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Wollongong Undergraduate Students' Association |
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Wollongong Undergraduate Students' Association |
Outlined below is some information regarding Youth Allowance, Newstart and Austudy taken directly from the Centrelink website. You can contact Centrelink via the website at: http://www.centrelink.gov.au/ or phone:
Youth Allowance : 132 490
Newstart : 132 850
Austudy : 132 316
Centrelink Appointments : 131 021
NESB Service : 131 202
If you apply for Youth Allowance, you will be assessed to see if you are considered independent or not. If you are considered independent, parental income and a family actual means test will not be taken into account when working out how much you get paid. If you are considered dependent, a Parental Income Test and a Family Actual Means Test will be taken into account when working out how much you get paid.
You are considered independent if you are aged 16 or over and:
• have been out of school at least 18 months and earned at least $15 990 in an 18 month period before lodging a claim (this amount is 75 per cent of the Commonwealth Training Wage); or
• have worked to support yourself for at least 18 months, working full-time at least 30 hours a week during the preceding two years (or for a period or periods of 12 months if you are considered disadvantaged); or
• have worked part-time for at least 15 hours a week for at least two years since last leaving school; or
• are 25 or more and a full-time student (in special circumstances).
You are also considered independent if you are aged 15-24 and:
• are above school leaving age in your state or territory; and
• are a refugee, an orphan or it is unreasonable for you to live at home; or
• are in state care, or only stopped being in state care because of your age;
• have, or have had a dependent child;
• are or have been, married, including living in a marriage-like relationship for 12 months or more, or six months (in special circumstances);
• have parents who cannot exercise their responsibilities.
To qualify as independent on the grounds that you have been in a de facto or marriage-like relationship for at least 12 months, the 12 months must have been while you were over the age of consent in the state or territory you live in.
You qualify for Austudy payment if you are:
• over 25 years;
• doing an approved full-time course at an approved institution; and
• meet residence requirements
NB: Previous studies may affect whether you can qualify for this payment.
You are considered independent so there is no Parental Means Test, but you must meet a personal (and partner) income and assets tests.
Generally, secondary education courses, graduate courses (excluding most Masters and all Doctorates), undergraduate courses, associate diplomas and certain diplomas, and TAFE courses are approved for Austudy payment.
You may get Newstart Allowance if you:
• are aged 21 or over and under Age Pension age (65 for a man and between 62 and 65 for a woman, depending on the year she was born)
• are unemployed
• are prepared to enter into a Preparing for Work Agreement or Participation Agreement
• are an Australian resident, in Australia and not subject to the two year newly arrived residents waiting period
• are not involved in industrial action
• satisfy the income and assets test , and
• satisfy the Activity Test .
You qualify for ABSTUDY if you are an Indigenous person and you:
• were 14 years or more on 1 January and are studying at primary school
• are doing secondary school studies
• are studying full-time or part-time at a TAFE, university or tertiary institution
• are doing a distance education or correspondence course, or
• are studying for a Masters or Doctorate, and
• meet the basic eligibility requirements .
How much help you can get from ABSTUDY depends on:
• whether you are studying full-time or part-time
• what course you are studying;
• your age
• whether you need to live away from home
• whether you are dependent on your parents/guardians
• how much you and your partner or parents/guardians earn.
Rent Assistance is paid at a rate of 75 cents for each dollar of rent you pay above the relevant rent threshold, up to a maximum rate.
The maximum rates and rent thresholds vary, depending on your family circumstances, that is, whether you are single or partnered and the number of dependent children in the family. If you are single without children, the maximum rate also varies according to whether or not you share accommodation with others.
Rent thresholds and maximum rates are adjusted in line with the Consumer Price Index in March and September each year.
You qualify for Rent Assistance if you:
• receive a pension;
• receive more than the base rate of Family Tax Benefit if you have dependent children;
• receive an allowance or benefit if you don't have dependent children; and you:
- are over 25, or
- are partnered, or
- are under 25 (under 21 if you receive Disability Support Pension) and living permanently or indefinitely apart from parents or guardians; and
- meet residence requirements.
NB: You cannot get Rent Assistance if you get Austudy Payment.
These factors are to be used as a guide only. Contact Centrelink or visit your nearest Centrelink Customer Service Centre to find out what factors may affect your particular payment.
