EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Family Assistance (Household Organisational Management Expenses (HOME) Advice Program) Determination 2004
Summary
The purpose of this instrument is to allow a person to obtain protected information and to record, disclose or otherwise use that information for the purposes of the Household Organisational Management Expenses (HOME) Advice Program (the HOME Advice Program).
Background
The Family and Community Legislation Amendment (Australians Working Together and other 2001 Budget Measures) Act 2003 amended the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999 (the Family Assistance Administration Act) to give effect to a measure in the Government's 2001-2002 Budget to provide for the use of confidential customer information to facilitate the Family Homelessness Prevention and Early Intervention Pilot (the Pilot). The Pilot identified families at risk of homelessness and intervened to prevent homelessness, unmanageable debt and other forms of crisis. Families at risk have been identified using relevant Centrelink data including changes of address, debt patterns, multiple breaches for parents on Newstart allowance and youth allowance, families frequently calling on emergency relief for advance payments. These families have subsequently been assisted to regain stability in their housing and financial circumstances and to access community services, labour market programs and employment.
A decision was made in the 2004-05 Budget to rename the Pilot the Household Organisational Management Expenses (HOME) Advice Program and provide funding for a further four years.
Section 162 of the Family Assistance Administration Act provides that a person may obtain protected information for specified purposes, including the purposes of the Pilot. Subsection 162(2) provides that a person may record, disclose or otherwise use protected information for the purposes of the Pilot. Subsection 162(3) provides the Minister with the power to specify additional purposes relating to programs administered by the Department for Family and Community Services for which protected information can be obtained, recorded, disclosed or otherwise used.
Explanation of the provisions
Section 1 of the instrument states the name of the disallowable instrument.
Section 2 states that the Determination commences at the end of the period in which it could be disallowed in either House of Parliament (ie 15 sitting days after tabling).
Section 3 contains definitions of terms used in the instrument.
Section 4 of the instrument provides that for the purposes of subsections 162(1) and 162(2) of the Family Assistance Administration Act, protected information may be obtained, recorded, disclosed or otherwise used for the purposes of the HOME Advice Program.