Waiting periods for income support payments 106-05020000

From 20 October 2021, the system automatically waived the OWP for customers who previously received the COVID-19 Disaster Payment within 13 weeks. This was for customers claiming:

• JobSeeker Payment (JSP)
• Youth Allowance (YA) (jobseeker)
• Parenting Payment (PP) (Single and Partnered)

Note: staff do not need to manually assess or record these exemptions. If an exemption was not automatically coded, report the error via mySupport.

From 23 March 2020 to 31 March 2021, the system automatically waived the NARWP and qualifying residence period for customers claiming:

• Austudy
• Farm Household Allowance (FHA)
• JobSeeker Payment (JSP)
• Parenting Payment (PP)
• Special Benefit (SpB)
• Youth Allowance (YA)

From 23 March 2020 to 24 September 2020, the system automatically waived the LAWP for customers with a LAWP ending on or after 23 March 2020.

This includes:

• new claims
• customers who were serving a LAWP (for example, their waiting period ends on 30 May 2020). The LAWP was manually waived from the date the waiting period started
• customers who served their waiting period and started to receive payment (for example, their waiting period ended on 26 March 2020)

Customers did not need to show financial hardship for these waiting periods to be waived.

Affected payments:

• Austudy
• JobSeeker Payment (JSP)
• Youth Allowance (YA)

Note: recently widowed customers claiming/granted JSP or YA who are within a bereavement period are auto exempt from serving the entire LAWP where:

• the customer was subject to the LAWP during the bereavement period, and
• their partner died prior to the date of claim, and
• the claim was submitted within 14 weeks of their partner's date of death or if pregnant at the time of their loss, the claim was submitted before the birth of the child/end of the pregnancy

From 23 March 2020 to 31 March 2021, the system automatically waived the SWPP for customers with a SWPP ending on or after 23 March 2020.

This includes:

• new claims
• customers who were serving a SWPP (for example, their waiting period ends on 30 May 2020). The SWPP was manually waived from the date the waiting period started
• customers who served their waiting period and started to receive payment (for example, their waiting period ended on 26 March 2020)

Customers did not need to show financial hardship for these waiting periods to be waived.

Affected payments:

• Austudy
• Carer Payment (CP)
• Disability Support Pension (DSP) (except customers who are permanently blind)
• Farm Household Allowance (FHA)
• JobSeeker Payment (JSP)
• Parenting Payment (PP) (partnered and single)
• Special Benefit (SpB) (nominated visa holders only)
• Youth Allowance (YA)

Intermittent and contract work is assessed along with seasonal work for a SWPP.

Note: recently widowed customers claiming/granted JSP or YA who are within a bereavement period are auto exempt from serving the entire SWPP where:

• the customer was subject to the SWPP during the bereavement period, and
• their partner died prior to the date of claim, and
• the claim was submitted within 14 weeks of their partner's date of death or if pregnant at the time of their loss, the claim was submitted before the birth of the child/end of the pregnancy