Your payment and the amount you are paid can be affected by things including:
• Income
• Assets
• whether you provide Centrelink with information such as Proof of Identity and your Tax File Number
• whether you are a member of a couple
• how many dependent children you have
• whether your Circumstances Change while you are getting a payment
• how much rent you pay and who you pay it to
• your age
• whether you live away from home
• if you live in a remote area
• when you arrived in Australia (newly arrived residents waiting period)
• whether you are paid under an international social security agreement
• any maintenance and child support you, your partner or your children receive
• any compensation payments you or your partner receive
• whether you need to Pay Tax on Your Payment from Centrelink
• your parents' income and assets (in some cases)
• if you go on holiday or move permanently Overseas
• if you go to jail
If you owe money to Centrelink or the Family Assistance Office, you will be sent an 'Account Payable' or a letter telling you why you owe the money, the amount owed, when the amount is due to be paid and how you can make the payment. Centrelink manages the recovery of amounts owed to the Family Assistance Office.
What if I cannot pay the amount in full by the due date?
If you are unable to pay the amount owing by the due date, contact Centrelink as soon as possible. They will be able to help you with advice on payment options.
Will this affect my payments from Centrelink or the Family Assistance Office?
If the amount owing is not paid by the due date, your payments from Centrelink or the Family Assistance Office may be reduced to help repay this amount. You may not be able to get advance payments until the amount owing is fully repaid.
Who can I contact to discuss deductions being made from my Centrelink or Family Assistance Office payment?
If you have any questions about your Centrelink or Family Assistance Office payment being reduced to help repay the amount owing, or you would like to discuss the amount being deducted, contact Centrelink
How can I make payments?
Mail: Cheques and money orders should be made payable to the Collector of Public Money, Centrelink. Please write your Centrelink Reference Number (CRN) and full name on the back of the cheque or money order and mail the payment to the address shown on your account or repayment letter.
Telephone: You can make payments via Australia Post's POSTbillpay service. To make a payment, telephone 13 1816. The Billpay code and your reference number can be found on your Account Payable letter or any Centrelink or Family Assistance Office letter that has payment options included. You may need to register with POSTbillpay before making a payment. To make a payment, telephone POSTbillpay on 13 1816.
In person: If you have an Account Payable letter, a letter from Centrelink or the Family Assistance Office with a bar-coded payment section at the bottom of the page or a Centrelink Repayment Card, you can make payments via Australia Post's POSTbillpay service at any Australian post office or postal outlet.
Online: You can make payments via Australia Post's POSTbillpay service. To make a payment, go to the POSTbillpay website .
The Billpay code and your reference number can be found on your Account Payable letter or any Centrelink or Family Assistance Office letter that has payment options included. You may need to register with POST billpay before making a payment. To make a payment, go to the POSTbillpay website .
What if I do not pay the amount I owe?
If you do not repay the amount owing and Centrelink has not agreed to extend the time for payment, other action may be taken including:
• referring your account to a private collection agency (Dun & Bradstreet)
• reducing your payments from Centrelink or Family Assistance Office to help repay the amount owing
• referring your case to our solicitors for legal action, and/or
• issuing a garnishee on your wages, your tax refund, other assets and income (including money you may hold in a bank account).
What are my rights?
For information about the privacy of your personal information and the range of review and appeal processes available, go to Your Rights on www.centrelink.gov.au
How do I avoid getting a debt?
To avoid getting an overpayment, make sure that you inform Centrelink of any changes in your income, living situation and other relevant details. Ignorance is never an excuse with Centrelink.
What is Mutual Obligation?
Mutual Obligation means that if you are receiving a Centrelink unemployment benefit, you are expected to actively look for work, accept suitable work offers and undertake extra activities to improve your chances of finding work.
Does Mutual Obligation affect me?
You must participate in extra activities like a program or training course to improve your chances of finding work if you are aged 18 - 49 years and have been getting Newstart Allowance or Youth Allowance for six months.
You are not affected by Mutual Obligation if you are:
• eligible for the Personal Support Programme
• in full-time education
• ill for an extended period
• required to care for another person or child
• living more than 90 minutes from an activity
• exempt from job search activities for other reasons.
How do I meet my Mutual Obligation responsibilities?
You can meet your Mutual Obligation requirements by participating in one, or a combination of:
• employment and community participation
• training , and
Some activities may have eligibility criteria, and not every activity is available in every location.
Generally, it is your responsibility to find and take part in one of the approved activities . Centrelink will help by discussing these options at your Preparing for Work interview and giving you information about local activities as well as helping you to participate in these activities.
What is Employment & Community Participation?
Part-time paid work: you must be doing at least 130 hours over 13 fortnights.
Work for the Dole: Work for the Dole placements cover a wide range of activities, such as heritage and/or history, the environment, community care, tourism, sport, providing community services and restoring and maintaining community services and facilities.
Work for the Dole services are managed by Community Work Coordinators and delivered through community or government organisations or agencies such as local government and community groups. Community Work Coordinators refer and support you in your Work for Dole activities.
