Financial assistance during non-entitlement period

Clients are not entitled to a Special Needs Grant if a sanction has been imposed, unless they become:

• sick or injured and
• incapable of participating in employment or an approved activity for at least six weeks

In this case, the client can get more than one Special Needs Grant, but the amount granted in any one week cannot be more than the combined total of:

• what the client would be entitled to that week if they were entitled to Emergency Benefit and
• the rate of Accommodation Supplement that the applicant would have gotten

For more information see:

• Effect of a non-entitlement period on financial assistance
• Assistance when a client is sanctioned

Generally clients will not be entitled to Recoverable Assistance Payments when they are subject to a non-entitlement period. This is because they will be contributing to their hardship through not recomplying. The client's first option is to recomply.

A Recoverable Assistance Payment cannot be paid when the client has no means of repaying it.

For more information see:

Generally, clients whose benefit continues to be paid (i.e. clients with dependent children) will not be entitled to an Advance Payment of Benefit when they have a 13 week non-entitlement period imposed. This is because they will be contributing to their hardship through not recomplying.

The client's first option to improve their financial situation is to recomply.

In some instances it may be appropriate to consider an exemption or a transfer to another benefit that does not have work obligations.

For more information on transfers and exemptions see:

• Exemptions
• Changes and reviews Client qualifies for another benefit