Payment to partners

When a client with a partner (with no dependent children) has their Emergency Benefit reduced to the hospital rate, their partner in the community from the same date can:

• have their portion of benefit or pension increased by the difference between the maximum half married, civil union or de facto rate and single rate of that benefit or pension and
• get a Special Disability Allowance

Note couples with dependent children do not have their rate reduced to the hospital rate.

Check to see that the partner is not in hospital. If they are in hospital then the same rules apply as when a client is in hospital. You will need to make sure that they have been in hospital for less than 13 weeks or else their Emergency Benefit will need to be reduced to the hospital rate as well.

If the partner is also in hospital, the same rules apply as when the client is in hospital. If they have been in hospital for more than 13 weeks their benefit or pension is also reduced to the hospital rate.

Note if the partner is getting Veteran's Pension and is in hospital for more than 13 weeks, their payment must not be reduced to the hospital rate. This is because Veteran's Pension is not affected by hospitalisation. The partner of the Veteran's Pension client cannot have their payments increased or get Special Disability Allowance.

You need to charge any income the couple receives against the married, civil union or de facto couple rate before you can determine the amount to pay.

The partner in the community will get the half married, civil union or de facto rate (after charging income) plus the difference between the maximum married, civil union or de facto rate and the single rate.

The client in hospital will get the lesser of the:

• half married, civil union or de facto rate (after charging income) or
• hospital rate of payment