Contents
- Part 1 Executive Summary
- Part 2 Performance reporting
- Part 3 Corporate governance and accountability
- Part 4 Appendices
- Part 5 Financial Management
Annual Report 2008–2009
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Annual Report 2008–2009
Annual Report 2008–2009 » Chapter 7: Outcome 2 » Output Group 2.3
Output Group 2.3 contributes to Outcome 2 by providing income support and allowances and other support to enhance carers’ wellbeing and assist them to balance their caring, work and family responsibilities.
Carer Allowance is an income supplement available to people who provide daily care and attention in a private home to a person who has a disability or severe medical condition, or who is frail aged. The payment is not taxable or income and assets tested. It can be paid in addition to a social security income support payment and is indexed annually.
| Number of clients receiving Carer Allowance | ||
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | Adult: 324,100 Child: 115,500 |
The variance for Carer Allowance (adult) is +10,348 and the variance for Carer Allowance (child) is +4,590. The variances are attributable to the growth rates being slightly higher than estimated, primarily driven by increased payment awareness and announcements of new carers’ measures throughout the year. |
| Actual | Adult: 334,448 Child: 120,090 |
|
| Number of clients who received Carer Allowance (adult) and Carer Allowance (child) | ||
| Estimate | 6,250 | The variance is +235. The variance is attributable to the growth rate being slightly higher than estimated, primarily driven by increased payment awareness and announcements of new carers’ measures throughout the year. |
| Actual | 6,485 | |
| Number of clients who did not receive Carer Allowance (child) but received a Health Care Card only | ||
| Estimate | 12,500 | The variance is +1,104. The variance is attributable to the growth rate being slightly higher than estimated, primarily driven by increased payment awareness and announcements of new carers’ measures throughout the year. |
| Actual | 13,604 | |
| Number of people cared for by clients receiving Carer Allowance | ||
| Estimate | Adult—343,550 Child—140,000 |
The variance for Carer Allowance Adult is +9,838 and the variance for Carer Allowance Child is +4,033. The variances can be primarily attributed to the overall growth in up-take of the Carer Allowance and the increasing number of people eligible in respect of more than one care receiver. |
| Actual | Adult—353,388 Child—144,033 |
|
| Number of children cared for who received a Health Care Card only | ||
| Estimate | 16,300 | The variance is +1,604. The variance is attributable to the growth rate being slightly higher than estimated, primarily driven by increased payment awareness and announcements of new carers’ measures throughout the year. |
| Actual | 17,904 | |
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The Child Disability Assistance Payment is a $1,000 annual payment made for a care receiver aged under 16 years who attracts a payment of Carer Allowance for their carer. The payment can be used to assist families in purchasing support, aids, intervention, therapies or respite that they require for their child with disability. Importantly, the payment helps carers to purchase the form of assistance that best suits the needs of the family.
The payment is not subject to income tax, nor does it count as income for social security or family assistance purposes.
| Number of children in respect of whom the Child Disability Assistance Payment is made | ||
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 139,249 | The variance is +2,890. The variance is primarily due to the growth rates being slightly higher than estimated (as per the growth observed in Carer Allowance (child)). |
| Actual | 142,139 | |
Carer Payment is an income support payment for people whose caring responsibilities prevent them from undertaking substantial paid employment. The payment is income and assets tested and paid at the same rate as other social security pensions.
| Percentage of clients with private earnings (earned income) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 15% | The variance is –4%. The variance is attributable to the slight decrease in the proportion of Carer Payment clients of working age. |
| Actual | 11% | |
| Average amount of private earnings per fortnight | ||
| Estimate | $570 | The variance is –$57. The variance is attributable to the slight decrease in the proportion of Carer Payment clients of working age. |
| Actual | $513 | |
| Percentage on part-rate due to means test | ||
| Estimate | 26% | No variance. |
| Actual | 26% | |
| Number of clients receiving Carer Payment | ||
| Estimate | 151,000 | The variance is –4,130. The estimate was based on the increasing growth patterns of previous years, which resulted in the anticipated growth for 2008–09 being slightly overstated. |
| Actual | 146,870 | |
| Number of people cared for by clients receiving Carer Payment | ||
| Estimate | 151,500 | The variance is –4,277. The estimate was based on the increasing growth patterns of previous years, which resulted in the anticipated growth for 2008–09 being slightly overstated. |
| Actual | 147,223 | |
| Control of incorrect payment; and fraud: accuracy of administered outlays (total dollars correctly paid) as measured by the Random Sample Survey | ||
| Estimate | Accuracy of administered outlays is greater than or equal to 95% | The ‘estimate’ is the agreed benchmark between FaHCSIA and Centrelink. The ‘actual’ figure is the estimated accuracy of administered outlays derived from Random Sample Survey data. |
| Actual | 97.4% | |
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Support for Carers provides respite, information, referral and other support programs. MyTime peer support groups provide peer support for carers of children with disability.
In 2008–09, amendments were made to the guidelines for the Young Carers Respite and Information Services Program to provide more flexible and responsive services for young carers. The amendments were in line with recommendations from a program evaluation and were positively received by the sector.
| Percentage of clients satisfied that the services they received were appropriate to their needs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 75% | The variance is +13%. This is a new key performance indicator. The actual percentage was higher than estimated. |
| Actual | 88% | |
| Percentage of clients assisted from Indigenous or CALD background | ||
| Estimate | Indigenous: 2% CALD: 14% |
Indigenous—The variance is +2%. This is a new key performance indicator. The actual percentage was higher than estimated. CALD—The variance is –6%. This is a new key performance indicator. |
| Actual | Indigenous: 4% CALD: 8% |
|
| Number of respite for young carers clients that will be assisted over the next 12 months | ||
| Estimate | 750 | The variance is +2,410. The variance is due to improved reporting of the number of young carers assisted. |
| Actual | 3,160 | |
| Number of clients that will be assisted by MyTime peer support groups over the next 12 months | ||
| Estimate | 350 | The variance is +2,353. The estimate only included new parents/carers, whereas the actual figure includes all parents/carers assisted. |
| Actual | 2,703 | |
| Number of MyTime peer support groups that will operate over the next 12 months | ||
| Estimate | 200 | The variance is +4. The number of peer support groups is on target. |
| Actual | 204 | |
Next: Output Group 2.4
Previous: Output Group 2.2