❓ Hon. Simon Ehrenfeld questions the Minister for Education regarding the WA student assistance payment program, focusing on participation rates, particularly within Aboriginal communities, and payment structures for larger families. The Minister's response highlights the program's success and initiatives to improve accessibility.
AnsweredQoN 309Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Student assistance payment—Participation
309. Hon Simon Ehrenfeld to the Leader of the House representing the Minister for
Education:
I
refer to comments made by the Deputy Premier in this morning's The West Australian alluding to early success in
participation in the WA student assistance payment program, and comments from
the Minister for Education reported by the ABC on 10 April 2025 that the state government
is aiming for 100% participation.
(1) How does the current participation rate
compare with where it stood during the same stage of the previous round of
payments?
(2) What percentage participation rate will be
required for the government to deem the current round a success?
(3) Given the particularly low participation rate
last time in predominantly Aboriginal communities, what percentage
participation rate in predominantly Aboriginal communities will be required for
the government to deem the current round a success?
(4) What communications have been made with
previous claimants to scaffold the number of participants in the current round?
(5) Has the government considered a higher
compensatory payment per person for larger families, given they are typically
charged more per litre of water to wash their children's school clothes?
The President: Honourable member, I might have missed
who that question was directed to.
309. Hon Simon Ehrenfeld to the Leader of the House representing the Minister for
Education:
I
refer to comments made by the Deputy Premier in this morning's The West Australian alluding to early success in
participation in the WA student assistance payment program, and comments from
the Minister for Education reported by the ABC on 10 April 2025 that the state government
is aiming for 100% participation.
(1) How does the current participation rate
compare with where it stood during the same stage of the previous round of
payments?
(2) What percentage participation rate will be
required for the government to deem the current round a success?
(3) Given the particularly low participation rate
last time in predominantly Aboriginal communities, what percentage
participation rate in predominantly Aboriginal communities will be required for
the government to deem the current round a success?
(4) What communications have been made with
previous claimants to scaffold the number of participants in the current round?
(5) Has the government considered a higher
compensatory payment per person for larger families, given they are typically
charged more per litre of water to wash their children's school clothes?
The President: Honourable member, I might have missed
who that question was directed to.
AnswerView source ↗
I have an answer for
the honourable member. I thank the member for some notice of the question.
(1)–(4) The 2025 WA student assistance payment
(WASAP) has already received an overwhelming response from WA families, with
significant uptake in the first four weeks. The previous WASAP had a high
uptake of 80% of eligible families, and the government looks forward to
surpassing that claim rate this year. A range of new initiatives have been
implemented to ensure as many families as possible can access payments, with a
strong focus on regional areas and Aboriginal communities. This includes the
deployment of digital kiosks right across the state to provide assistance with
applications, in-person visits to remote communities to support hard-to-reach
families, and additional resources for schools with low claim rates in 2024 to
proactively engage families and develop targeted strategies that make it as
easy as possible for families to claim the payment.
(5) Payments are made per eligible student, so
families with multiple students enrolled in school receive more payments.
the honourable member. I thank the member for some notice of the question.
(1)–(4) The 2025 WA student assistance payment
(WASAP) has already received an overwhelming response from WA families, with
significant uptake in the first four weeks. The previous WASAP had a high
uptake of 80% of eligible families, and the government looks forward to
surpassing that claim rate this year. A range of new initiatives have been
implemented to ensure as many families as possible can access payments, with a
strong focus on regional areas and Aboriginal communities. This includes the
deployment of digital kiosks right across the state to provide assistance with
applications, in-person visits to remote communities to support hard-to-reach
families, and additional resources for schools with low claim rates in 2024 to
proactively engage families and develop targeted strategies that make it as
easy as possible for families to claim the payment.
(5) Payments are made per eligible student, so
families with multiple students enrolled in school receive more payments.
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