Portfolio: Social Services
http://www.dss.gov.au
$166.0B
2026-27 Budget (Budget Paper No. 4)$7.2B
2024-25 Total Revenue5,600
Headcount (2024-25)Material upward shift in 2026-27 funding (+5.7%, $8.94B change). 2025-26 estimated actual $157.01B → 2026-27 budget $165.95B. Source: Budget Paper No. 4, Agency Resourcing tables.
The citizen cohorts and life-event journeys that touch this department, drawn from the department_links mapping in the citizen-voice-journeys corpus.
COHORTS (4)
LIFE EVENTS (6)
30 tagged
Reform proposals on YourGov that name this department as a delivery partner — drawn from citizen voice, government strategy, research, international examples and gap analysis.
STRATEGY SUMMARY
To improve the economic and social wellbeing of individuals, families and vulnerable members of Australian communities. [CP p.7]
PURPOSE
To improve the economic and social wellbeing of individuals, families and vulnerable members of Australian communities. [CP p.7]
Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.7Strategic priorities
· 6
Outcomes
· 2
Outcome 1: Social Security
Encourage self-reliance and support people who cannot fully support themselves through targeted payments and quality services.
KEY ACTIVITIES
Outcome 2: Families and Communities
Promote stronger and more resilient families, children, individuals and communities by providing targeted supports.
KEY ACTIVITIES
Values
· 6
impartial
committed to service
accountable
respectful
ethical
stewardship
Performance measures
· 5
| Code | Measure | Target 2025-26 | Latest result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CCE01 | Ensuring a fair and trusted social security payment system supporting people when and where they need it most, by working with Services Australia to simplify and improve service delivery arrangements. | Stability or improvement Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.5 | Met Annual Report 2024-25 · p.27 | Achieved |
CCE02 | Working to end family, domestic and sexual violence through the stewardship of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032 and initiatives such as the Leaving Violence Program. | Stability or improvement Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.5 | Partially Met Annual Report 2024-25 · p.20 | Partially achieved |
CCE03 | Contributing to the Priority Reforms of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap targets to reduce the rate of representation in out-of-home care and family violence by transforming how we work with First Nations people, communities and organisations. | Stability or improvement Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.5 | Not Met Annual Report 2024-25 · p.20 | Not achieved |
CCE04 | Building resilient individuals, strong families and communities, to break cycles of entrenched disadvantage. | Stability or improvement Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.5 | Not Met Annual Report 2024-25 · p.20 | Not achieved |
CCE05 | Supporting children to be safe and thrive through ongoing implementation of the Paid Parental Leave Scheme Early Years Strategy 2024–2034, and a fully legislated, National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People. | Stability or improvement Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.5 | Met Annual Report 2024-25 · p.20 | Achieved |
Source documents
· 18
2024-25
PDF format File size 4.39 MB
Open
2025-26
PDF format File size 2.6 MB
Open
2024-25
PDF format File size 1.83 MB
Open
2023-24
PDF format File size 8.29 MB
Open
2022-23
PDF format File size 2.06 MB
Open
2021-22
PDF format File size 1.8 MB
Open
2024
PDF format File size 12.1 MB
Open
PDF format File size 9.54 MB
Open
2024
PDF format File size 886.67 KB
Open
2024
PDF format File size 1.88 MB
Open
2024
PDF format File size 905.04 KB
Open
2024
PDF format File size 1.05 MB
Open
2023
PDF format File size 1.66 MB
Open
PDF format File size 7.91 MB
Open
PDF format File size 2.22 MB
Open
PDF format File size 2.26 MB
Open
2024
PDF format File size 3.77 MB
Open
2024
PDF format File size 887.98 KB
Open
Ideas distilled from this entity's strategy & evidence
· 8
Enhance Family Tax Benefit Targeting
Streamline the Family Tax Benefit allocation to better target low-income families, reducing administrative burden and improving efficiency.
2024-25.pdf
Fast-Track Disability Pension Decisions
Implement a priority review process for Disability Support Pension applications to ensure quicker decisions for those in urgent need.
2024-25.pdf
Streamline Paid Parental Leave Process
Simplify the Paid Parental Leave application process to reduce delays and improve satisfaction.
2024-25.pdf
Improve Age Pension Support
Increase support for seniors relying on Age Pension through better resource allocation and outreach.
2024-25.pdf
Implement National Redress Scheme
Adopt a global best practice model for the National Redress Scheme to ensure timely and fair compensation for survivors.
2025-26.pdf
Boost JobSeeker Payment Efficiency
Enhance the efficiency of JobSeeker Payment distribution to ensure more people receive timely support.
2024-25.pdf
Enhance Community Grants Hub
Improve the user experience and satisfaction rates of the Community Grants Hub.
2025-26.pdf
Adopt Global Parental Leave Model
Adopt a global model for parental leave to better support working parents and improve workforce retention.
2025-26.pdf
Enhance Family Tax Benefit Targeting
Streamline the Family Tax Benefit allocation to better target low-income families, reducing administrative burden and improving efficiency.
2024-25.pdf
Fast-Track Disability Pension Decisions
Implement a priority review process for Disability Support Pension applications to ensure quicker decisions for those in urgent need.
2024-25.pdf
Streamline Paid Parental Leave Process
Simplify the Paid Parental Leave application process to reduce delays and improve satisfaction.
2024-25.pdf
Improve Age Pension Support
Increase support for seniors relying on Age Pension through better resource allocation and outreach.
2024-25.pdf
Implement National Redress Scheme
Adopt a global best practice model for the National Redress Scheme to ensure timely and fair compensation for survivors.
2025-26.pdf
Boost JobSeeker Payment Efficiency
Enhance the efficiency of JobSeeker Payment distribution to ensure more people receive timely support.
2024-25.pdf
Enhance Community Grants Hub
Improve the user experience and satisfaction rates of the Community Grants Hub.
2025-26.pdf
Adopt Global Parental Leave Model
Adopt a global model for parental leave to better support working parents and improve workforce retention.
2025-26.pdf
Legislation administered
· 5
1999
Social Security (Administration) Act 1999
The Department administers social security payments and services.
1999
A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999
The Department administers family assistance payments.
1988
Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988
The Department administers child support registration and collection.
2018
National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Act 2018
The Department operates the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse.
Source library
· 28
4.6MB
2024-25.pdf
2.7MB
2025-26.pdf
1.9MB
2024-25.pdf
8.7MB
2023-24.pdf
2.2MB
2022-23.pdf
1.9MB
2021-22.pdf
1.7MB
2024-25-20Department-20of-20Social-20Services-20Corporate-20Plan.pdf
209KB
national-early-years-summit-summary.pdf
733KB
national-early-years-summit-agenda_0.pdf
224KB
national-early-years-summit-attendees-website-002.pdf
419KB
australian-government-response.pdf
298KB
australian-government-response-inquiry-potential-impacts-commonwealth-paid-paren.pdf
Bodies within the Social Services portfolio
National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People
Non-corporate Commonwealth Entity
Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission
Non-corporate Commonwealth Entity
Australian Institute of Family Studies
Non-corporate Commonwealth Entity
Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee
Statutory Body