Enhanced Income Management

Program overview

Enhanced Income Management is a tool that helps participants manage their welfare payments and prioritise spending on essential goods and services such as food, housing, electricity and education. 

On enhanced Income Management, participants cannot do the following:

  • buy tobacco or tobacco products
  • buy pornography
  • buy alcohol or homebrew kits
  • gamble
  • buy cash-like products and some gift cards
  • get cash out.

Enhanced Income Management gives participants access to modern banking technology through the SmartCard and an associated enhanced Income Management account.

Participants can get a SmartCard at select Services Australia service centres or participating Agents.

Participants in the Northern Territory can get a Traditional Credit Union (TCU) SmartCard by visiting a TCU branch or contact TCU for help.

Where does enhanced Income Management operate?

Enhanced Income Management operates in many forms across Australia. Since 4 September 2023, participants on Income Management can choose to move to enhanced Income Management, and newly eligible participants are placed on enhanced Income Management.

Enhanced Income Management operates in:

  • Northern Territory
  • Bankstown, New South Wales
  • Logan, Rockhampton and Livingstone, Queensland
  • Playford, Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yakunytatjara (APY Lands) and Greater Adelaide, South Australia
  • Ngaanyatjarra (NG Lands), Kiwirrkurra Community, Kimberley Region, Perth Metropolitan and Peel District, Western Australia
  • Greater Shepparton, Victoria

Enhanced Income Management continues to operate in Ceduna, Bundaberg and Hervey Bay, East Kimberley, Goldfields and Cape York and Doomadgee regions. People in these regions are able to volunteer for enhanced Income Management.

Find out more about enhanced Income Management in:

Who is eligible for enhanced Income Management?

Participants, who were on Income Management prior to 4 September 2023, are able to choose to move to enhanced Income Management. From 4 September 2023, newly eligible participants, are placed on enhanced Income Management.

There are different ways participants go onto enhanced Income Management which are called measures.

These measures are:

  • Voluntary enhanced Income Management measure – Participants who volunteer to go onto enhanced Income Management have 50 per cent of their income support payments income managed.
  • Vulnerable Welfare Payment Recipient measure – This measure is aimed at helping vulnerable youth or at-risk individuals and their families to manage their income support and family assistance payments more effectively. Participants on the Vulnerable Welfare Payment Recipient measure have 50 per cent of their income support payments income managed.
  • Child Protection measure – Child Protection operates in Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia. Child protection authorities can refer a person for Child Protection enhanced Income Management. Participants on the Child Protection measure have 70 per cent of their income support payments income managed.
  • Supporting People at Risk measure – Currently the Supporting People at Risk measure is being used by the Northern Territory Registrar of the Banned Drinker Register for participants needing help with alcohol abuse. Participants who are referred by the Registrar have 70 per cent of their income support payments income managed.
  • Long Term Welfare Payment Recipients and Disengaged Youth measures (Northern Territory only) – Participants in the Northern Territory who have been out of work or study for some time, go onto these measures and have 50 per cent of their income support payments income managed.
  • Queensland Commission – People in the Cape York Welfare Reform Communities and Doomadgee may be referred to Income Management by the Family Responsibilities Commission and have between 60-90% of their income support payments income managed.

Support services

You can access support services in your area.

To find what support is available:

Disability Gateway

The Disability Gateway is a free Australia-wide service to help people with disability, their families and carers find trusted information and services. To find out more information on how this service can support you:

Resources

The following resources are available to help you support people in your community who would like more information.

More information

For more information on enhanced Income Management, SmartCard or how to volunteer:

Last updated: