Explanatory note

This note is not part of the instrument, but is intended to indicate its general effect.

This welfare programme, established under section 101 of the Social Security Act 2018, which comes into force on 26 August 2024, provides for assistance for emergency housing for eligible applicants, that was formerly provided under the Special Needs Grants Programme.

The welfare programme provides assistance for emergency housing that was provided under the Special Needs Grants Programme and makes the following changes:

• introduces a new responsibility framework which changes the eligibility criteria for emergency housing grants;
• removes the ability to make emergency housing grants recoverable; and
• clarifies the settings for security deposit grants.

The responsibility framework provides for responsibilities that an applicant must comply with to continue receiving grants for emergency housing from their 8th night in emergency housing for the same emergency housing event. The framework also sets out the consequences for not complying with those responsibilities, including imposing a non-entitlement period, and when grants can be made to applicants during that non-entitlement period.