Social Services Legislation Amendment (Better Targeting Student Payments) Bill 2017

The majority voted to agree with the bill's main idea. In parliamentary jargon, they voted to read the bill for a second time.

What is the bill's main idea?

According to the bills digest:

The purpose of the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Better Targeting Student Payments) Bill 2017 (the Bill) is to amend the Social Security Act 1991 (SS Act) and the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (VE Act) to:

• limit eligibility for the relocation scholarship provided to some Youth Allowance recipients to those whose parental family home or usual place of residence is in Australia, and to those who relocate for study in Australia only. Students who relocate outside Australia to undertake part of their Australian course will no longer qualify for the relocation scholarship

• introduce new payment rates for the Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) and the Education Entry Payment (EdEP) that correspond with different study loads undertaken by recipients and

• no longer pay the PES during semester breaks and end-of-year holidays.