Introduction
Temporary Additional Support is non-taxable extra help paid for a maximum of 13 weeks. It is paid as a last resort to help clients with their regular essential living costs that cannot be met from their chargeable income and other resources.
Clients must ensure that they are accessing all other assistance available to them, and take reasonable steps towards reducing their costs and increasing their chargeable income.
A client does not have to be getting a main benefit to qualify for Temporary Additional Support.
For more information see:
Community Services Cards
Note Community Services Cards are not automatically issued to clients who get non-beneficiary assistance (unless they get Accommodation Supplement), and they must make a separate application for a card.
Clients who get Accommodation Supplement qualify for a Community Services Card, and are sent a card automatically without having to make a separate application. See:
- Card services Community Services Card
Legislation
- Hardship assistance Part 2, subpart 16 Social Security Act 2018
- Temporary additional support Part 2, subpart 10 Social Security Regulations 2018
- Cash assets exemptions (Temporary additional support) Schedule 8, Part 2, clause 2 Social Security Regulations 2018
- Chargeable income exemptions (Temporary additional support) Schedule 8, Part 3, clause 3 Social Security Regulations 2018
- Temporary additional support: standard costs Schedule 3 Social Security Regulations 2018
