Improving School Enrolment and Attendance through Welfare Reform Measure (SEAM)

The 2010 Evaluation of SEAM in the Northern Territory and Queensland has been released and it shows that the trial is having a positive effect on children’s school enrolment and attendance.

• 2010 Evaluation of SEAM Report (PDF 1.35MB | DOCX 506KB)

SEAM is an Australian Government initiative to encourage parents (or those with responsibility for a child) to ensure that their children of compulsory school age are enrolled in school and attending school regularly.

SEAM helps identify enrolment and attendance problems and puts in place assistance, such as the offer of Centrelink social work support, to fix these problems. As a last resort, SEAM uses the possible suspension of income support payments to encourage responsible parental or carer action. If income support payments are suspended and subsequently the child returns to school on a regular basis within 13 weeks, the income support payments are reinstated with backpay.

Other payments such as Family Tax Benefit, Child Care Benefit, Carer’s Allowance and Mobility Allowance will remain payable to parents during any suspension period. 

The SEAM trial was announced in the 2008-09 Budget, and forms part of the broader Welfare Payments Reform initiative.

The Australian Government is committed to improving education outcomes for children and SEAM has been introduced to see whether the potential suspension of income support payments can be an effective incentive to improve school enrolment and attendance.

The SEAM trial is designed to complement State and Territory programs already in place to improve enrolment and attendance.

For further information on SEAM select the following links:

• General Information
• Information for parents
• Information for schools and principals
• Contact

General Information

Who does SEAM apply to?

To be ‘in-scope’ for the SEAM Trial, a parent or guardian of a school aged child must be:

• Living in a SEAM trial location
  
• Receiving or claiming a income support payment (‘schooling requirement payments’) (see What types of income support payments are subject to SEAM? for details of payments included); and 
• Have at least 14 per cent care of a child of compulsory school age.
  

Where are the SEAM trial locations?

SEAM trials have been underway in six Northern Territory communities (including 14 schools) since January 2009 (Term 1) and in selected Queensland locations (including 30 schools) since October 2009 (Term 4).

The Northern Territory sites are:

Queensland trial locations include four suburbs within the Logan area of Brisbane and two remote area sites. The sites are:

What types of income support payments are subject to SEAM?

A parent must be in receipt of a relevant income support payment ('schooling requirement payment' as defined in the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999) as listed in Table 1 below to be subject to SEAM.

Table: Income support payment ('schooling requirement payment' as defined in the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999) subject to SEAM

How does SEAM encourage enrolment?

Parents who live in trial locations and receive a relevant income support payment must show Centrelink that their child is enrolled at school.

Parents who are identified as having children of compulsory school age, and whose details are not confirmed with the relevant education authorities, are sent an enrolment notice, giving them 14 days to provide information about their child’s enrolment to Centrelink.

If the parent has a reasonable excuse as to why the child is not enrolled, Centrelink may give the parent extra time to sort this out.

If the parent does not provide the information and has no reasonable excuse or special circumstances, Centrelink must suspend the parent’s income support payment until it can be confirmed that the child is enrolled at school.

How does SEAM encourage attendance?

Parents who live in a trial location, have at least 14 per cent care of a child of compulsory school age, are in receipt of a relevant income support payment and have a child that attends a school participating in the SEAM trial, must take reasonable steps to ensure their children are regularly attending school.

Where a child is not attending school regularly and the parent is not taking reasonable steps to ensure their child attends school, the relevant education authority or school will inform Centrelink. Centrelink then sends an attendance notice to the parent warning them that they have 28 days to take reasonable steps to improve the school attendance of their child.

During this time, Centrelink will offer social worker support to assist the parent in addressing the attendance problem, but if it continues and the parent does not have a reasonable excuse and special circumstances do not apply, Centrelink must suspend the parent’s income support payment until the parent can demonstrate that they are taking reasonable steps to ensure that their child is attending school or their child returns to school.

Information for parents

• SEAM Fact Sheet ( PDF 26KB | RTF 111KB)

Compulsory schooling

In each state and territory, the law requires parents to ensure their compulsory school aged child is enrolled at school, and attends school for the educational program on every school day. It is important that a child attends school every day as it gives them the best start in life to create a better future for themselves and for the nation. Evidence shows that the early years of education of a child’s life have a profound impact on their future health, development, learning and wellbeing.

When children get the support they need, they are more likely to complete high school, get a job, stay healthy, enjoy stable relationships and become informed parents.

The Government recognises the importance of children’s parents and carers, a safe and supportive home environment and supportive relationships with other adults such as teachers in ensuring children attend and are engaged in school each and every day.

How does SEAM help parents get their children to school?

SEAM helps identify problems with a child’s enrolment and attendance and puts in place assistance for families, such as the offer of support from Centrelink social workers, to fix these problems.

Parents who are affected by SEAM can request access to a Centrelink social worker at any time. 

Centrelink social workers will refer parents to appropriate services to assist them to manage any barriers affecting their ability to meet their responsibilities to have their child enrolled and attending school.

If your child is enrolled for 2012 in a timely manner and is going to school regularly, that is Monday to Friday during the school term; you will not be affected by SEAM.

If my payment is suspended, can I get my money back?

Where a parent's income support payment is restored after being suspended for less than 13 weeks in total, arrears will be paid for the whole of the suspension period. After 13 consecutive weeks of suspension, Centrelink must review the parent’s circumstances to determine whether it is appropriate to cancel the payment. If a parent has been suspended under SEAM for a continuous period of 13 weeks, their income support payment may be cancelled. When a parent complies with the SEAM requirements, their payments will re-commence.

Other payments such as Family Tax Benefit, Child Care Benefit, Carer’s Allowance and Mobility Allowance will remain payable to parents during any suspension period.

Information for schools and principals

What is the role of the school?

Schools or education authorities will identify a parent who is failing to make appropriate efforts to ensure their child is attending school, engage the parent regarding the attendance issues, monitor the attendance of the child and communicate the progress to Centrelink.

What do education authorities have to do?

Education authorities may be asked by Centrelink to verify enrolment information.

Education authorities already monitor children's attendance at school and have processes in place to deal with non-attendance issues. If attempts to resolve the issue are unsuccessful, the education authority will consider whether a referral to Centrelink under SEAM would be beneficial.

Under the SEAM legislation, the education authority must be satisfied that the parent is failing to take reasonable steps to ensure that their child is attending school. If they are not satisfied, then the parent may have their income support payment suspended.

Is home schooling covered under SEAM?

The definitions of both enrolment and attendance at school extend to include alternatives to conventional schooling that are acceptable under state or territory laws.

The enrolment component of SEAM applies irrespective of the location of the school at which the child is enrolled. Parents who have enrolled their children in non-conventional schooling, including home schooling may be required to provide evidence of approval for non-conventional arrangements from the State or Territory education authority.

The attendance component applies only where the child is enrolled in a school that is a participating SEAM school.

Contact

For further information please contact your local Centrelink Office, or phone the Centrelink Family Assistance Office on 13 6150 or the Indigenous Call Centre on 13 6380.

Alternatively, email: seam.policy@deewr.gov.au.