• Youth Allowance (YA) is paid to:
  • 16-24 year-olds who are:
    • full-time students or
    • Australian Apprentices
  • 16-20 year-olds who are unemployed.
• Getting YA depends upon:
  • your age
  • whether you are a full-time or part-time student
  • whether you are unemployed
  • where and with whom you are living.
• In some cases, a full-time student aged 25 or over may get YA.

• Unemployed people aged 21 or over can claim Newstart Allowance.

• If you are 15, you may be eligible for YA if you are:
  • above school leaving age in your state or territory, and
  • considered independent.
• If you are 15, you may be eligible for Special Benefit if you are not supported by a parent or guardian.
  

• If you are 15, you may be eligible for YA if you are:
  • • above school leaving age in your state or territory, and
    • considered independent.
• The rules about independence and 15 year-olds are complex.
• Contact your local Welfare Rights Centre for more information.
• If you are 15, you may be eligible for Special Benefit.

• If you are assessed as “dependent”:
  • your parent’s or guardian’s income and assets will affect your payment.
• If you are assessed as “independent”:
  • your parent’s or guardian’s income and assets will not affect your payment

• A range of situations can mean that you are independent.
  • In 2012, full-time students will be considered “independent” at 22.
• The rules are complex.
  • • Get advice from your local Welfare Rights Centre.
• Factors which show that you are independent include:
  • • you are unemployed and at least 21
    • you are a full-time student and at least 24
    • it is “unreasonable” for you to live at home
    • you have a work history
    • you have a partial capacity to work
    • you are married
    • you have been a member of a couple for at least 12 months
    • or, in special circumstances, you have been a member of a couple for at least 6 months
    • you have a child
    • both your parents are dead and you have not been legally adopted
    • your parent(s):
      • are in prison or remanded in custody for at least 14 days
      • are in a nursing home and likely to remain for an indefinite period
      • are mentally incapacitated and likely to remain so for an indefinite period
      • are missing
    • you are a refugee without a parent living in Australia and you are not substantially dependent on another person on a long-term basis
    • you are a “disadvantaged young person” who is over 18
      • Contact your local Welfare Rights Centre for more information.
    • you are in the legal guardianship of a State or Territory and not living with your parents or receiving a payment from them for your upkeep.

• The “at home” rate is less than the “away from home” rate.
• If you are paid at the “away from home” rate, you will be entitled to Rent Assistance
• The reason you are living away from home has to be related to:
  • • education
    • training
    • an apprenticeship
    • increasing your chances of getting a job.
• There are special rules relating to study.
• For more information:
  • • Contact Centrelink
    • Contact your local Welfare Rights Centre.

• This is about a much more serious situation than the usual parent-teenager disagreements.
• It means that you cannot live with your parents or guardian because:
  • • of “extreme family breakdown” or other similar exceptional circumstances
      • This can include serious problems with any person that lives in the home or regularly visits.
    • there is a serious risk to your physical or mental well-being due to violence, sexual abuse or other similar unreasonable circumstances
    • your parents are unable to provide you with a home because they don’t have stable accommodation.

• You will need to talk to a Centrelink social worker about what is happening.
• Centrelink usually gets statements about your home situation from:
  • • you
    • your parents or guardian
    • someone else who knows about it.
• If you have reasons why you do not want the social worker to contact your parents, talk to him/her about this.

• The rules about this are very complex.
• You can be considered independent If you have:
  • • worked a certain number of hours and
    • earned a certain amount of income
• For further information:
  • • See Youth Allowance – am I independent?
    • Contact Centrelink
    • Contact your local Welfare Rights Centre

• Basically, this is about having a disability that prevents you from working 30 or more hours per week.
• Ask Centrelink or your local Welfare Rights Centre for more information.

• Tell Centrelink about any changes to your study programme.

• If you don’t tell Centrelink, you risk having a debt raised, or even prosecution.

• If you were not able to tell Centrelink and a debt is raised, you can appeal.

o The debt may be waived in some circumstances.

o Talk to your local Welfare Rights Centre.

• “Approved” courses are set out in the “Ministerial Determination of Education Institutions and Courses”.

o Ask Centrelink if your course is “approved”.

• If your course is not approved, you may still be able to get Youth Allowance, as long as you fulfil the activity test in another way.

• You must be studying or training to get Youth Allowance if:

o you are aged 15 to 21 and

o you haven’t finished year 12 or got Certificate Level II.

• Your study or training needs to:

o help you complete year 12 (or an equivalent level) or

o be part of your Employment Pathway Plan that includes full-time study or both study and other activities.

• If you are unable to study due to a temporary medical condition, you can get a “temporary medical exemption”.

o This lasts for up to 13 weeks.

• You may get an exemption from the requirement to study if:

o there is no training available

o you have special circumstances that make it unreasonable to require you to study

• Special circumstances making it unreasonable to require you to study include:

• homelessness

• problems with drugs or alcohol

• family breakdown

• other problems.

• If Centrelink does not consider your situation “special”, you can appeal.

o you don’t have the capacity to undertake the training

• for example, if you have a disability or a learning disability.

• There are rules about making “satisfactory progress” and time allowed to complete your studies.

• You may be able to get an extension of the allowed time if there are circumstances beyond your control.

• Tell Centrelink about what is happening with your studies.

o If you don’t, you risk a debt and even prosecution.

• Generally, no.

• There are some situations where you would have to.

• The rules are complex.

o Talk to:

• Centrelink
• Your local Welfare Rights Centre.

• You can appeal.

• On this site: Young People – Youth Allowance

• On this site: Participation Failures and Penalties

• Factsheet: Youth Allowance: Am I independent?

• Contact your local Welfare Rights Centre

• Contact Centrelink