Farm Household Support Amendment (Debt Waiver) 2021

# Farm Household Support Amendment (Debt Waiver) 2021 ## What it does This law lets the government write off certain debts owed by farmers who received farm household allowance payments between July 2015 and July 2020. The Secretary of the Department can cancel these debts entirely or partially, rather than forcing farmers to repay money they received during that period. ## Why it matters Many struggling farmers ended up owing money back to the government when their circumstances changed or payments were adjusted. This law gives those farmers a fresh start by wiping the slate clean, potentially saving them thousands of dollars and reducing financial stress during tough times in agriculture. ## Key details - **Who qualifies**: Farmers with debts from farm household allowance payments only between 1 July 2015 and 1 July 2020 - **The catch**: You can only get a waiver if you've received farm household allowance for fewer than 1,460 days (about 4 years) in the 10-year period from July 2014 onwards — this prevents long-term recipients from benefiting - **When it started**: The law took effect the day after receiving Royal Assent (2021)

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