Main type of family government benefit payment (administrative data) (FGAF)

This variable indicates the main type of government benefit payment that a family received. This is based on all government benefits, pensions, and allowances recorded in administrative data for the 2020/2021 financial year of family members aged 15 years or older who were present in the household on Census Night. 

This variable wasn’t derived from data collected on the Census form but has been created by linking administrative data from the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) to the Census. 

Families in family households

This variable wasn’t derived from data collected on the Census form but has been created by linking administrative data from the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) to the Census. PLIDA contains data on government benefits, pensions, and allowances from the Australian Taxation Office and the Department of Social Services, this is the source data for this variable. 

This variable is calculated based on all government benefits, pensions, and allowances recorded in administrative data for the 2020/2021 financial year of residents aged 15 years or older who were present in the household on Census Night. This includes families where one or more members did not have income information available in administrative data or where one or more members were absent from the dwelling on Census Night. 

The main type of government benefit payment is the category with the largest amount recorded. This variable does not record the dollar amount of government benefits, pensions, and allowances received; it records what the main benefit type is. 

All payments recorded in the administrative data are included, however some government benefit payments have been excluded from this variable as they are deemed not to represent income. The excluded payments are: 

• Rent Assistance 
• Fares Allowance 
• HECS or Course Fees 
• Student Start-up Loan 
• Home Equity Access Scheme / Pension Loans Scheme 
• Commonwealth Seniors Health Card 

This is a new variable for 2021.

This variable provides an alternative, more detailed view on income than income data collected in the Census. It is based on government benefit, pension and allowance information recorded in linked administrative data, and is not data collected from a Census question. 

Comparisons to other family data

This variable should be used with caution when comparing to other family data from within the ABS and for external organisations or agencies. The definition of a family can differ between different statistical collections and may not match Census definitions.

• Main type of personal government benefit payment (administrative data) (IGAP)
• Total family income as available (administrative data) (weekly) (FIAASF)
• Main type of household government benefit payment (administrative data) (HGAD)
• Main source of family income (administrative data) (FSAF)
• Administrative data
• Government benefits, pensions and allowances
• Family

• Understanding income in administrative data, the Census and ABS surveys
• New Census insights on income in Australia using administrative data
• People and communities