Tapering of Benefits – Person responsible for household whose spouse/partner started employment

Overview

Social Assistance beneficiaries can opt for the Tapering of Benefits scheme in the eventuality of the spouse participating in a gainful occupation, earns at least the national minimum wage or more and if the beneficiary has been in receipt of Social Assistance for at least one (1) year in the last three (3) years.

What you’ll get

The awarded Tapering of Benefits rate is a percentage of the last Social Benefit rate awarded excluding bonuses:

75% of the benefit rate for the first year.
55% of the benefit rate for the second year.
35% of the benefit rate for the third year.
25% of the benefit rate is paid to the employer of the spouse/partner for a maximum period of three (3) years, during which the spouse/partner remains in employment with that employer.

Beneficiaries are paid in arrears every four (4) weeks, while employers of the spouse/partner are paid in arrears every twelve (12) weeks.

If the spouse/partner of the beneficiary in receipt of Tapering of Benefits becomes unemployed, the benefit is stopped for both the beneficiary and the employer. If the beneficiary becomes employed again, or the spouse/partner becomes re-employed, the Tapering of benefits resumes from the year that the benefit was stopped. The new employer would then start to receive the 25% of the benefit rate for the remaining time of the tapering of the benefit.

Once the three-year (3) period of being in receipt of the Tapering of Benefits scheme has elapsed, the beneficiary may start to be eligible for the In-Work benefit if all conditions are met and if continuing to be in employment.

Any statutory bonuses are to be paid by the current employer receiving the Tapering of Benefits. The beneficiary on the Tapering of Benefits scheme cannot request the difference in statutory bonuses to the Department of Social Security, if the beneficiary is employed as a part-timer or on reduced hours.

You may make use of an online Calculator to calculate your potential entitlement of the Tapering of Benefits.

Eligibility

General eligibility criteria:

Applicants who are in receipt of Unemployment Assistance or Social Assistance for one (1) year in the last three (3) years and the spouse/partner is gainfully occupied earning the weekly national minimum wage or more.