Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Promoting Sustainable Welfare) Bill 2018

The majority voted in favour of a motion to pass the bill. In parliamentary jargon, they voted to read the bill for a third time. Since the bill was already passed in the House of Representatives, it will now become law.

What does this bill do?

The bill was originally called the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Encouraging Self-sufficiency for Newly Arrived Migrants) Bill 2018. According to the bills digest, the bill was introduced to extend the existing newly arrived resident’s waiting period (NARWP) for the following allowances from two to three years:

• carer allowance;
• bereavement allowance;
• widow allowance;
• parenting payment; and
• farm household allowance.

It also introduces a NARWP for:

• family tax benefit;
• parental leave pay; and
• dad and partner pay.

In other words, this bill will mean that newly arrived residents have to wait longer before they'll be eligible for these allowances.