Centrelink - Youth Allowance

[barthez]

just a few questions about centrelink, youth allowance and claiming being independent.

I am going to be moving away from home to study and have applied for youth allowance. I claimed to be independent as I have been working for 16 months and earnt more than 75% of the rate which they require u to earn in an 18 month period to claim independence.

Ive been told by some people that i needed to be working for AT LEAST 18 months but that doesnt sound right to me...the criteria is below....

have been out of school at least 18 months and earned an amount equivalent to 75 per cent of the maximum rate of pay under Wage Level A of the Australian Pay and Classification Scale in an 18 month period before lodging a claim.

now, i will be moving away from home, around 4 hrs drive, living by myself and studying full time.......i need this payment to help cover my rent and living expenses....i plan to get a casual job but without centrelink i will not be able to cover any costs and will have to give up the oppurtunity to go to university and finish my architecture degree as my parents are unable to support me financially.

does anyone here work for centrelink?

or has anyone claimed independence before?

what are my chances of getting the payment?

how long does it take for a claim to be processed?


thanks

[uranium_death]

You should go in person to Centrelink and arrange an appointment. They will be best able to help you with financial assistance as your current assets, wage and circumstances all play a role.

[barthez]

my wage will cease in two weeks as i need to move away from my current location...........the people in my local office were of no assistance at all........didnt have a clue.............will organise a sit down but i dont feel that confident as the people front of house knew nothing.......doesnt say much for the whole place.......

[BigCav]

yeah im still on full time independant centrelink

i had been out of school for 2 years btu only working for about 9 months by the time i had reached enough money to qualify

they passed me at 9 montsh so u dont hvae to be workign for 18 months, only been out of school that long.
i also beleive u can claim or apply for special cercimstances so u can bend the rules a little but i dont beleive u will have too.

[zetec]

I agree with BigCav, you should qualify outright. Back in my days from 2001 - 2003 it was about $300 per fortnight out of home... I lived at home and only got $200 per fortnight but every cent helped.

I'm also not guilty about receiving it because I'm working hard and paying taxes to offer the same privilege to current students like yourself. Enjoy it, every dollar helps when you're studying.

[barthez]

yeh my situation is exactly like BigCav so hopefully it all works out......just need them to process it asap cuz ive got a place i want to rent but i dont want to sign any agreements unless i no for sure i will get the payment......

[BigCav]

i am on 395 or 398, pretty much 400, thats full independant centrelink and full rental assistance

i dont know how u lived off of 300, i cant live off the 400, half of thats gone in rent, 1/4 gone into bills, and the last 100 bucks tries to get u food for the fortnight and pays for fuel and tram fares.

and if u try and work u get screwed cause they take a fair wack of your money, i tried to work so i could survive, but the only work available is 2-3 days a week, because who hires somebody to work one day. but at 2-3 days a week u earn too much so they deduct u and after a while if you have earnt over a limit for 6 fortnigths they cancel your centrelink

becareful as this is what they did to me, so in the end i had to work 3 days a week jsut to get enough money to live as they cancelled my centrelink, so i had to work for the same money as u could get on centrelink.

beware of there traps as centrelink arnt there to help u out, there there to try and screw u over


just this week they deducted my pay by 50 dollars for some unkown reason, no warning no letters it jsut never came, i dont know why as nothing changed, there useless

[barthez]

had a chat with them today..........seems all is well and i should qualify........

[Jack91]

Yeah, a while back while I was looking for a job, and had no money whatsoever, I rang them up and even went in for an appointment. It got denied, which ****ed me off at the time, but then after a few days I realised that I would've felt like scum taking government handouts anyway, and then a couple of weeks later, I got a job. The best way for you to make a good living is to claim the centrelink, and find an employed that'll pay you cash in hand.

[zetec]

Originally Posted by 93_eb_fairmont

Yeah, a while back while I was looking for a job, and had no money whatsoever, I rang them up and even went in for an appointment. It got denied, which ****ed me off at the time, but then after a few days I realised that I would've felt like scum taking government handouts anyway, and then a couple of weeks later, I got a job. The best way for you to make a good living is to claim the centrelink, and find an employed that'll pay you cash in hand.

Feel like scum for taking handouts but then recommending taking it then earning cash in hand? : That's hardly cool

I was more than happy to take it since I lived at home, studied 4-5 days a week depending on the semester (Science degree) and had max 1 day a week for work. It paid for my car and fuel, textbooks and consumables. It was enough to help me through. My parents were well off enough to pay for me but I earnt my own way after high school and got a job to work through uni while studying to learn life the real way - not sitting on my complaining.

