❓ Details Hardship Utility Grant Scheme (HUGS) applications, approvals, and enquiries for the Central Wheatbelt electorate since March 2017. Data limitations and recent service changes are noted.
AnsweredQoN 4161Legislative Assembly
Asked
9 October 2018
Member
Portfolio
Child Protection; Women's Interests; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence; Community Services
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Hardship Utility Grant Scheme (HUGS) and ask for each shire in the Central Wheatbelt electorate: (a) how many applications were received for HUGS assistance for each quarter since the March 2017 State election; (b) how many of each grant type were issued for each year since the March 2017 State election; and (c) how many enquiries did the HUGS unit receive in each quarter since the March 2017 State election: (i) how many were successful in applying for HUGS; and (ii) how many received financial counselling services?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
20 November 2018
Responded by
Minister for Child Protection; Women's Interests; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence; Community Services
Response time
12 days
The Hardship Utility Grant Scheme (HUGS) online system does not record or report information at a local government or electorate level. It records and reports information by Regional Development region, such as the Wheatbelt region.
The Department of Communities has manually extracted information from the system for the majority of the Central Wheatbelt electorate which comprises of the Shires of Beverley, Boddington, Brookton, Bruce Rock, Corrigin, Cunderdin, Dowerin, Goomalling, Kellerberrin, Kondinin, Koorda, Merredin, Mount Marshall, Mukinbudin, Narembeen, Northam, Nungarin, Pingelly, Quairading, Tammin, Trayning, Wandering, Westonia, Wongan-Ballidu, Wyalkatchem, Yilgarn, and York.
(a)
Quarter ending
Number of Applications Received
March 2017
187
June 2017
434
September 2017
437
December 2017
346
March 2018
109
June 2018
40
September 2018
55
From January 2018, eligibility criteria for HUGS was amended. Applicants are now required to enter into a payment arrangement for at least 180 days and have a minimum debt amount of $300, before an application can be considered by the utility provider.
(b)
2016-17
Electricity
Water
Gas
Total approved
Approved applications
631
20
2
653
2017-18
Electricity
Water
Gas
Total approved
Approved applications
850
40
0
890
1 July 18 – 30 September 18
Electricity
Water
Gas
Total approved
Approved applications
40
5
0
45
The number of approved applications differs to the number of applications received for the same period due to the time required to process applications.
(c) The Department of Communities does not receive direct enquiries from the public. Customers contact their utility provider to discuss their payment issues and assistance available to them. Each utility provider administers their own financial hardship policies.
(i) The following table indicates the approved grants based on utility type for the Central Wheatbelt electorate since March 2017.
Quarter ending
Electricity
Water
Gas
Total approved
March 2017
172
4
0
176
June 2017
250
9
0
259
September 2017
407
15
0
422
December 2017
317
15
0
332
March 2018
96
4
0
100
June 2018
30
6
0
36
September 2018
40
5
0
45
(ii) Under the relevant utility codes, utility providers are required to advise a customer experiencing financial hardship of independent financial counselling services and relevant consumer representatives to assist the customer. The Department of Communities does not collect this information from utilities.
The Department of Communities has procured the services of the Financial Counselling Network since 7 May 2018, to operate a HUGS Service Centre to assist non-concession card customers. Trained financial support workers, led by a qualified financial counsellor, assess whether the customer is in financial hardship and requires financial assistance. Assessors schedule appointments with a financial counsellor if required and offer other referral services to assist the customer.
To date, no customers from the Central Wheatbelt electorate have utilised the HUGS Service Centre.
The Department of Communities has manually extracted information from the system for the majority of the Central Wheatbelt electorate which comprises of the Shires of Beverley, Boddington, Brookton, Bruce Rock, Corrigin, Cunderdin, Dowerin, Goomalling, Kellerberrin, Kondinin, Koorda, Merredin, Mount Marshall, Mukinbudin, Narembeen, Northam, Nungarin, Pingelly, Quairading, Tammin, Trayning, Wandering, Westonia, Wongan-Ballidu, Wyalkatchem, Yilgarn, and York.
(a)
Quarter ending
Number of Applications Received
March 2017
187
June 2017
434
September 2017
437
December 2017
346
March 2018
109
June 2018
40
September 2018
55
From January 2018, eligibility criteria for HUGS was amended. Applicants are now required to enter into a payment arrangement for at least 180 days and have a minimum debt amount of $300, before an application can be considered by the utility provider.
(b)
2016-17
Electricity
Water
Gas
Total approved
Approved applications
631
20
2
653
2017-18
Electricity
Water
Gas
Total approved
Approved applications
850
40
0
890
1 July 18 – 30 September 18
Electricity
Water
Gas
Total approved
Approved applications
40
5
0
45
The number of approved applications differs to the number of applications received for the same period due to the time required to process applications.
(c) The Department of Communities does not receive direct enquiries from the public. Customers contact their utility provider to discuss their payment issues and assistance available to them. Each utility provider administers their own financial hardship policies.
(i) The following table indicates the approved grants based on utility type for the Central Wheatbelt electorate since March 2017.
Quarter ending
Electricity
Water
Gas
Total approved
March 2017
172
4
0
176
June 2017
250
9
0
259
September 2017
407
15
0
422
December 2017
317
15
0
332
March 2018
96
4
0
100
June 2018
30
6
0
36
September 2018
40
5
0
45
(ii) Under the relevant utility codes, utility providers are required to advise a customer experiencing financial hardship of independent financial counselling services and relevant consumer representatives to assist the customer. The Department of Communities does not collect this information from utilities.
The Department of Communities has procured the services of the Financial Counselling Network since 7 May 2018, to operate a HUGS Service Centre to assist non-concession card customers. Trained financial support workers, led by a qualified financial counsellor, assess whether the customer is in financial hardship and requires financial assistance. Assessors schedule appointments with a financial counsellor if required and offer other referral services to assist the customer.
To date, no customers from the Central Wheatbelt electorate have utilised the HUGS Service Centre.
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