You may be required to take part in Work for the Dole if you are:
• aged 18 or 19 years, recently completed Year 12, getting the full rate of Youth Allowance, and have been getting payments for three months or more, or
• aged 18 - 39 years, getting the full rate of Youth or Newstart Allowance, and have been getting payments for six months or more, or
• aged 40-49 years, in receipt of unemployment benefits for six months and participating in Mutual Obligation.
If you are aged 18 and over and getting the full or partial rate of Youth or Newstart Allowance, you can volunteer to participate in a Work for the Dole activity.
You get an extra $20.80 per fortnight. Protective clothing is provided by the project sponsor if it is needed and essential training, such as occupational health and safety training, is also provided.
Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP): Indigenous community organisations are funded by ATSIC to run CDEPs in urban, rural and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. CDEPs relate to each community's needs. Activities develop your work and employment skills. CDEPs also act as a stepping stone into the mainstream labour market.
Although participation requirements are set by project coordinators and may vary between projects, you will generally need to do five days per week for 6-12 months.
Community Work: You must do 200 hours in six months (if you are aged 18 - 20), 240 hours in six months (if you are aged 21 - 39) and 150 hours in six months (if you are aged 40 - 49).
Green Corps: You must do five days a week for six months. Green Corps is available for young people aged 17 - 20, and you will get a training allowance instead of Youth Allowance.
Relocation: You can choose to move to another area where you have more chance of finding a job or where your skills are in higher demand. This must be followed by 14 weeks of intensive job search.
What kinds of training are included?
Approved Language, Literacy and Numeracy Training: You must do six to 20 hours of activity a week for up to 400 hours, depending on your needs. In some cases, participation in approved Language, Literacy and Numeracy training may be compulsory.
Part-time study in an approved education or training course: you must have:
• For short courses (less than 16 weeks), 12 hours course contact a fortnight for the entire course and participation in another activity to make up 150, 200 or 240 hours of activity, depending on your age.
• For long courses (more than 16 weeks), 12 hours course contact a fortnight for the whole course (if less than one semester); or,12 hours course contact a fortnight for a full semester.
You must complete the unit of study.
You must complete the unit of study.
New Apprenticeships Access Program: The length of the course followed by intensive job search activity for a minimum of 17 weeks. You must complete the program.
Defence Force Reserve: You must do 200 hours in six months (if you are aged 18 - 20), 240 hours in six months (if you are aged 21 - 39) and 150 hours in six months (if you are aged 40 - 49).
What are Assistance Programs?
Jobs Pathway Programme: Maintain regular contact with the Jobs Pathway Programme provider for at least six months, with individual contact hours varying, depending on your needs (minimum contact of once per month).
Job Placement, Employment and Training: Maintain regular contact with the Job Placement, Employment and Training Provider for the length of the program (at least six months). The hours each fortnight can vary depending on your needs. You must complete the program.
Career Planning: this is available in most locations and involves two small-group sessions, each running for about two hours, with the option of two additional one-on-one sessions. It does not satisfy Mutual Obligation requirements.
Voluntary work/training courses: Centrelink has a large national register of approved not-for-profit community organisations you can contact about voluntary work.
What happens if I don't meet my Mutual Obligation responsibilities?
If you don't meet your Mutual Obligation requirement, you may have an Activity Test penalty. Even if you have a penalty, you must still meet your Mutual Obligation requirement.
Can I appeal if I get a penalty for not meeting my Mutual Obligation?
Yes, you always have the right to appeal any decision made by Centrelink.
What is a Health Care Card?
A Health Care Card entitles you to reduced cost medicines as well as a limited number of other concessions.
Do I qualify for a Health Care Card?
You can get a Health Care Card if you:
• get one of the following payments:
• Exceptional Circumstances Relief Payment
• Youth Allowance (only job seekers receive a card automatically, you need to apply as a low income earner if you are a full-time student)
• Parenting Payment (Partnered)
• maximum rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A
• Mobility Allowance (if you are not receiving Disability Support Pension )
• Carer Allowance (for a child under 16 years with a disability - the card is for the direct benefit of the child only).
• are a foster carer - issued in the name of the foster child in your care. You are also eligible if you are caring for children who are not your natural or adopted children, for example if you are a grandparent or aunty. You can claim the card with Family Tax Benefit or put in a separate claim, or
• are a low income earner - issued for six months at a time if you have an average weekly income below certain income limits in the eight weeks immediately before claiming (if you are a newly arrived migrant, it is only available after you have been in Australia for 104 weeks).
If you were previously getting one of the payments listed below continuously for more than 12 months, you can continue to receive a Health Care Card for six months after your payment is cancelled because you or your partner have started work:
• Parenting Payment (Single)
• Youth Allowance , or
• you participated in a Community Development Employment Project
How do I apply for a Health Care Card?
