What happens to my payments if my child passes away?
In Plain English
If you're receiving certain payments like parenting payment or double orphan pension and your child passes away, you may still be eligible for continued payments for a certain period. This is to help you during the bereavement period. The amount and duration of these payments depend on the specific circumstances and the type of payment you were receiving. For example, if you were receiving parenting payments, you may continue to receive them for 14 weeks after the child's death, as if the child had not died. Similarly, if you were receiving double orphan pension, you may continue to receive it during the bereavement rate continuation period. There may also be lump sum payments available in some circumstances.
Detailed Explanation
The legislation provides for continued payments and support in the event of the death of a child, under various circumstances, for recipients of different types of benefits.
- Parenting Payment: If a person is receiving parenting payment for a dependent child and that child dies, the person remains qualified for the parenting payment for 14 weeks following the child's death, as outlined in section 512 of the Social Security Act 1991. The rate of payment during this period is calculated as if the child had not died.
- Double Orphan Pension: If a person is receiving double orphan pension for a young person who dies, the person remains qualified for the pension during the bereavement rate continuation period, as if the young person had not died, according to section 1033 of the Social Security Act 1991. A lump sum may also be payable under section 1034 of the Social Security Act 1991, if certain conditions are met, such as the child being an FTB child immediately before death and the first bereavement adjustment payday occurring before the end of the bereavement period.
- Youth Allowance: Section 567G of the Social Security Act 1991 states that if a person is receiving youth allowance and is the principal carer of a child who dies, and they are not undertaking full-time study or a new apprenticeship, their rate of youth allowance will not be reduced for 14 weeks.
- Bereavement Payments (Veterans' Entitlements): Subdivision B of Division 12A of Part IIIB of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 applies if a person is receiving a pension and their partner dies, and immediately before the partner died, the partner was receiving a pension or a social security pension. Depending on whether the pensioner's reassessed rate is equal to or greater than the combined pensioner couple rate (section 53K) or less than the combined pensioner couple rate (section 53L), different rules apply regarding the rate of pension and bereavement payments. Subdivision D of Division 12A of Part IIIB of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 applies if a person is receiving a pension and a child dies, and immediately before the child died, the pensioner's pension rate included a dependent child add-on or guardian allowance in respect of the child. In this case, pension continues to be payable to the pensioner for pension paydays during the bereavement period as if the child had not died (section 53S), and part of each instalment of pension is taken to be a bereavement payment (section 53T).
- Income Support Supplement (Veterans' Entitlements): Subdivision B of section 45ZG of the Veterans' Affairs (1994-95 Budget Measures) Legislation Amendment Act 1994 provides that if a person is receiving income support supplement and a child dies, and immediately before the child died, the rate of the person's income support supplement included a dependent child add-on or guardian allowance in respect of the child, the person is eligible for payments to cover the bereavement period.