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Centrepay
Centrepay is an Australian government service run by Services Australia that allows recipients of Centrelink welfare payments to pay for bills and other expenses through regular, automatic deductions from their welfare payments. The service was first launched in 1998 and is used by over 600,000 customers and 15,000 businesses, processing transactions worth a total of $2.7 billion in 2023. Centrepay is primarily used as a payment method for recurring expenses like rent and utilities, but can also be used to pay for goods like clothing and appliances. The scheme has been criticised for placing vulnerable welfare recipients, particularly Indigenous Australians living in remote communities, at risk of financial stress. A 2012 independent review of the scheme and a 2023-24 investigation by The Guardian uncovered evidence that the Centrepay system was being widely misused. In 2024, Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten announced that the Albanese government would undertake major ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Centrelink
The Centrelink Master Program, or more commonly known as Centrelink, is a Services Australia master program of the Australian Government. It delivers a range of government payments and services for retirees, the unemployed, families, carers, parents, people with disabilities, Indigenous Australians, students, apprentices and people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and provides services at times of major change. The majority of Centrelink's services are the disbursement of social security payments. History and operations Centrelink commenced initially as a government agency of the Department of Social Security under the trading name of the Commonwealth Services Delivery Agency in early 1997. Following the passage of the ''Commonwealth Services Delivery Agency Act 1997'', the Centrelink brand name came into effect in late 1997. Offices were established nationally to manage services to people in need of social security payments. In 1998, the government establ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Radio Rentals
Radio Rentals was founded in 1930Radio Rentals Staff Handbook by Percy Perring-Thoms in Brighton, Sussex, UK, to rent out radio sets, with a turnover in the first year of £780 (). It later offered televisions and videorecorders for rent. In 1964 it merged with RentaSet, Joseph Robinson's similarly formed company. Then, in 1968, it was acquired by Thorn Electrical Industries and joined with Thorn's DER chain (founded 1938) as part of Thorn Television Rentals (TTR), though the two companies were run completely separately, with different staff and vehicles. Two other, smaller High Street TV rental companies were also acquired/established by the Thorn Television Rentals group: these being Multi-Broadcast and the even smaller company Vistavison (not to be confused with Visionhire). Very little is known today about these two rental companies: in the 1970s they were well-known names on the British High Street but have long since vanished along with Radio Rentals. The last Bair ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Services Australia
Services Australia, formerly the Department of Human Services and before that the Department of Social Security, is an executive agency of the Australian Government, responsible for delivering a range of welfare payments, health insurance payments, child support payments and other support services to eligible Australian citizens and permanent residents. Services Australia delivers social services through the government programs Centrelink, Medicare, the PBS and the Child Support Agency. Eligible Australian citizens and permanent residents can access many of these services through a myGov account. The head of the agency is the chief executive officer, currently David Hazlehurst, who is responsible to the Minister for Government Services, currently Katy Gallagher. Services Australia is a Portfolio Body within the Department of Social Services. History The Department of Human Services (now Services Australia) was created on 26 October 2004 as part of the Australian Governm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1998 Establishments In Australia
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil in permanently shadowed craters near the Moon's poles. * January 11 – Over 100 people are killed in the Sidi-Hamed massacre in Algeria. * January 12 – Nineteen European nations agree to forbid human cloning. * January 17 – The ''Drudge Report'' breaks the story about U.S. President Bill Clinton's alleged affair with Monica Lewinsky, which will lead to the Impeachment of Bill Clinton, House of Representatives' impeachment of him. February * February 3 – Cavalese cable car disaster (1998), Cavalese cable car disaster: A United States military pilot causes the deaths of 20 people near Trento, Italy, when his low-flying EA-6B Prowler severs the cable of a cable-car. * February 4 – The 5.9 February 1998 Afghanistan earthquake, Afghani ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Insurance
Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to protect against the risk of a contingent or uncertain loss. An entity which provides insurance is known as an insurer, insurance company, insurance carrier, or underwriter. A person or entity who buys insurance is known as a policyholder, while a person or entity covered under the policy is called an insured. The insurance transaction involves the policyholder assuming a guaranteed, known, and relatively small loss in the form of a payment to the insurer (a premium) in exchange for the insurer's promise to compensate the insured in the event of a covered loss. The loss may or may not be financial, but it must be reducible to financial terms. Furthermore, it usually involves something in which the insured has an insurable interest established by o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ergon Energy
Ergon Energy Network is a subsidiary of Energy Queensland Limited, which is itself a Queensland Government-owned company. Ergon distributes electricity to approximately 763,000 customers across the Australian state of Queensland (excluding South East Queensland) through a distribution network which is regulated by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER). The AER set the prices that Ergon is allowed to charge for distribution. History Ergon was formed in 1999 by the Queensland Government, from the then six regional Queensland electricity distributors and their subsidiary retailers. In 2007, the Queensland Government sold approximately 50,000 contestable electricity customers and retailer trading activities to AGL. Smaller electricity customers which are not economic continue to be billed by Ergon Energy and the electricity distribution network remains in public ownership. Ergon Energy became a subsidiary of EQL on 1 July 2016. Operations Today the principal operating companies ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Origin Energy