I have no qualms in hindsight, it helped me get to where I am now and I'm paying more than enough tax to justify the help it gave me.

[Mitch_]

scum is the person that works for cash and accepts money they are not entitled to from centrelink... anyone that has to pay centrelink back for takeing money they are not entitled imho get what they deserve when sent to court

[Jack91]

Yeah, I personally would've felt lazy for taking it, but that's just me. So how is it fair that my old friends, who went to school and worked part time, have no bills to pay and get their parents to buy them everything, how is it fair that they can get money from the government when I NEEDED it really badly to come up with share of the rent and money for expenses, and all I had to live on for like 4 weeks was my previous years tax return, because I couldn't get centrelink, because of my parents (who I haven't lived with for more than like 18 months) earn too much, who cares that they earn too much? I ain't getting any of it? I think it's fair that if this guy NEEDS it, then its fair, but for people who just want to take advantage, I think that's bullshit. Why would you move out of home, with no job, and think, "It's ok, I'll get centrelink to support me", goddamn I hate that so much. Ahh, I've probably contradicted myself but I'm tired so it's understandable.

[BFYOOT]

not sure about the ins and outs of qualifying any more, but if you do get it, make sure you over-estimate/over-declare your wages if you get a part time job, and make sure you record how much you declare each fortnight. Centrelink have a bad habit of screwing you over with either tax or payments, then boom a few years later they send you a bill for the excess knowing too well most people wont have records or will jut pay them. happens very frequently.

[Kryton]

Originally Posted by barthez

just a few questions about centrelink, youth allowance and claiming being independent.

I am going to be moving away from home to study and have applied for youth allowance. I claimed to be independent as I have been working for 16 months and earnt more than 75% of the rate which they require u to earn in an 18 month period to claim independence.

Ive been told by some people that i needed to be working for AT LEAST 18 months but that doesnt sound right to me...the criteria is below....

have been out of school at least 18 months and earned an amount equivalent to 75 per cent of the maximum rate of pay under Wage Level A of the Australian Pay and Classification Scale in an 18 month period before lodging a claim.

now, i will be moving away from home, around 4 hrs drive, living by myself and studying full time.......i need this payment to help cover my rent and living expenses....i plan to get a casual job but without centrelink i will not be able to cover any costs and will have to give up the oppurtunity to go to university and finish my architecture degree as my parents are unable to support me financially.

does anyone here work for centrelink?

or has anyone claimed independence before?

what are my chances of getting the payment?

how long does it take for a claim to be processed?


thanks

youth allowance is for the lazy youth that dont want to do anything.
AUSTUDY is what your looking for.
you will need to be enrolled at the Campus (fees paid) before you can get AUSTUDY.
as for being independent, in the eyes of Centerlink, you are not and will not be until you turn 25.
also, last i knew they had increased the age that you can apply for the dole to stop the slackers from leaving school and bludging.

for the losers that think its ok to claim benefits and work without declaring it - your day WILL come.
hope its fun going through the 20 hoops and the court room

[Jess85]

you have to be 25 to get Austudy davway..so you go on Youth Allowance until you turn 25

[Kryton]

Originally Posted by Jess85

you have to be 25 to get Austudy davway..so you go on Youth Allowance until you turn 25

when did that change?
AUSTUDY has always been for youths that wanted to attend school.

[Geez Louise]

Oh I am so glad my tax dollars are going to such a good cause!

If you want to better yourself...great!! and if Government assistance helps...even better!

Best of luck to you!

My question is...where were all these benefits when I was holding down 2 jobs and raising a 2 year old??

Bitter...maybe!!

[mcflux]

An old rant I made about Centrelink when I endured their dealings a couple of years ago. Keep in mind it is a generalisation of Centrelink & its employees:

I won't venture as far as claiming through wild accusations that people actually WORK at Centrelink (how ironic for all the people standing in the dole queue), but christ almighty the dealings I have had with Centrelink have revealed to me that their "employees" are the most inept breed of so-called "workers" in existence. They make greened-out Californian love-bus eco-hippies seem almost Japanese when it comes to work ethic and productivity!

I suppose I had better justify my rant against Centrelink. Back in March 2006 I decided that working at Coles on the weekend as well as undergoing full-time uni plus part-time work at Gippsland Water and doing a final year project was just a little too much for me to handle. Coles was facing the chopping block, and I quickly applied at Centrelink to score coin for being a uni student. Months passed, and I continued to work at Coles whilst struggling at uni and GW with the pressures faced. Then, in late May I got three letters from Centrelink in a row.

