The Domestic Purposes Benefit was introduced to assist women with a dependent child or children who had lost the support of a husband, or were inadequately supported by him. It was also available to unmarried mothers and their children, and to a father who was the sole parent of one or more children. This benefit was also paid to women who were living alone and had cared for children or incapacitated relatives, or those who needed to give full-time care and attention at home to a person who would otherwise have to be admitted to a hospital. For the purposes of this Act, de facto relationships were treated as marriages.