Our Freedom of Information disclosure log

Documents we’ve released in response to previous Freedom of Information requests.

About the disclosure log

The Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosure log below sets out the documents released in response to prior FOI requests made to our department. 

You can request any of the documents described below by sending an email to FOI@dss.gov.au. Make sure you include the reference number so we can help you. 

Reference number FOI 2021-011
Release date
Summary of request

‘… all documents held by the Department of Social Services that relate to the use of "income averaging" by DSS, Services Australia, the Department of Human Services, or Centrelink, to finalise welfare debts in either the 1990s or the 1980s. To be clear, I am not seeking documents created in the 1990s or 1980s. I am seeking documents which relate to inquiries that the department has recently about the use of income-averaging dating back to the 1990s or 1980s. The documents could likely include correspondence between departmental staff relating to requests for investigations into the potential use of income averaging dating back to the 1990s, or 1980s, and the subsequent findings of these investigations in whatever form they may take. As a result, please confine my request to documents that were created after 1 July 2019.’

Reference number 2021-M001
Release date
Summary of request

“…all correspondence, by email, text message or WhatsApp, between the Minister and the Minister's office and APM including its chief executive Michael Anghie sent this year.

I am also after all correspondence (email, text message or WhatsApp) between Minister Ruston and Minister Roberts about the JobActive fee change”

Reference number 2021-004
Release date
Summary of request

I request a list of all entities which received work from the Department under the National Indigenous Procurement Policy in the 2019-20 financial year.

Reference number 2021-002
Release date
Summary of request

“I kindly request a copy of the document/s, paper or electronic, that outline:

  1. any conditions, requirements etc. that ACN must adhere to in relation to the grant, for example, how the grant monies are to be spent, and general governance conditions that ACN must meet in order to continue to be eligible for the grant monies,
  2. any conditions, requirements etc. that stipulate what the grant is permitted to be used for”

FOI Request 2021-002 Documents

Reference number 19/20-145
Release date
Summary of request

...the funding agreement for the years 2017-2020 and 2020-2022 for the DDS- NDIS Appeals between the Department of Social Services and Side by Side Advocacy Inc

Reference number 19/20-114
Release date
Summary of request

Data on the Student Start-Up Loan - for each of 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 – total amount lent and estimated fair value of lending for each of those years.

As of 30 June 2019, the total amount lent for Student Start-Up loans and current fair value.

The Australian Government Actuary Report on the Student Start-Up loan mentioned on page 157 of the DSS Annual Report 2018-19.

Reference number 19/20-115
Release date
Summary of request

I seek access to the issue frequency analysis document.

Reference number 19/20-080
Release date
Summary of request
  • Any document disclosing the total number of search requests received by ISS Australia, including the number of families located and the number of reunions facilitated.
  • ISS’s final report.
  • Any document which discloses the number of search requests from Indian adoptees or adoptive parents of children from India.
  • The number of families located by ISS in India, including the number of reunions facilitated.
  • Any document relating to the total funding received by ISS for this project.
Reference number 19/20-009
Release date
Summary of request

a) A document created and/or compiled by DSS between May 18 2019 and June 30 2019 (inclusive of both dates) prepared at the request of and/or prepared for and/or delivered to the Minister for the NDIS and/or the Office of the Minister for the NDIS outlining and/or detailing and/or explaining and/or reviewing the status of the NDIS.

b) Any other “brief” and/or “submission” and/or PDF and/or word document of more than 10 pages in length created and/or compiled by DSS between May 18 2019 and June 30 2019 (inclusive of both dates) prepared at the request of and/or prepared for and/or delivered to the Minister for the NDIS and/or the Office of the Minister for the NDIS about the NDIS.

Reference number 19/20-046
Release date
Summary of request

I request:

  • the number of domestic violence incident reports made (or any other measure used to monitor domestic violence incidents) in the East Kimberley area between 1 July 2017 - 30 June 2018, and 1 July 2018 - 30 June 2019,
  • the number of domestic violence incident reports made (or any other measure used to monitor domestic violence incidents) in the Ceduna area between 1 July 2017 - 30 June 2018, and 1 July 2018 - 30 June 2019,
  • the number of domestic violence incident reports made (or any other measure used to monitor domestic violence incidents) in the Kalgoorlie area between 1 July 2017 - 30 June 2018, and 1 July 2018 - 30 June 2019,
  • the number of domestic violence incident reports made (or any other measure used to monitor domestic violence incidents) in the Hinkler area between 1 July 2017 - 30 June 2018, and 1 July 2018 - 30 June 2019.

My understanding is that this information is collected by DSS in relation to the Cashless Debit Card program.

Reference number 19/20-073
Release date
Summary of request

The annual number of DSP recipients from 1992 and number of DSP recipients for each state and territory from 1992.

The annual number of NSA recipients - who have a disability - from 1992 and number of NSA recipients - who have a disability - for each state and territory from 1992.

Reference number 19/20-065
Release date
Summary of request

The Department’s Freedom of Information business rules, guidelines, manuals and templates

Reference number 19/20-066
Release date
Summary of request
  • Information about welfare payments to homeless people including any analysis and/or advice about the impact of homelessness on receipt of support and individuals entitled to support but not receiving it because of homelessness;
  • Policies relating to payment support for the homeless;
  • Any estimation and/or forecasts about the extent or number of homeless people who could be receiving government welfare support but are not.
Reference number 19/20-053
Release date
Summary of request

… the policy under which the in-kind funding aspect of the coag bilateral agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia and Victoria on the NDIS was considered necessary…

Reference number 19/20-042
Release date
Summary of request
  1. Data and/or documents showing the number of Outcome Fee Claims lodged by Disability Employment Services (DES) providers which were rejected as invalid by the department for the 2018-2019 financial year, and what percentage of total Claims submitted for the 2018-2019 financial year this figure represents.
  2. Data and/or documents showing the number of Outcomes claimed and paid to DES providers which did not result in the participant remaining employed after the completion of the minimum 13 or 26 week periods for the 2018-2019 financial year.
Reference number 19/20-022
Release date
Summary of request

File EF18/47804 Social Welfare Services – Grant Administration- Funding (Non-government Organisations NGO) - 018-2583 - Support for Trafficked People Program Trial for Forced Marriage Victims - Agreement Creation - Final Documents.

Reference number 19/20-028
Release date
Summary of request

Item 1: the most recent breakdown of customer spending, by category and amount; and

Item 2: the most recent analysis of spending habits in relation to the Cashless Debit Card.

Reference number 19/20-026
Release date
Summary of request

…all correspondence between the department and Minister Ruston’s office related to the timing of release of the DSS Payment Demographic Data.

Reference number 19/20-015
Release date
Summary of request

"…modelling since May 18, 2019 relating to options to make the deeming rate more generous. I am particularly interested in any material that shows the distribution of the winners under the reforms. That is which proportion of retirees get over $500 and what is average benefit eligible retirees receive."

Reference number 19/20-008
Release date
Summary of request

- any minutes from any meetings between NOW Australia and DSS
- any communication NOW Australia has had with DSS
- any communication between Tracey Spicer and DSS since 2017

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