Letter 1: "Congratulations upon enrolling in our Austudy program!" Luffly. So they finally recognise that I'm on the dole!

Letter 2 (the next day): "Here are your upcoming reporting dates". Some of the reporting dates concerned me. Considering it was late May, all the reporting dates in March and April kind of had me in a twist, as I'd misplaced my Flux Capacitor.

Letter 3 (the day after): "You have failed to report on March the xxth. Because of this, you have been struck from our Austudy system. Please reapply through your local Centrelink branch." ****ERS! Yeah this system is really ace. I wholly recommend it.

Anyhoo, I finally (amazingly) got onto the system around the time of my exams. The next couple of weeks were touch-n-go as there were teething problems with my file on their system or some crap like that, but over the 2nd semester I was able to give Coles the flick, and Centrelink payments were smoothe and consistent (like the greasy you lay in the bowl the morning after consuming excess Bundy and Coke and BBQ meat at a B&S night). Then I received another letter from the Powers That Be at Centrelink. They recognised that my period spent undertaking tertiary education were drawing to a close, and with it, my payments from them. The letter requested I advise Centrelink of my final day at uni, which I promptly replied to. Amazingly, I received a letter the next week! What did it have in it? My Austudy reporting dates for the next six fortnights. "**** them in their stupid asses" I thought to myself. I'd just not report after the finish date I gave them and I'll wait another three months before getting another three letters from them. But this wasn't the case. My last payment from them didn't come through, and shortly later I received another letter from Centrelink. It stated: "due to your age you are now ineligeble for Austudy payments". WTF? Since when did turning 24-years-and-33 weeks-old give cause for termination of dole payments? At least it was just my final payment. The letter offered me the chance to make a claim for my last payment at my local Centrelink branch, but standing in line for 3.45 hours while the drunkard behind me defecates on the floor and the 15yo in front copulates with her 37yo partner (the drunk behind me) AND squirts out another kid ("woohoo, another $3k to spend on rollies and Dada clothing") somehow didn't seem appealing to me as it sounds when I write this now.

Enough about Centrelink, I'm happy I've made the switch from being funded by to paying taxes for them again. It's less stuffing around.

[Daymoe]

My Dad is a FISO at Centrelink, i'll see what he has to say:

Here is the relevant section of the Social Security Guide that Dad says may assist you.

3.2.5.80 YA - Self-supporting through Paid Employment
Paid employment category

A young person is considered independent for YA purposes, if they have supported themselves through paid work consisting of:

1) employment of at least 30 hours per week (i.e. full-time employment) for at least 18 months during any period of 2 years, OR

2) employment of at least 15 hours per week (i.e. part-time employment) for at least 2 years since the person last left secondary school, OR

3) employment within an 18 month period with cumulative earnings totalling at least 75% of the appropriate maximum National Training Wage Award rate (1.1.N.12).

Note: In relation to criterion 3:

* the appropriate National Training Wage Award rate is the rate that applied when the period/s of employment began, and
* a period of 18 months must have elapsed since the young person last left school, and
* the employment period/s must have occurred since the person last left school.



Examples: The following examples illustrate where independence will and will not be established under the ‘self-supporting through paid employment' category.



Example 1: Michael worked full-time as a sales assistant for 6 months after leaving secondary study, then went overseas for a 6-month holiday. On his return, he went back to full-time work for 12 months. Michael meets the self-supporting independence criterion 1.



Example 2: Royce, 19, left secondary school in 1995 and worked as a retail food employee for 18 months until the business closed down and he became unemployed. For his first 6 months of work, he was a casual/part-time employee for 18 hours per week, and earned, on average, $7.56 an hour. He then worked full-time and was paid $279.40 per week. Royce has earned more than $12,987 (75% of the maximum National Training Wage Award rate in 1995) so he would qualify as independent under independence criterion 3.



Example 3: Lucy worked as a food sales assistant while at secondary school on a part-time basis for 12 hours per week. On leaving school in November 1997, she started work full-time as a trainee fashion designer and has been doing this for 12 months. The 18-month period for independence criterion 3 starts from the date that Lucy starts working after leaving secondary school.

