Commonwealth Consolidated Acts Commonwealth Consolidated Acts(1) The rate of telephone allowance for a person to whom section 1061SB (increased rate for home internet) applies is worked out using the following table:
Increased rate of telephone allowance | ||
Column 1 Item | Column 2 Person's situation | Column 3 Rate per year |
1. | $132.00 | |
3. | Partnered (partner getting neither social security pension nor social security benefit), and partner not a holder of a seniors health card | $66.00 |
4. | Partnered, and: (a) partner getting pension or benefit; or (b) partner is a holder of a seniors health card; and: (c) partner is not getting telephone allowance; and (d) if the partner were taken to be qualified for telephone allowance, section 1061R would not prevent telephone allowance from being payable to the partner | $132.00 |
5. | Partnered, and: (a) partner getting pension or benefit; or (b) partner is a holder of a seniors health card; and: (c) partner is getting telephone allowance at the increased rate; or (d) if the partner were taken to be qualified for telephone allowance, section 1061R would prevent telephone allowance from being payable to the partner | $66.00 |
6. | Member of an illness separated, temporarily separated or respite care couple | $132.00 |
7. | Partnered, and: (a) partner not getting veterans supplement under section 118B of the Veterans' Entitlements Act; and (b) partner not getting MRCA supplement under section 221 or 245 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act | $132.00 |
8. | Partnered, and: (a) partner getting veterans supplement under section 118B of the Veterans' Entitlements Act; or (b) partner getting MRCA supplement under section 221 or 245 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act | $66.00 |
9. | Partnered (partner in gaol) | $132.00 |
10. | Partnered (partner getting pension or benefit) and partner getting telephone allowance at the standard rate | $88.00 |
Note: The amounts in column 3 are indexed or adjusted annually in line with CPI increases (see sections 1191 to 1194).
(2) Item 7 does not apply to a person if any other item applies to the person.
(3) If item 8 applies to a person, item 3 does not apply to the person.
(5) For the purposes of working out a person's rate of telephone allowance under subsection (1), the person's partner is taken to be the holder of a seniors health card if the partner:
(a) is temporarily absent from Australia for a continuous period not exceeding 6 weeks; and
(b) was the holder of a seniors health card immediately before leaving Australia.