What is the Energy Assistance Payment?
The Energy Assistance Payment (EAP) was a lump sum payment paid in July 2017 and June 2019, to help with rising costs of energy.
Eligibility Criteria
To have been eligible for the 2017 EAP, a person must have been, on 20 June 2017(test date):
- an [glossary::582]; and
- in receipt of:
- Compensation
- VEA Disability Pension;
- VEA War Widow(er)’s Pension;
- MRCA Special Rate Disability Pension;
- MRCA Wholly Dependent Partners;
- MRCA Permanent Impairment;
- SRCA Permanent Impairment;
- Income Support
- VEA Service Pension;
- VEA Income Support Supplement; or
- SSA Age Pension paid by DVA.
- Compensation
To have been eligible for the 2019 EAP, a person must have been, on 2 April 2019 (test date):
- an Australian Resident; and
- in receipt of:
- Compensation
- VEA Disability Pension;
- VEA War Widow(er)'s Pension;
- MRCA Special rate Disability Pension;
- MRCA Wholly Dependent Partners;
- MRCA Permanent Impairment;
- DRCA Permanent Impairment;
- Veteran Payment
- Income Support
- VEA Service Pension;
- VEA Income Support Supplement;
- SSA Age Pension or Wife Pension paid by DVA.
- Compensation
Eligible clients included those who previously chose a compensation lump sum instead of periodic payments.
Clients that were eligible more than once, for example receiving both income support and compensation, were only entitled to one EAP. However, double payments were only recovered if made as a result of fraud.
Rates of Energy Assistance Payment
Eligible 2017 recipients were paid their EAP on 3 July 2017. The 2019 payment was paid in the week commencing 10 June 2019.
If a client's primary payment was compensation or veteran payment, they received $75.00.
If a client's primary payment was income support (and they received no compensation), they received $75.00 (single), or $62.50 (each member of a couple).
A client could only receive one EAP, even if they received more than one eligible compensation and/or income support payment. However, clients could receive a 2017 EAP and a 2019 EAP if they were eligible on both test dates.
Top up payments of Energy Assistance Payment
A person was eligible for a top-up amount of $12.50, for example:
where a person received an EAP at the partnered rate ($62.50), but was later assessed to be ‘single’ on the test date; or
where a person received an EAP at the income support rate for partnered persons ($62.50), but later had an accepted claim for compensation backdated to encompass the test date.