Lucy would not meet any of the 3 self-support criteria as:

* her part-time employment was less than 15 hours per week and was undertaken while she was at secondary school so can not be used for criteria 1, 2 or 3,
* she has not yet worked on a full-time basis for 18 months, so does not meet independence criterion 1, and
* Lucy left school and started working in November 1997, and she needs to earn $13,767. Lucy has not earned this amount and does not qualify for independence under criterion 3.



Example 4: Darren left school a year ago and earned $16,000 over several periods of employment in that year. Darren can be assessed as independent under self-supporting independence criterion 3 when 18 months has elapsed since he last left secondary school.



Example 5: Marie left school in November 1997, and received NSA for 2 years (maintained under grand-fathering provisions when YA was introduced 1 July 1998). Over the last 12 months she has worked full-time with earnings of $14,000 for that period. She was made redundant and claimed YA as a full-time student. Marie is independent under the self-supporting independence criterion 3 as:

* she last left school over 18 months ago, and
* during an 18 month period (12 months working and 6 months on YA) her earnings of $14,000 were greater than 75% of the National Training Wage Award rate that applied when she started work.



Example 6: Ian left school in November 2002 and was getting YA until he got a job in May 2005, earning $17,700 over 6 months. He decided to reduce his hours to part-time so he could start studying full-time. Ian is eligible for YA as an independent student because:

* the National Training Wage Award rate for 3 July 2004 to 2 July 2005 is $22,828,
* he has earned more than $17,700 (i.e. more than 75% ($17,121) of the National Training Wage Award rate) during an 18 month period since leaving school, and
* he left school 2 years before.



Example 7: Jack, 22, finished secondary school in 2000 and worked part-time as a telemarketer for 18 hours each week for a period of 16 months. Jack went overseas for a 3-month holiday and on his return Jack picked up part-time work as a gardener and has been working 20 hours each week for a period of 8.5 months. Jack is independent under criterion 2 as:

* Jack last left secondary school more than 2 years ago, and
* has worked more than 15 hours per week for at least 2 years.

If you don't fit into the self supporting criteria then look at the qualifications for living away from home criteria as per hereunder.
3.2.6.10 Qualification for Away from Home Rate of YA
What is the away from home rate of YA?

The away from home rate of YA is a higher rate of YA payable to some recipients who need to live away from home to undertake an approved activity for a set period of time. Young people who maintain their residence away from the family home during a period of absence, while still fulfilling the activity test as a job seeker, new apprentice or a full-time student, continue to qualify for the away from home rate of YA.


Qualification (1.1.Q.10) for dependent young people

YA can be paid at the away from home rate for dependent young people who:

* need to live away from home to undertake approved activities to enhance employment prospects, OR
* are more likely to get employment (section 10A(2)-'employment') if they live away from home (NOT including full-time students), OR
* need to live away from home in order to undertake their new apprenticeship, OR
* need to live away from home to study full-time.



A higher away from home rate also applies for dependent young people who are long term unemployed. That is:

* 21 years or older, AND
* long term unemployed, AND
* undertaking full-time study in a course of at least 12 months, AND
* approved to live away from home.



To get the away from home rate, a dependent young person must demonstrate that they can undertake the approved activity only (or more productively) in a region that requires them to live away from home.


Qualification for independent young people

YA can be paid at the away from home rate for some independent young people who:

* live away from the parental home (1.1.P.20) (regardless of their reason), OR
* are single and living with their parents (section 5(1)-'parent') but have been partnered or have had a dependent YA child (1.1.D.90), either natural or adoptive, OR
* are in state care (1.1.S.320), but not being supported by the State/Territory, either by means of direct payments to themselves or indirect payments to other people or organisations.


Who CANNOT receive the away from home rate?

Not all young people living away from the parental home can qualify for the away from home rate. It is NOT sufficient for the young person to choose to live away from home, or for the parent to choose not to support the young person.

Example: A young person might choose to live away from home either for study, job search, general preference or because their parents move to a new location.



YA recipients in the following circumstances do NOT qualify for the away from home rate:

* a dependent YA recipient who lives away from home because they need to for reasons other than approved employment, study or training, AND
* a dependent YA recipient who is living in the parental home, AND
* an independent YA recipient who is taken to be an accommodated independent person (1.1.A.10), AND
* young people in state care who receive, or attract for their carer, a State or Territory payment for their upkeep.



