Economic Support Payment 101-20031226

There were four Economic Support Payments paid to eligible social security, Farm Household Allowance, Family Tax Benefit and veterans' customers (including card holders). There were different eligibility criteria for the different payments.

The first and second Economic Support Payments were $750 each. The third and fourth Economic Support Payment was $250 each.

The Economic Support Payment:

• is exempt from taxation and does not count as income
• is not be used to offset debts, including child support debts
• is not be recoverable as a debt, except for where it is determined to have been claimed fraudulently

There was one payment per eligible customer for each round. For example, if a person qualified for the first payment in multiple ways they only received the payment once.

The customer must have been:

• normally living in Australia and
• received an eligible payment or concession card between 12 March 2020 and 13 April 2020

A second $750 Economic Support Payment was paid to customers who:

• received an eligible payment or concession cards on 10 July 2020, and
• did not receive the Coronavirus Supplement at a rate greater than $0 for the period 10 July 2020

A third $250 Economic Support Payment was paid to customers who:

• received an eligible payment or concession cards on 27 November 2020, and
• did not receive the Coronavirus Supplement at a rate greater than $0 for the period 27 November 2020

A fourth $250 Economic Support Payment was paid to customers who:

• received an eligible payment or concession cards on 26 February 2021, and
• did not receive the Coronavirus Supplement at a rate greater than $0 for the period 26 February 2021

Customers:

• did not need to lodge a claim
• who lodged a claim for one of the eligible payments or concession cards on the designated eligibility date, and the claim was subsequently granted, received this payment
• who lodged a claim for one of the eligible payments or concession cards after the test date/period, and the start date was subsequently back dated to a period that covered the test date date/period, will received this payment
• who claimed Family Tax Benefit (FTB) as instalments or a lump sum who lodged a claim after the test date/period, and the claim was granted and the period included the test date/period, will received this payment
• who claimed FTB via lump sum, submitted their claim by the end of the relevant financial year. If special circumstances existed, the customer was granted an extension to the 12 month timeframe, but no later than 30 June of the following financial year (that is, the extended lodgement year)
• who did not receive payment on the test date/period because they were suspended were not immediately eligible. The payment was paid if their payment was restored and the period covered the test date/period. Customers who received some payments continued to qualify for their Pension Concession Card, even if their payment was stopped. These customers will received the Economic Support Payment

Customers who served a waiting or preclusion period during the test date/period did not receive the Economic Support Payment. This included customers who were serving an Income Maintenance Period (IMP), Compensation Preclusion Period or a waiting period after the application of a cancellation for a Work Refusal failure or a third mutual obligation failure.

If the waiting or preclusion period was reduced or waived and the customer received an eligible payment that covered the test date, they qualified.

Customers who were in a nil rate period (CZR) due to employment income were eligible to receive the payment.

An eligible customer must have been normally residing in Australia during the test date/period to have been eligible to receive the Economic Support Payment.

If a customer receiving an eligible payment or concession card was overseas for an approved reason they received the payment.

Customers who received an eligible payment or concession card but were living overseas permanently or temporarily overseas for an unapproved reason longer than 6 weeks did not receive the payment.

The Process page has further payment information on:

• Payment delivery dates
• Payment of Economic Support Payment and FTB
• Payment notification
• Payment not yet received but entitled
• Customers with a pending new claim on the second Economic Support Payment test date
• Income managed customers
• Raising overpayments and debt recovery

The Resources page has a Checking for Economic Support Payment qualification task card with more specific details and examples on determining a customer's entitlement to the Economic Support Payment.