Origin Energy Ltd is an ASX listed public company with headquarters in Sydney. It is a major integrated electricity generator, and electricity and natural gas retailer. It operates Eraring Power Station, Australia's largest coal-fired power station, in New South Wales, which it plans to close in 2027. As of 2024, it plans to "minimise" its ownership of wind and solar power, to boost investor returns. It owns 20% of Octopus Energy, a UK renewable energy retailer. History Origin Energy was formed 18 February 2000, as a result of a spin-off from Boral. SAGASCO (formerly known as the South Australian Gas Company) became part of Origin Energy as part of the demerger. Between 2001 and 2002, Origin acquired a Victorian electricity retailer licence from distributors Powercor and CitiPower. In 2004, the SEAGas pipeline was completed, linking the Victorian and South Australian gas markets. During this time, Origin obtained 50% interest in the Kupe Gas Field and Edison Mission ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Federal Court Of Australia
The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law (with the exception of family law matters), along with some summary (less serious) and indictable (more serious) Criminal law, criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance mostly by single judges. In cases of importance, a full court comprising three judges can be convened upon determination by the Chief Justice. The Court also has Appellate court, appellate jurisdiction, which is mostly exercised by a Full Court comprising three judges (although sometimes by a panel of five judges and sometimes by a single judge), the only avenue of appeal from which lies to the High Court of Australia. In the Australian court hierarchy, the Federal Court occupies a position equivalent to the supreme courts of each of the states and territories. In relation to the other courts in the federal stream, it is superior to the Federal Circuit and Family ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
AGL Energy
AGL Energy Ltd is an Australian listed public company involved in both the generation and retailing of electricity and gas for residential and commercial use. It is one of the "big three" retailers in the National Electricity Market. AGL is Australia's largest electricity generator, and the nation's largest carbon emitter. In 2022, 83% of its energy came from burning coal. It is, however, targeting 12 gigawatts of new renewable energy by 2035, when all of its coal fire generators are aimed to be closed. It closed Liddell Power Station in 2023, but aims to close Bayswater Power Station in 2033, and Loy Yang A Power Station in 2035. History The Australian Gas Light Company was formed in Sydney in 1837, and supplied town gas for the first public lighting of a street lamp in Sydney in 1841. AGL was the second company to list on the Sydney Stock Exchange. The company gradually diversified into electricity and into a number of different locations. ActewAGL, a joint ventur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australian Energy Regulator
The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) is the regulatory authority for the wholesale electricity and gas markets in Australia. The AER is a part of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, and enforces the rules established by the Australian Energy Market Commission. The AER was established in July 2005. The next year all 13 bodies previously responsible for energy regulation had transferred responsibility to the AER. Decisions made by the regulator are subject to appeal. Functions The AER's current functions are focused on regulating the natural monopoly transmission and distribution sectors of the national electricity market, monitoring the wholesale electricity market and enforcing electricity market rules. The AER's regulatory functions and powers are conferred upon it by the national electricity law and the national electricity rules. Under the national electricity law and national electricity rules, the AER's key responsibilities at the present time include: * r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Credit Suisse
Credit Suisse Group AG (, ) was a global Investment banking, investment bank and financial services firm founded and based in Switzerland. According to UBS, eventually Credit Suisse was to be fully integrated into UBS. While the integration was yet to be completed, both banks are operating separately. However, on May 31, 2024, it was announced that Credit Suisse ceased to exist. Headquartered in Zürich, as a standalone firm, it maintained offices in all major financial centres around the world and provided services in investment banking, private banking, asset management, and shared services. It was known for strict Bank secrecy, bank–client confidentiality and Banking in Switzerland, banking secrecy. The Financial Stability Board considered it to be a Systemically important financial institution, global systemically important bank. Credit Suisse was also a primary dealer and Forex counterparty of the Federal Reserve in the United States. Credit Suisse was founded in 185 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Disability Pension
A disability pension is a form of pension given to those people who are permanently or temporarily unable to work due to a disability. North America An example of a disability pension is from a private or Public Pension Plan, or the Canada Pension Plan. Another example is Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) in the United States. Generally, there is a minimum time of service required to be eligible for the disability retirement benefit. The claimant might be directed to sign a waiver for their medical records to be disclosed and commonly is scheduled for an independent medical evaluation (IME) to confirm they are permanently disabled. The pension is calculated based on years worked, so the disability retiree can retire earlier (since they are unable to work), but receives an equitable pension based on years of service. Australasia Australia Australian residents of working age who are unable to work for 15 hours a week for the next two years are eligible for the Disa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
