Truss welcomes support for grandparents
24th September, 2007
Federal Member for Wide Bay Warren Truss has welcomed the passage of laws through Federal Parliament that recognise the important role grandparents play in raising many children in our community.Mr Truss said as a result of the passage of the legislation, grandparents and other relatives receiving welfare payments, who are the main carer of a child, will be able to access a 12 month renewable and automatic exemption from the requirement to look for part-time work from January next year.
“Grandparents and other relatives play a vital role in the social network of many of the families in our communities in caring for children outside of the foster care system,” Mr Truss said.
“In many cases they act as backups in those emergency situations when a child needs care due to parents being unable or unwilling to continue doing so, otherwise the child would most likely end up in the formal foster care system without that backup support.”
Mr Truss said formal foster carers are already eligible for a 12 month renewable exemption from requirements but that has now been extended to relative carers.”
The amendments strengthen the Welfare to Work reforms and acknowledge and support grandparents in the important work that they do.
To access these new arrangements, relative carers must be caring for the child under a formal order, such as a parenting order issued or registered under the Family Law Act 1975.
These carers will be eligible for the exemption and, in certain circumstances, a higher rate of payment if they are receiving income support as a principal carer and the child is living with them.
ENDS
