Completing a budgeting worksheet
A client or their partner may need to complete a budgeting worksheet if they have a budgeting activity obligation.
A budgeting worksheet is a written budget showing the income a person has and what bills and expenses they spend their money on.
Completing a budgeting worksheet may help clients who have difficulty managing their budget.
A budgeting worksheet may also be useful for clients who are unable to attend a budgeting course or seminar.
Acceptable budgeting worksheet
Clients can complete any budgeting worksheet as long as it records and compares information on income and expenses.
To complete this budgeting activity a client's budget must include:
- all of their costs (and their partner's costs), including weekly, fortnightly, monthly and annual costs and
- their income from all sources
All clients will have costs related to accommodation, power, food and transport but you should also check they have included everything they spend money on throughout the year, eg school uniforms, clothing, medical bills, birthday presents, etc.
For more information see:
- Budgeting activity obligation
- Attending a budgeting advice service
- Attending a budgeting course or seminar
- Reasonable steps obligation
- Failure to meet hardship obligations
- Building Financial Capability services [no link find out why] procedures
- Adding plan items and resulting activities in CMS [no link find out why] procedures
Legislation
- Advance payment of instalments of benefit section 347 Social Security Act 2018
- Requirement for beneficiary, spouse or partner, or both, to undertake budgeting activity section 348 Social Security Act 2018
- Advance payment of benefits regulations 201-204 Social Security Regulations 2018
- Exercise of Discretion clause 6.4 Direction on Advance Payments of Instalments of Benefit
