000			03563nam a22003497a 4500
999			_c6353 _d6353
005			20250625151513.0
008			190812s2019 xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
040			_aAFVC
100			_aSleep, Lyndal _98561
245			_aDomestic violence, social security and the couple rule _cLyndal Sleep
260			_aSydney, NSW : _bAustralia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety, _b2019
300			_aelectronic document (80 pages) ; PDF file
500			_aANROWS Research report, Issue 4, July 2019
520			_aAccess to social security resources is vital to many women who are attempting to be free of an abusive relationship. When it is unclear to the Department of Social Security if the victim/survivor is still in a relationship with the perpetrator, the “couple rule” is used to decide her access to social security payments. The couple rule in social security law (Social Security Act 1991 (Cth), s. 4(3)) ties women’s access to social security payments to the income and assets of the perpetrator in circumstances where she is determined to be in a relationship with him. Therefore, if an applicant is assessed as being a member of a couple, her own and the perpetrator’s income and assets will be assessed jointly. This may lead to the victim/survivor being denied payment or, if it is later determined that she has not declared her relationship, could result in an overpayment debt and/or criminal prosecution for social security fraud. In the application of this rule, domestic violence is rarely treated as an exception. This can financially entrap victims/survivors in a violent relationship, as they are denied independent social security support at the vulnerable time when they are attempting to permanently separate from the perpetrator. Research has shown that women who experience domestic violence are more likely to go on to experience poverty and disability after the abusive behaviour has ended (Cortis & Bullen, 2015; 2016). The couple rule may increase the risk of victims/survivors experiencing poverty This research attempts to explore the dynamics between domestic violence, social security payments and the couple rule by examining pre-existing data sets of Administrative Appeal Tribunal (AAT) decisions of couple rule matters and New Zealand Social Security Appeals Authority (NZSSAA) de facto rule decisions. The research will have an intersectional focus on those groups of women prioritised by Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety’s (ANROWS) National Research Agenda (2014) as having particular vulnerabilities to violence. (From the Executive summary). Record #6353
650			_aDOMESTIC VIOLENCE _9203
650			_aINTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS _9325
650			_aINTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE _9431
650			_aLAW _9336
650		5	_9360 _aMARRIAGE
650		5	_aPOVERTY _9453
650			_aSOCIAL POLICY _9551
650			_aSOCIAL WELFARE _9559
650			_aWOMEN _9645
651		4	_aAUSTRALIA _92597
651		4	_aNEW ZEALAND _92588
773	0	3	_tANROWS Research report, Issue 4, July 2019
830			_97892 _aANROWS Research report
856			_uhttps://www.anrows.org.au/publication/domestic-violence-social-security-law-and-the-couple-rule/
856			_uhttps://d2rn9gno7zhxqg.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/18032157/RP.17.02_Sleep_D_RtPP_social-security_couple-rule.pdf _yResearch summary
856			_uhttps://www.anrows.org.au/project/domestic-violence-social-security-law-and-the-couple-rule/ _zProject website
942			_2ddc _cREPORT