Assistance when client is on strike

There is no specific circumstances Special Needs Grant assistance available to couples (married, civil union or de facto) without dependent children, single or sole parent clients when on strike.

When a client, partner or their dependent children are in extreme hardship or an emergency situation exists they may be able to receive other Special Needs Grant assistance.

A client is still required to meet all the qualifications for any other Special Needs Grant assistance they apply for, including non-recoverable assistance.

The partner must have 1 or more dependent children and:

• meet all the qualifications
• must not be eligible for a benefit in their own right
  For example you cannot pay a Special Needs Grant when the partner can receive part payment of a Jobseeker Support
• the immediate family has no cash assets and cannot obtain credit facilities
• the immediate family has taken all reasonable steps to reduce their fixed commitments and
• the immediate family is not receiving assistance to meet their basic needs from another source

More than one payment can be made to a client, but in any 1 week, this cannot be more than:

• the maximum single under 25 years rate of Jobseeker Support

Special Needs Grants for this purpose are recoverable.

Only when the partner has received their maximum entitlement to recoverable assistance during the period that their partner is on strike, can you consider providing other assistance, either recoverable or non-recoverable.

The exception to this restriction are grants for re-establishment situations (eg Steps to Freedom).

For more information see:

• Qualifications
• Recovery of payments
• Essential Needs
• Emergency needs
• Cash assets
• Deskfile Jobseeker Support rates