2.5.3 Transitional Arrangements for MIA

Summary

MIA was discontinued on 1 July 2012.

 

Individuals who satisfied the eligibility criteria for MIA prior to 1 July 2012 may still be eligible to receive MIA under transitional arrangements.

 

This section includes information on the transitional arrangements for MIA.

 

MIA eligibility

MIA can only be paid to individuals (1.1.I.90). An ACO (1.1.A.80) cannot claim MIA.

 

An individual may be eligible to receive MIA for a child only if the following criteria are satisfied on or before 30 June 2012:

• the child is an FTB child of the individual, and
• the individual is eligible for FTB (or would be eligible but whose FTB rate is nil due to the application of the FTB income test), and
• the child:
  • satisfies immunisation requirements between the ages of 18 months and 2 years, or
  • satisfies immunisation requirements between the ages of 4 and 5 years, or
  • is adopted from overseas, enters Australia before their 3rd birthday and satisfies immunisation requirements between the ages of 18 months and 4 years, or
  • is adopted from overseas, enters Australia after their 3rd birthday and before their 16th birthday, and satisfies immunisation requirements at a time that is more than 18 months but less than 2 years after arrival in Australia.

 

MIA can also be paid for:

• a stillborn child where the stillbirth occurs before 1 July 2012 and the child would have been an FTB child of the individual if born alive,
• a child who dies before their 5th birthday, if the death occurs before 1 July 2012 and if that child is an FTB child of the individual on the day the child dies, and
• a child adopted from overseas who enters Australia before their 16th birthday and dies within 2 years of arriving in Australia, if the death occurs before 1 July 2012 and if that child is an FTB child of the individual on the day the child dies.

 

For details on how the immunisation requirements can be satisfied see 1.1.I.10.

 

Note: Certain exceptions to the definition of FTB child do not apply for the purposes of MIA eligibility for children adopted from overseas who:

• enter Australia after their 3rd birthday, or
• die before entering Australia.

 

The table below lists those exceptions which do not apply to individuals who are in the 2 categories described above:

Age of the child	FTB child exception that does not apply
5 or more and less than 16	The individual (child) is not undertaking full-time study or primary education and the individual has ATI, for the income year in which the particular time occurs, that equals or exceeds the cut-out amount (FAAct section 22A(2)).
16 or more	- The individual (child) has ATI, for the income year in which the particular time occurs, that equals or exceeds the cut-out amount, - the individual (child), or someone on behalf of the individual, is, at the particular time, receiving payments under a prescribed educational scheme.
Any age	The individual (child), or someone on behalf of the individual, is, at the particular time, receiving: - a social security pension, or - a social security benefit, or - payments under a program included in the programs known as LMPs.

 

For details on how the immunisation requirements can be satisfied see 1.1.I.10.

 

Amount of payment

The individual will only receive the first half payment of MIA if:

• payment is made for a child who was aged between 18 months and 2 years on 30 June 2012, or
• payment is made for a child adopted from overseas who was aged between 18 months and 4 years on 30 June 2012.

 

If payment is made for a child between the ages of 4 and 5 years on 30 June 2012, for a child adopted from overseas who entered Australia after their 3rd birthday or for a stillborn or deceased child, the individual will be receive:

• the full payment of MIA, where the individual has not previously received any MIA payments for the child, or
• the second half payment of MIA, where the individual has previously received the first half payment of MIA for the child.

 

Bank account for MIA

If the individual has claimed instalments of FTB, payment of MIA is made to the account nominated for FTB. If the individual is not receiving, or claiming FTB instalments, they should nominate an account for payment. In some cases the individual may be paid by cheque.

 

Claim timeframe

MIA claims are usually lodged when the child is born. Claims can also be lodged after the child's birth, subject to the timeframes mentioned below. The timeframes depend on the age of the child. In the case of children adopted from overseas, the timeframes also depend on the date the child arrived in Australia.

 

Claims for MIA must be lodged by:

• the child's 2nd birthday, for a child aged between 18 months and 2 years on 30 June 2012,
• the child's 5th birthday, for a child aged between 4 and 5 years on 30 June 2012,
• the child's 4th birthday or 30 June 2013 (whichever is earlier), for a child adopted from overseas who entered Australia before their 3rd birthday and was under 4 years on 30 June 2012,
• the second anniversary of the child's arrival in Australia or 30 June 2013 (whichever is earlier), for a child adopted from overseas who entered Australia after their 3rd birthday.

 

For a stillborn or deceased child, claims must be lodged by the child's 5th birthday or second anniversary of the child's death (whichever is later) if this is before 30 June 2013, or otherwise 30 June 2013.

 

No claims for MIA can be lodged after 30 June 2013.

 

Act reference: Family Assistance and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2012 Schedule 1, Part 4-Application and transitional provisions

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Last reviewed: 2 July 2012