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