One of the current criteria for accessing the orphans benefit and the unsupported child's benefit, under the Social Security Act 2018 is that the caregiver must be likely to be the principal caregiver of the child for at least one year from the date of the application for the payment—what is called the 12-month rule. This is what this bill endeavours to resolve. In practice, this rule means, presently, that there are caregivers who take on the care of a child, often in difficult and/or short-term situations where there is little other choice but they are unable to access financial assistance to help them provide care. This is despite the fact that they, like other caregivers, take on all primary responsibilities for the day-to-day care of a child when that child's parents are unable to care for them.