiply the original CEA daily rate by the number of days from the clean energy advance start date (CEA start date) to the day before the change day. Note: change day is the day where the new CEUP or higher rate of the same CEUP commences. |
2 | Multiply the new clean energy daily rate by the number of days from the change day to the end of the new CEAP. |
3 | Add results of steps 1 and 2. |
4 | Round result of step 3 to the nearest $10. |
5 | Deduct original CEA from result of step 4. The result, if greater than $0, is the amount of top-up. |
The following method applies to people who have already received a top-up payment.
Step | Action |
1 | Multiply the original CEA daily rate by the number of days from the CEA start day to the day before the original change day. |
2 | Multiply the second CEA daily rate by the number of days from the original change day to the day before the second change day. |
3 | Repeat step 2 as necessary for all subsequent change days before the most recent change day. |
4 | Multiply the new CEA daily rate by the number of days from the most recent change day to the end of the new CEAP. |
5 | Add results of steps 1, 2, 3 & 4. |
6 | Round result of step 5 up to the nearest $10. |
7 | Add together the original CEA and any previous top-up payments. |
8 | Deduct the result of step 7 from the result of step 6. The result, if greater than $0, is the amount of top-up. |