Changes to Youth Allowance (Other)
Do you get Youth Allowance (Other) or think you might start claiming Youth Allowance (Other)? If the answer is yes, then you need to know Youth Allowance (Other) is changing and these changes may affect you.
From 1 July 2009, if you apply for and get Youth Allowance (Other) and you don’t have Year 12 or a Certificate II qualification, you will probably need to do further study or training. If you were already getting Youth Allowance before 1 July 2009, this will apply to you from 1 January 2010.
You will need to do 3 things to receive Youth Allowance (other)
1) Further study or training
You will usually have to do some study or training until you get Year 12 or a Certificate II qualification. Having this higher level of education will help when you are looking for a job.
2) Additional activities
If you are in full time study or training, you will not have to do extra activities. But if you are in part time study or training, you will have to do extra activities to be paid Youth Allowance (other). Extra activities can include things like part time work, volunteer work, or youth programs. The total number of hours you will usually need to do is 25 hours each week.
If you are not sure what to do, Job Services Australia will help you choose from a range of approved activities.
3) Agree on a written plan with Job Services Australia or Centrelink
Your Job Services Australia provider or Centrelink will work with you to set out your training and activities in a written plan. To continue to receive Youth Allowance (Other) you usually must meet with Job Services Australia or Centrelink each month, to talk about the plan and show that you are doing all your activities each week.
Your Job Services Australia provider will help make sure you can do your plan, and will also help you to change the plan if your situation changes. If you can’t do study or training, or 25 hours a week of activities, then you need to tell Centrelink or your Job Services Australia provider and they will work things out with you.
Centrelink and Job Services Australia will help you work out the right mix of study and activities. Talk to your Job Services Australia provider if you need more information, or call Centrelink on 13 2490.
If you can’t do 25 hours a week of activity straight away, or you can’t study straight away Year 12 or a Certificate II, Centrelink or Job Services Australia will help work out what is right for you.
For example, you might need to do some training in reading and writing first or you may need help to sort out some personal issues and might need to do a youth program.
If you have a disability, you might go straight to a disability services provider and you won’t need to do any study or training if that is not right for you.
There are quite a few situations where you might not be able to do 25 hours a week of activities including study or training. Centrelink will help work all this out for you when you start getting Youth Allowance.
You must stick to the plan
If you do have a written plan with Centrelink or Job Services Australia that says you need to do a certain number of hours a week of activities (usually 25 hours a week), then you must stick to the plan.
If you don’t, and you don’t have a good reason, you might lose some of your Youth Allowance payment.
If you have Year 12 or a Certificate II qualification
If you do have Year 12 or Certificate II qualification, then these changes do not apply to you, but you will need to provide evidence of your qualification to Centrelink within 28 days of claiming Youth Allowance. If you do not provide this information, Centrelink may decide that you may need to do 25 hours a week of activities to keep receiving Youth Allowance payments.
If you are in full time study or training, then you will probably be eligible for Youth Allowance (Student) and these changes do not apply to you.
Once you do get a Year 12 or a Certificate II qualification under the new rules for Youth Allowance, you can decide to start looking for a job or consider doing further full time study on Youth Allowance (student).
If you need more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions, find more detail on the Centrelink website or ring Centrelink on 13 2490.