Thursday, 24 November 2011

Finding Out About Social Security In Australia

By Gnifrus Urquart


Social security in Australia is run by a government body called CentreLink. This operates on a very similar basis to the welfare benefits available in the UK. Different schemes are available, depending on an individual's needs.

Aged Care is paid to to the elderly in order to either fund care in a nursing home or to use to obtain community help. There would be an assessment carried out first to determine the needs of the individual. If the person would rather stay in his or her own home, then the sort of help they could receive would be in the form of a Community Aged Care Package (CACP).

A care manager would be in charge of designing this and coordinating with other agencies that may be involved, such as healthcare services. The person for whom the package is designed would receive the help that they need, from basic needs to help with social activities and hobbies. The person would be consulted in all stages of the package being put together.

Carer Allowance may be payable if you look after an adult who is sick or disabled. If you are looking after a disabled child who is under 16 years of age, the benefit you would need to apply for is Child Carer Allowance. Benefits are also available for the disabled person.

Disability Support Pension may be payable if a person has not been able to work for at least two years because of illness or disability. Blind people are also eligible for this. A report from the person's doctor will be needed in order to claim, and they may also be required to attend a medical assessment.

Newstart Allowance is targeted at those who are unemployed and seeking work. The claimant needs to be between 21 and 65. They may also need to attend training in order to prepare them to find a job.

There are various schemes designed for students. Indigenous Australians can apply for a scheme specially designed to help them called ABSTUDY. Youth Allowance is for other young Australians to get help with their studies or apprenticeship.

Immigrants and refugees may also be eligible for certain benefits. CentreLink also runs numeracy and literacy courses. These are geared towards community integration.

Social security in Australia can help different people according to their circumstances. Emergency care is available to those who are in desperate financial crisis. Schemes for the self employed and farmers are also available.




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