Vaping ban and Centrelink payment increases among January 1 changes

When the clock struck midnight last night, it not only marked the beginning of a new year; A series of new laws, guidelines and Centrelink payment increases have officially come into effect.

Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the changes the start of 2024 will bring.

The ban on importing disposable vaporizers has begun

It will be illegal to import disposable vapes from January 1, subject to what the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) says are “very limited exceptions”.

That’s even if those vaporizers were ordered before January 1 and haven’t arrived in Australia yet.

Disposable vaporizers imported before January 1 may be legally supplied in Australia, but there are strict conditions regarding this:

Disposable nicotine-containing vapes that meet TGA requirements can continue to be legally supplied in Australia in pharmaceutical settings to a patient with prescription in accordance with state and territory prescription drug laws
Disposable vaporizers that do not contain nicotine or any other medication and make no therapeutic claims.They may be supplied by general retailers, including vape shops, subject to state or territory laws.

Centrelink payments to increase

Social service payments are periodically indexed to keep them in line with inflation, based on changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

This time, it will increase by 6 percent.

Pay rates differ depending on personal circumstances, so here is a generalized example of increases:

Youth Allowance Payments: Increase between $22.40 and $45.60 biweekly
Austudy payments: Increase of between $36.20 and $45.60 per fortnight
Disability support pension for children under 21 years of age: increase of between $31.10 and $44.90 biweekly

You can see the full list of increases at the Department of Social Services website.

Indexation comes into effect on January 1.

Centrelink payments are being indexed by 6 per cent. (ABC News: Chris Gillette)

You will have to spend more to qualify for higher Medicare reimbursements

Medicare Safety Net thresholds are increasing, again, to keep in line with inflation.

There are two parts to this scheme:

Original Medicare Safety Net: Once your gap expenses reach the threshold in a calendar year, Medicare will reimburse you at 100 percent of the Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS) rate instead of 85 percent.
Extended Medicare Safety Net: This is a higher reimbursement for people who incur out-of-pocket costs for Medicare-eligible out-of-hospital services. Once they have passed the threshold, Medicare will pay up to 80 percent of any future out-of-pocket costs for Medicare out-of-hospital services for the rest of the calendar year.

The original threshold has increased by $28.70.

For concession cardholders, the extended threshold increased by $41.50

And it has increased by $130.30 for non-concessionaire individuals and families.

This is what the new thresholds are:

And medicines with PBS will slightly increase

You will also pay a little more for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) drugs.

Last year, the maximum cost for most general prescriptions under the PBS was $30 for general Medicare patients and $7.30 for concession card holders.

As of today, it has increased by $1.60 for general patients, who will now pay up to $31.60.

And concession cardholders will pay up to an additional 40 cents, with the maximum being $7.70.

This is due to inflation, as PBS patient co-payment amounts are updated on January 1 of each year, in line with changes in the CPI.

The 50 percent passing rule for college students is eliminated

Before today, university students had to pass at least half of their units to remain eligible for Commonwealth assistance such as university loans.

But today that has been ruled out.

This is part of the government’s new “student support” policy which, within months, will require universities to introduce policies that support students to successfully complete their degrees.

More occupations have been on the Learning Priorities List

The Learning Priorities List includes a number of occupations identified as having strong current and future demand for skilled workers.

People who are training for employment in one of these roles may be eligible for financial support.

An eligible full-time apprentice can receive up to $10,000 for the duration of their apprenticeship to help with cost of living pressures, while an employer can receive support of up to $15,000 for the duration of the apprenticeship.

This year, 19 occupations have been added to the list:

ambulance officer
livestock technician
Aquaculture or fishing technician
Architectural Draftman
Ship builder and repairer
earth sciences technician
fire protection plumber
Flight attendant
furniture maker
Graphic prepress trades worker.
irrigation designer
irrigation technician
light technician
mine deputy
Nursing support worker
Out of school hours care worker
Pharmacology technician
Shipwright
Sound technician

Non-professional students eligible for learning loans

The federal government is changing a program that offered apprentices interest-free loans to help them purchase trade tools and supplies while they were apprentices.

The program allowed trainees to borrow up to $24,492 and, like college student loans, did not have to pay it back until they earned more than a certain amount, and the loan was subject to indexation.

They were called Trade Support Loans, but from today they are called Australian Learning Support Loans.

These were only available for certain qualifications; The October list was divided into the categories of trade, horticulture and agriculture.

But from today, the program will include apprentices and non-professional trainees in areas such as early childhood education, aged care and disability care.

Gas connections to be banned in new homes in Victoria

From January 1, new gas connections will be prohibited for new homes, apartment buildings and residential subdivisions requiring planning permission.

It will affect the construction of new homes with planning permits but not:

New homes that do not need planning permission.
existing homes with existing gas connections
Renovations and extensions of existing homes.

Any permit applications submitted before January 1 will also not be affected.

This is incorporated as part of the state’s clean energy transition plan.

Mobile phone ban extended to Queensland and ACT schools

New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia have banned mobile phones in public schools.

They will be banned in the ACT and Queensland public schools from the start of term one.