Tolley Anne: Social Security (Commencement of Benefits) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTolley Anne: Social Security (Commencement of Benefits) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading[Sitting date: 17 November 2015. Volume:710;Page:8181. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister for Social Development): I move That the Social Security (Commencement of Benefits) Amendment Bill be now read a second time. I want to reiterate the Government’s consistent and longstanding position on benefits and stand-down periods. The current stand down provisions in section 80BA of the Social Security Act first came into force in 1997. These provisions were based on the policy agreed in 1996 that benefits commence on the day after a stand-down period ends. This policy has never changed. The legislative error created on 3 June 1998 is a technical mistake not a policy change. However the result is that it provides for people to have an additional day of benefit payment that they were never intended to have. So the legislation needs to be changed to avoid unintended Crown costs but in effect that is costs to the taxpayer.We need to avoid unintended costs to the taxpayer but we are attempting to do this in a fair way. There are three separate provisions protecting people who have been able to receive this additional day or who want to lodge a review to receive it. This is a very reasonable compromise that provides a balance between clients’ interests and the financial costs of the error.I would like to take the opportunity to outline to the House the process that clients can now expect if this legislation comes into effect. Clients who have already lodged a review request—and I understand there are between 8000 and 10000 of those to date—will continue to have it processed in the normal way. These reviews can relate to a benefit granted back to 1998 when the legislation was amended. Those who have been granted a benefit after a stand down since the operational practice changed on 29 September 2015 will also be protected by this bill. This bill will also enable people who have been granted a benefit since the Ministry for Social Development was made aware of the error to seek a review. These reviews if my Supplementary Order Paper—Supplementary Order Paper 141 tabled in the House today—is passed by the House must be lodged by 8 January giving people 7 weeks to do so. Review forms are currently available online and at all Work and Income sites. They can be posted they can be faxed or they can be emailed. In addition to this the Ministry for Social Development has created an online form that can be submitted electronically and this will be available once the legislation has passed.I want to make it clear that these protection provisions are a measure of the Government’s good faith. They do not negate the original policy intent that a benefit should commence on a day after a stand down finish period ends. As I said earlier those seeking a review will have 7 weeks to submit their request for review and I think that this strikes a balance between what is fair to them and what is fair to the taxpayer. I commend this bill to the House.