The Guides to Social Policy Law is a collection of publications designed to assist decision makers administering social policy law. The information contained in this publication is intended only as a guide to relevant legislation/policy. The information is accurate as at the date listed at the bottom of the page, but may be subject to change. To discuss individual circumstances please contact Services Australia.

3.10.3.60 Partnered recipients - payment delivery

Summary

Generally, recipients with partners (1.1.P.85) will have their entitlement periods (1.1.E.125) aligned. The principle for this is to ensure that, as far as possible, changes in circumstances affect each of the couple from the same point in time. This makes changes in rates easier to explain to recipients.

However, due to current processing requirements of financial institutions, recipients on different payments may have different payment delivery days (1.1.D.55) although their entitlement periods are aligned. Payment delivery days are ALWAYS weekdays.

Payment delivery days for members of a couple are described in the following table.

Recipient payment Partner payment Delivery days after end of entitlement period
Pension or PP Pension or PP Both - 2 working days
Pension or PP Benefit other than PPP Pension - 2 working days
Benefit - next working day
Benefit other than PPP Pension or PP Benefit - next working day
Pension - 2 working days
Pension or PP Family assistance Both - 2 working days
Pension or PP Carer allowance Both - 2 working days
Benefit other than PPP Family assistance Benefit - next working day
Family assistance - 2 working days
Benefit other than PPP Carer allowance Benefit - next working day
CA - 2 working days
Benefit other than PPP Benefit other than PPP Both - next working day

Exception: Where a recipient or a recipient couple are in receipt of a social security pension or benefit (other than PPP) as well as a family payment and/or CA, they may choose to have their entitlement periods for these later payments offset into the alternate week.

Act reference: SSAct section 23(1)-'social security pension', section 23(1)-'social security benefit'

Policy reference: SS Guide 3.10.2.30 Alignment of an entitlement period for partnered recipients, 3.10.2.60 Recipients who receive multiple payments, 3.10.3.10 Timing of payment delivery, 3.10.3.70 'Offset' family assistance & CA payments

FA Guide 1.2.1 Family tax benefit (FTB) - description

Last reviewed: