❓ Hon Stephen Dawson questions the Minister for Child Protection regarding the abolition of the Family Crisis Program, its services, beneficiaries, and alternative support avenues. The Minister outlines services retained and new access points, but cannot immediately provide data on past assistance.
AnsweredQoN 728Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
FAMILY
CRISIS PROGRAM
728. Hon STEPHEN DAWSON to the
Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the
Barnett government's recent abolition of the family crisis program.
(1) What
services did the family crisis program provide?
(2) Under what
circumstances did the family crisis program provide assistance?
(3) How many
vouchers or cash payments were provided to people seeking assistance in 2011–12
and 2012–13?
(4) Will the
minister advise which agency will people in need now approach for this type of
assistance?
CRISIS PROGRAM
728. Hon STEPHEN DAWSON to the
Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the
Barnett government's recent abolition of the family crisis program.
(1) What
services did the family crisis program provide?
(2) Under what
circumstances did the family crisis program provide assistance?
(3) How many
vouchers or cash payments were provided to people seeking assistance in 2011–12
and 2012–13?
(4) Will the
minister advise which agency will people in need now approach for this type of
assistance?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question.
(1)–(2)
The family crisis program provided direct financial assistance to and a range
of services for families and individuals in crisis. To continue to meet the
needs of those families and individuals, the department will still provide the
bereavement assistance program, the hardship utility grant scheme, natural
disaster assistance and the state concession card, which formed part of the
family crisis program, as well as providing direct assistance in situations of
domestic violence, emergency homelessness and stranded travel.
Direct financial assistance for
the following circumstances ceased from 2 September 2013: unforseen crisis,
under which assistance was provided for such things as a major unexpected
medical expense, the repair of major essential domestic appliances such as a
refrigerator or a hot water unit, or assistance when money or vital goods were
stolen from an individual or family; furniture removal, when a family had to
move for unforeseen or legitimate circumstances; single event household
disaster, when families suffered significant loss of personal possessions
through a house fire or flooding; family assistance where there is no child
protection concern—this assistance to families with dependent children
was for things such as a major unforeseen personal and financial crisis,
expenses incurred prior to marital breakdown that left the single income
recipient liable for debts, a major motor vehicle accident, serious and sudden
medical conditions severely impacting family income or expenditure, the main
salary earner becoming redundant, and theft of major family possessions;
financial assistance for optical, under which up to $50 was provided for a
person who did not have the means to purchase the required spectacles
immediately or in the immediate future; financial assistance for health
equipment, under which up to $145 was provided to help with the purchase of
nebulisers and glucometers when a serious asthma or diabetes condition existed
and the applicant's wellbeing would have been at grave risk without
access to the required equipment immediately or in the immediate future; and
the multiple birth allowance, under which up to $250 was provided to parents of
multiple births for a period of two years from the date the children arrived
home from hospital to help in purchasing domestic help services.
(3) This
question cannot be answered within the time frame available and I ask that the
member put this question on notice.
(4) The
department will support families to access emergency financial assistance
through agencies funded by the commonwealth government and also by the state
government through Lotterywest. The commonwealth Department of Social Services
provides emergency relief through the financial management program. In 2012–13,
the funding allocation for emergency relief in Western Australia was $4.919 million.
A list of emergency relief providers is available on the Western Australian
Council of Social Service website. I have asked my staff to print that list for
the member, and I will table that document as an attachment. It lists more than
100 alternative providers. Families can go to their local department district
office where they will receive support to access appropriate services.
[See paper 909.]
(1)–(2)
The family crisis program provided direct financial assistance to and a range
of services for families and individuals in crisis. To continue to meet the
needs of those families and individuals, the department will still provide the
bereavement assistance program, the hardship utility grant scheme, natural
disaster assistance and the state concession card, which formed part of the
family crisis program, as well as providing direct assistance in situations of
domestic violence, emergency homelessness and stranded travel.
Direct financial assistance for
the following circumstances ceased from 2 September 2013: unforseen crisis,
under which assistance was provided for such things as a major unexpected
medical expense, the repair of major essential domestic appliances such as a
refrigerator or a hot water unit, or assistance when money or vital goods were
stolen from an individual or family; furniture removal, when a family had to
move for unforeseen or legitimate circumstances; single event household
disaster, when families suffered significant loss of personal possessions
through a house fire or flooding; family assistance where there is no child
protection concern—this assistance to families with dependent children
was for things such as a major unforeseen personal and financial crisis,
expenses incurred prior to marital breakdown that left the single income
recipient liable for debts, a major motor vehicle accident, serious and sudden
medical conditions severely impacting family income or expenditure, the main
salary earner becoming redundant, and theft of major family possessions;
financial assistance for optical, under which up to $50 was provided for a
person who did not have the means to purchase the required spectacles
immediately or in the immediate future; financial assistance for health
equipment, under which up to $145 was provided to help with the purchase of
nebulisers and glucometers when a serious asthma or diabetes condition existed
and the applicant's wellbeing would have been at grave risk without
access to the required equipment immediately or in the immediate future; and
the multiple birth allowance, under which up to $250 was provided to parents of
multiple births for a period of two years from the date the children arrived
home from hospital to help in purchasing domestic help services.
(3) This
question cannot be answered within the time frame available and I ask that the
member put this question on notice.
(4) The
department will support families to access emergency financial assistance
through agencies funded by the commonwealth government and also by the state
government through Lotterywest. The commonwealth Department of Social Services
provides emergency relief through the financial management program. In 2012–13,
the funding allocation for emergency relief in Western Australia was $4.919 million.
A list of emergency relief providers is available on the Western Australian
Council of Social Service website. I have asked my staff to print that list for
the member, and I will table that document as an attachment. It lists more than
100 alternative providers. Families can go to their local department district
office where they will receive support to access appropriate services.
[See paper 909.]
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