Married, de facto or civil union couple (with children)

While a married, civil union or de facto client with dependent children is completing an application for benefit and/or is on their initial stand-down their partner may be able to receive a Special Needs Grant if they meet all the qualifications.

This type of Special Needs Grant can be paid from the date of first contact up until either:

• the date of decline of the benefit or
• the date of grant of the benefit or
• the commencement date of the benefit or
• the date the application for benefit lapses

whichever is the later.

The partner must have one 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 Grants when the partner can receive part payment of 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
• if the client received a redundancy payment, the payment was used to meet ongoing costs and not to reduce capital debts

More than one payment can be made, but the maximum amount payable in any 1 week cannot be more than:

• the maximum single under 25 years rate of Jobseeker Support

Special Needs Grants for this purpose are recoverable.

Only when a client has received their maximum entitlement to recoverable assistance during their initial stand-down can you consider providing other assistance, either recoverable or non-recoverable. To receive other emergency grants they or a member of their immediate family must be:

• experiencing an emergency situation or
• in extreme hardship

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 exception to the restriction are grants relating to re-establishment situations (eg Steps to Freedom).