11.4.2.10 Decision-making Principles for Identifying a Vulnerable Welfare Payment Recipient

Decision-making principles

For a person to be assessed as a vulnerable welfare payment recipient, the delegate, a Centrelink social worker, must make a written determination that the person is a vulnerable welfare payment recipient. In making such a determination, the delegate must consider:

• whether the person is experiencing an indicator of vulnerability (11.4.2.20),
• whether the person is meeting their priority needs and the priority needs of their partner, children or other dependants,
• whether income management is an appropriate support for the person experiencing vulnerability:
  • to meet their responsibilities,
  • to build and maintain self-care, and
  • to manage their money.

The delegate may find that income management is an appropriate support despite the fact that a person is willing to enter, or has entered, into a voluntary income management agreement.

Other supports and referrals may also be considered appropriate responses to the person's vulnerabilities. However, if income management would assist in the allocation of funds towards priority needs to address an indicator of vulnerability, it should be deemed an appropriate support regardless of other supports and referrals put in place.

Example: John is having some trouble saying no when his extended family ask him for cash. His family is pressuring him so much that he is anxious, running out of money to buy food and to pay for his rent. He has had to ask for emergency food packages so that he has food. He is also worried that he is going to be evicted from his home. A Centrelink social worker assesses John and decides that income management is an appropriate support for John. He goes on to the Vulnerable Welfare Payment Recipient Measure of income management. He can buy food with his income managed portion of his payment and pay his rent with Centrepay so that he has less cash available when his family pressure him for money.

If a person is already subject to income management and the delegate is assessing whether to make, continue or end a vulnerable welfare payment recipient determination, then the delegate may consider whether, if the person was not placed on the vulnerable welfare payment recipient measure:

• it is likely that the person would experience an indicator of vulnerability,
• it is likely that the person would not apply appropriate resources to meet some or all of their relevant priority needs, and
• whether income management would be an appropriate support for the person likely to experience vulnerability:
  • to meet their responsibilities,
  • to build and maintain self-care, and
  • to manage their money.

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Last reviewed: 2 January 2013