Performance Reporting

Part two

Output Group 2.3: Support for carers

Administered items:

Support for Carers
Assistance for Carers
Carer Allowance
Carer Payment

Departmental outputs:

Policy services and program management
Service delivery

Support for Carers

Income support and allowances and other support are provided to enhance carers’ wellbeing and balance their caring, work and family responsibilities. This enables carers to continue in their caring role and, through respite services and peer support groups, to prepare for life after caring responsibilities end.

Price
Estimate	$8.880m
Actual	$8.459m

Assistance for Carers

Carers are assisted through a number of Australian Government payments and services. Young carers are encouraged to complete secondary education or a vocational equivalent through the provision of respite services and are supported in difficult situations through a telephone hotline and age‑appropriate information services.

The Respite and Information Services for Young Carers Program provides respite and information services to young carers under the age of 25 years at risk of prematurely leaving school. Young carers can access up to five hours of home respite a week during the school or study term to complete secondary or vocational equivalent education. They can also access two-week blocks of respite to undertake activities such as studying for exams, training or recreation.

MyTime peer support groups are recognised as an effective and cost-efficient model to develop strong, positive relationships between parents of children with disability.

Quantity indicator: Number of young carers assisted by blocks, up to 14 days a year, of respite care
Estimate	500	The variance is +264. The program exceeded expectations, as more young carers were assisted than estimated.
Actual	764

Quantity indicator: Number of young carers assisted by short‑term respite care of up to 5 hours per school week
Estimate	500	The variance is +1,304. Program exceeded expectations, resulting in more young carers being assisted than estimated.
Actual	1,804

Carer Allowance

Carer Allowance is a supplementary payment for people who provide daily care and attention at home to a person with disability or a severe medical condition. The payment is not income and assets-tested and is indexed annually.

Price
Estimate	$1,599.943m
Actual	$1,591.330m

Effectiveness—adequacy indicator: Maximum payments to recipients—index of real value
Estimate	Indexed regularly in line with Consumer Price Index	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements. Carer Allowance is indexed by the Consumer Price Index on 1 January each year.
Actual	Indexed on 1 January 2008 by Consumer Price Index factor of 2.1%

Quantity indicator: Number of clients receiving Carer Allowance
Estimate	Adult 278,000 Child 116,000	The adult variance is +25,141. The child variance is –2,451. The variances are mainly due to the different methods for calculating the estimate and actual figures. The estimates are calculated using estimated financial year averages, whereas the actuals are snapshots of clients as at June 2008. The Carer Allowance (adult) figures are more than estimated as the growth rate has been slightly higher than forecast over the last year. The Carer Allowance (child) figures are less than estimated as the growth rate has been slightly lower than forecast over the last year.
Actual	Adult 303,141 Child 113,549 5,695 received both Carer Allowance (adult) and Carer Allowance (child). 14,359 did not receive Carer Allowance (child) but did receive a Health Card. 520 were not coded.

Quantity indicator: Number of people cared for by clients receiving Carer Allowance
Estimate	Adult 286,000 Child 133,000	The adult variance is +33,248. The child variance is +2,617. The variance is mainly due to the different methods for calculating the estimate and actual figures. The estimates are calculated using estimated financial year averages, whereas the actuals are snapshots of clients as at June 2008. The number of people eligible for Carer Allowance in respect of more than one care receiver is increasing, resulting in a higher number than forecast of people being cared for by clients.
Actual	Adult 319,248 Child 135,617 Health Care Card only 18,795

Child Disability Assistance Payment*

The Child Disability Assistance Payment is a $1,000 annual payment made to the carer, for each child with disability under 16 years, who attract a payment of Carer Allowance. The payment is not subject to income tax, nor does it count as income for social security or family assistance purposes. The payment can be used by families to finance support, aids, therapies or respite that they require for their child with disability.

Quantity indicator: Number of children in respect of whom the Child Disability Assistance Payment has been made
Estimate	132,361	The variance is +3,546. There has been a slightly higher than forecast growth in the number of children being cared for by Carer Allowance clients.
Actual	135,907

* This performance indicator is taken from the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements

Carer Payment

Carer Payment is an income support payment for people whose caring responsibilities prevent them from undertaking substantial workforce participation. The payment is income and assets tested and paid at the same rate as other social security pensions. In March 2008, the $500 Utilities Allowance was extended to Carer Payment recipients.

Price
Estimate	$1,675.958m
Actual	$1,690.889m

Effectiveness—adequacy indicator: Maximum payments to recipients—as a percentage of Male total average weekly earnings
Estimate	Carer Payment to be maintained at 25% of male total average weekly earnings	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	Maintained at 25% of male total average weekly earnings.