Policy reference: SS Guide 3.2.6.20 Rules that Determine the Need to Live Away from Home for YA

__________________________________________________ _____

Last reviewed: 3 July 2006

3.2.6.20 Rules that Determine the Need to Live Away from Home for YA
Away from home rate for dependent job seekers

Job seekers may also be eligible for the away from home rate of YA, if they can demonstrate the move will increase their prospects of finding work. To be eligible for the away from home rate AT LEAST ONE of the following criteria must be met:

* travelling time is excessive (1.1.E.150), OR
* the parental home is an inadequate place for job search, OR
* the young person has a disability and the parental home is isolated from required special facilities.


Away from home rate for new apprentices

New apprentices may be eligible for the away from home rate of YA if they can demonstrate that they need to live away from the parental home in order to undertake a new apprenticeship.


Approval to live away from home - secondary students

In order to approve a young person to live away from home, AT LEAST ONE of the following conditions would need to exist:

* travelling time is excessive (1.1.E.150), OR
* parents move their principal home (section 11A(1)) frequently, OR
* the parental home (1.1.P.20) is isolated, OR
* for full-time students, the parental home is an inadequate place to study, OR
* the young person has a disability and the parental home is isolated from required special facilities, OR
* parents move out of the area (year 11 and 12 students), OR
* an equivalent activity is not available locally.



Each of these points is explained in the rest of this topic.



In some cases, secondary students may choose to bypass local schools to attend another of their choice that is not in their local area. Secondary students cannot bypass local schools out of choice. If the local area provides reasonable access to an appropriate government school, then the young person would NOT be approved to live away from home.

Note: All geographically isolated students eligible for AIC payment are eligible for the away from home rate of YA on turning 16 (provided they qualify for YA).



Policy reference: SS Guide 3.2.6.40 Away from Home Rate of YA & Bypassing Local Schools


Approval to live away from home - tertiary students

There are separate conditions that apply ONLY to full-time tertiary students. They can be approved for the away from home rate if:

* travelling time is excessive (1.1.E.150), OR
* they choose to study at an institution away from the parental home, OR
* there is a compulsory requirement to reside at the institution while studying, OR
* they are undertaking part of their Australian approved course at an overseas institution.


Parents move principal home frequently

If the parents move home at least 5 times a year but NOT in the same geographic area, the young person may live away from home to maintain continuity of schooling. If the parents move back to the area where the young person is living, the away from home rate would NOT be payable for that period.


Parental home is isolated

The parental home is isolated if it is:

* 56 kms or more from an appropriate government school,
* 90 minutes travelling time one way, OR
* isolated because of impassable roads for 20 school days in a year.



If the family would be eligible for assistance under the AIC Scheme, then away from home rate would generally be payable to a young person living away from the parental home, without the provision of reasons.


Parental home is inadequate for study & undertaking job search activities

The parental home may be inadequate for study or job search activities if ONE of the following situations exists:

* overcrowding of the parental home which means the young person lacks the physical facilities and privacy (not meaning the young person requires a room for themself) required for study or job search, OR
* conflict between the parents or between the student and parents involving alcoholism and assault, or chronic illness in the family.



This does NOT extend to minor difficulties of a kind normally encountered in a family.


Young person has a disability & parental home is isolated

If the young person has a disability, and the parental home is isolated, they may need to live away from home to:

* board at a special institution for people with disabilities, OR
* access special facilities or regular medical treatment which would otherwise involve excessive travelling time, OR
* avoid the effects of lengthy daily travel.


Parents move out of the area (year 11 & 12)

If the parents move out of the area while the young person is in year 11 or 12, their continuity of studies would be interrupted by moving with the parents. In this case, they qualify for the away from home rate if they would meet the excess travelling time provisions in relation to the new principal family home and their current school. In most cases a young person would be expected to move with their parents, however situations arise where this provision could be applied.



Example: A young person with a learning disability may be progressing well in their current school and may suffer significant disruption if they had to move to a new school part way through their final studies.



Other young people, who are not full-time students, may choose to remain in the local area because of better employment and training opportunities than to move to a lower opportunity area with their parents.


Equivalent activity is not available locally

This applies ONLY to secondary students, and means the student is unable to study or attend training courses locally because:

* an equivalent course is not available locally, OR
* a student's academic needs are not met by local education facilities, OR
* there is no local facility.

Example: The local school does not offer a year 12 course.



Approval for away from home rate under this category should only be given where excessive travelling time is involved.



In deciding if 2 courses are equivalent, the following must be taken into account:

* course content, AND
* length of the course, AND
* level of the course, AND
* when it is offered.



Tertiary students are NOT subject to the same rules about where they study - their choices of course and institution will be accepted.

__________________________________________________ _____

Last reviewed: 2 January 2007

There you go.