Last updated 21 December 2006
Crisis payment [2] is available to people released from [glossary:lawful cu:] — [glossary:stody:] [3], either prison or psychiatric confinement, and who are in severe financial hardship [2].
A person applying for a crisis payment due to prison/psychiatric release must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:
A person who lives in a psychiatric facility will only be considered for a crisis payment if they have been in lawful custody [2] for fourteen days or more and fulfil the other eligibility criteria. In all other circumstances i.e. where the person has not been charged with an offence, departure from that facility would have to have been the result of extreme circumstances.
Prison release... |
And... |
A crisis payment is payable because... |
A person is released from either prison or psychiatric confinement qualified to receive an income support pension |
the person has been in prison for fourteen days and has liquid assets of less than a fortnight's pension entitlement |
the person has been in prison for at least fourteen days and is in severe financial hardship. |
A person is released from either prison or psychiatric confinement qualified to receive an income support pension |
the person has served forty days in prison and has no liquid assets, but is starting employment on the third day after their release |
the person is eligible for payment of service pension at the time of their release at least until they start work. |
Prison release... |
And... |
A crisis payment is not payable because... |
A person is released from prison |
the person has been in prison for ten days and has no liquid assets |
the person has not served at least fourteen days in prison. However, as the person is making an initial claim, the person may be entitled to an advance of their first instalment under severe financial hardship provisions. |
A person is released from prison |
the person has served twenty eight days in prison and has liquid assets equivalent to a fortnight's pension entitlement |
the person is not considered to be in severe financial hardship as their liquid assets are not less than a fortnight's entitlement. |
If a person is released from either prison or psychiatric confinement |
the person has served thirty days in prison and has no liquid assets, but is returning to their previous employment the day after their release |
the person is employed and is not qualified for an income support payment. |
A crisis payment is a one-off non-taxable payment to extend immediate financial assistance to people in severe financial hardship who:
In general terms, this is where someone is suffering from serious money difficulties, such as insufficient income to manage their basic living expenses. More detailed descriptions of various financial hardship situations are covered under the following topics:
Income support pension is:
Lawful custody is detention of a person in prison, or in psychiatric confinement because they have been charged with an offence.
Links
[1] https://clik.dva.gov.au/user/login?destination=node/16861%23comment-form
[2] https://clik.dva.gov.au/%23
[3] clikpopup://DEF/Lawful Custody
[4] http://clik.dva.gov.au/legislation-library