NATIONALS senator Fiona Nash wants the government to change the youth allowance test for determining if someone has worked enough to deem them "independent".
She said a strict application of the guidelines had disqualified some students from regional areas for whom the parliament had changed the laws to give extra flexibility.
She asked Tertiary Education Minister Chris Evans to get his department to review the appropriateness of the formula before a guide on applying for youth allowance is updated on September 5.
The guide says students meet the independence test if they have worked in a full-time job for at least 30 hours a week over 18 months.
But if they did not consistently get work of 30 hours a week, as may be the case with a casual job, their time worked can be averaged over periods of 13 weeks.
"There are many cases that have been brought to my attention in which students don't qualify for independent youth allowance because their hours fall just short for one or two of the 13-week blocks despite meeting or exceeding the average 30 hour a week requirement over the 18-month period," Senator Nash said.
"It is not fair to deny these students assistance when they have clearly and genuinely sought to meet the criteria."
She said the formulas for the averaging of hours were determined by the department and so could be changed without needing new legislation.
Ms Nash also asked Senator Evans that any changes to the formula be applied retrospectively to when the work criteria was introduced.
Thursday, August 25, 2011 5:22 PM
Hi Fiona
I know you are working hard for changes to Youth allowance.
Would these changes assist the forgotten 2009 Yr 12 / 2010 gap year students. Our family is waiting anxiously for the report by the Professor to be tabled. Could you please explain on your blog what we can expect to happen from here and the timelines. I do not think the Govt has any idea of the stupidity of the lines on the map and they really don't care.
Friday, August 26, 2011 10:25 AM
Hi Fiona,
This is what the Centrelink eligblity criteria for the YA Independence Test
should state:
"Independence for students from inner regional, outer regional, remote and very remote areas
Students from inner regional, outer regional, remote and very remote areas can be assessed as independent if, since leaving secondary school, they have:
• earned at least 75% of the maximum rate of pay under Wage Level A of the Australian pay and classifications scale in an 18-month period since leaving secondary school, or
• worked part-time (at least 15 hours each week) for at least 2 years since leaving secondary school.
To be assessed as independent under these arrangements, you must be a full-time student and need to move away from home to study because your parents home is in an area considered to be inner regional, outer regional, remote or very remote."
Sunday, August 28, 2011 10:13 AM
Thanks for all your hard work, but this will not help us. My daughter applied for more then 40 jobs to be offered only one. A 12 month traineership, 30 hours a week - that finished in Feb. She move away for uni and has applied for jobs once again, was offered one - but the organisation (David Jones) was unwilling to work with her uni time table. As I have said before we are also raising a child with a disability - who's hourly rate will be $4.00, that's if she gets a job, she will needs housing as we don't want her in a group home and rely on government housing, she will need on going care throughout adulthood - the lists go on. Why doesn't our government take into account the financial hardship of raising a child with a disability. Who do they think will care for her when my husband and I can't. We live in inner rural Australia, we are not asking for a handout what we need is a fair go! I have written letters to our MP's but they give me a standard reply of no help is available.