Effectiveness—independence indicator: Percentage of clients with private earnings (earned income).
Average amount of private earnings per fortnight.
Estimate	15% of customers have private earnings with average earnings of $450 each fortnight	The variance is –4 per cent for customers with private earnings and +$45 average earnings each fortnight. Both the percentage of customers and fortnightly average earnings are slightly less than the actual figures of 2006–07 and reflect the slight decrease in the proportion of Carer Payment clients of working age.
Actual	11% of customers have earnings with average earnings of $495 each fortnight

Effectiveness—take‑up/coverage indicator: Percentage of Carer Payment clients also in receipt of Carer Allowance
Estimate	85%	The variance is +6 per cent. Improved measurement and the impact of the extension of Carer Allowance to clients who do not live with person they provide care to have contributed to this increase.
Actual	91%

Effectiveness—targeting indicator: Percentage on part‑rate due to means test
Estimate	25%	The variance is +1 per cent. While the actual is very close to estimate provided in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements and the 2006–07 actual, the increase is attributable to the flexible arrangements that allow a Carer Payment client to work, train and study for up to 25 hours per week.
Actual	26%

Quantity indicator: Number of clients receiving Carer Payment
Estimate	126,210	The variance is +4,447. The variance is mostly due to the different methods for calculating the estimate and actual figures. The estimate is calculated using estimated financial year average, whereas the actual is a snapshot of clients as at June 2008.
Actual	130,657

Quantity indicator: Number of people cared for by clients receiving Carer Payment
Estimate	126,500	The variation is +4,425. The variance is mostly due to the different methods for calculating the estimate and actual figures. The estimate is calculated using estimated financial year average, whereas the actual is a snapshot of clients as at June 2008.
Actual	130,925

Policy services and program management

Price
Estimate	$9.187m
Actual	$8.992m

Quality—assurance indicator: Research and evaluation is of a high standard (timely, fulfils terms of reference, complete, methodologically sound) and contributes to policy understanding and development
Estimate	100%	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	100%

Quality—assurance indicator: Service providers meet terms and conditions of funding
Estimate	100%	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	100%

Quality—client satisfaction: Ministers and their offices are satisfied with the quality of policy advice and the Department meets standards for policy advice
Estimate	100%	Ministers and their offices did not provide feedback on individual output groups, but did provide feedback on departmental performance as a whole. Further information on ministerial and parliamentary services can be found in Part 3 of this report.

Quantity indicator: Major pieces of research and evaluation completed
Estimate	3 plus significant supporting activity	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	3 plus significant supporting activity

Quantity indicator: Number of contracts/service agreements under management
Estimate	114	The variance is –57. The estimate incorrectly included 55 service agreements reported under Output Group 2.2.
Actual	57

Quantity indicator: Number of items to Ministers’ offices
Estimate	600 items of ministerial correspondence 80 submissions and briefings	Detailed information on actual results for this indicator can be found in Part 3 of this report.

Quantity indicator: Number of service providers under management
Estimate	57	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	57

Service delivery

Price
Estimate	$52.005m
Actual	$50.903m

Quality—client rights and obligations indicator: Carer Payment—control of incorrect payment and fraud: savings in administered items arising from compliance activities
Estimate	$4.21 million in fortnightly savings; and $3.50 million annually in debt	The variance of –$822,000 (–19.50 per cent) in fortnightly savings and +9.47 million (+270.53 per cent) annually in debts is attributable to smaller variations in customer payments with debts arising over a longer period of time.
Actual	$3.39 million in fortnightly savings $12.97 million annually in debts

Table 2.10 Reviews and appeals—Output Group 2.3
Client rights and obligations indicator: Percentage of reviews and appeals where the original decision is changed
Payment type	Authorised review officers		Social Security Appeals Tribunal		Administrative Appeals Tribunal
Payment type	Reviews finalised	Percentage changed	Reviews finalised	Percentage changed	Reviews finalised	Percentage changed
Carer Allowance	329	27.7%	22	13.6%	4	0.0%
Carer Allowance (Adult)	1,318	28.2%	159	20.8%	29	20.7%
Carer Allowance (Child)	548	24.3%	82	18.3%	15	20.0%
Carer Allowance (Child) HCC Only	15	6.7%	5	20.0%	0	0.0%
Carer Payment	329	38.6%	79	30.4%	18	16.7%
Carer Payment (Adult)	771	36.2%	113	26.5%	25	20.0%
Carer Payment (Child)	289	17.0%	55	10.9%	9	33.3%
Carer Payment Multiple	6	0.0%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%

Return to top

Contents