In most cases no separate claim is needed, it will simply be sent out to you when you claim one of the payments, allowances or benefits above. You will need to complete a separate claim form if you:
• get ABSTUDY (and are over 16 years)
• get Austudy or Youth Allowance (student) and your income was over the income limit when you first claimed one of these payments, or
• are a low income earner.
You can apply for a Health Care Card by calling Centrelink and asking for an application form to be posted to you or you can pick up a form from any Centrelink Office.
When will I receive a Health Care Card?
Your Health Care Card will be sent to you when you first claim one of the payments above.
A card will then be re-issued at different times throughout the year depending on what payment/s you receive from Centrelink at that time.
What benefits does the Health Care Card provide?
The card entitles you to reduced cost medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
As well as this, you may also be entitled to a limited number of extra concessions from state and local government authorities. Health Care Card concessions vary from state to state and some of these extra concessions are also available to your dependents. Concessions from state and local government authorities may include reductions in:
• health care costs including ambulance, dental care and eye care
• public transport costs
• water rates
• energy/electricity bills.
Can I get a Centrelink decision reviewed?
If you are affected by a decision made about your Centrelink entitlements, there are several steps you can take:
• Social Security Appeals Tribunal
• Administrative Appeals Tribunal
These services are all free of charge.
Contact Centrelink
If you're unhappy with a Centrelink decision, discuss it with the person who made the original decision at your local Centrelink Customer Service Centre.
This gives you and Centrelink a chance to correct misunderstandings, present new information or evidence and to get an incorrect decision changed immediately.
If you are not satisfied with any aspect of Centrelink's service, you may want to make a comment or a complaint. You can do this by:
• talking to a Customer Service Officer at a Customer Service Centre and ask them to record your comments on a Customer Feedback Sheet
• filling in a 'Tell Us What You Think' Factsheet
• calling Freecall™ 1800 050 004 to speak to one of our staff from the Centrelink Customer Relations Unit
What if I am still unhappy with the decision?
If you are still unhappy with a decision after discussing it with the person who made the original decision, you can request a review by an Authorised Review Officer at a Centrelink Customer Service Centre.
Authorised Review Officers are people who have had no previous involvement in the case. They look at disputed decisions and may set aside, vary or affirm a decision.
The Authorised Review Officer will:
• look at the information used by the person who made the original decision
• where possible, talk to you in person, or by phone, to discuss the matter
• check whether any new, relevant information is available
• clear up any misunderstandings
• correct any mistakes that were made
• review the original decision
• inform you of the result explaining the reasons for the decision.
If you still believe the decision is incorrect, you can then appeal to the Social Security Appeals Tribunal (SSAT). The SSAT, however, can only look at a decision if that decision has been reviewed by an Authorised Review Officer.
You should ask for a review of a decision within 13 weeks of receiving advice of the original decision. This is because if the review is decided in your favour, in some cases back payment can only be paid if the request is lodged within this 13 week period.
What is the Social Security Appeals Tribunal?
The Social Security Appeals Tribunal is an independent statutory tribunal established as the first tier of external review of social security payment and student assistance decisions.
It aims to provide a mechanism of review that is fair, just, economical, informal and quick. When reviewing a social security decision, the SSAT may affirm, vary or set aside a Centrelink decision. When it sets aside a decision, it substitutes a new decision or sends it back to Centrelink with directions or recommendations.
The SSAT is able to review a decision only if that decision has been reviewed by an Authorised Review Officer.
You can apply to the SSAT for a review of a decision by sending or delivering a written application to an office of the Tribunal, or any Centrelink Customer Service Centre. You can also make an application to the Tribunal over the phone or in person at the SSAT. Appeal forms are available from any Centrelink or SSAT office.
You can contact the SSAT in all States and Territories by writing to GPO Box 9943 in capital cities, or by telephoning Freecall™ 1800 011 140.
Applications are free of charge. The SSAT can pay reasonable travel and accommodation costs and will provide an interpreter when needed.
Social Security Appeals Tribunal members are drawn from varied backgrounds and include lawyers, social and community welfare workers, medical practitioners and people who have a background in social security matters. The Tribunal has offices in all capital cities and also visits regional centres from time to time.
Applications are heard by a panel of three or less members. In medical cases, there will usually be a member with medical expertise. Hearings are conducted in an informal manner. They are not like a court and it is not necessary to bring a lawyer. Hearings are in private, but applicants may bring someone with them who may also talk to the Tribunal.
After deciding on the appeal, the SSAT must write to you and Centrelink within 14 days, with its decision and reasons. Decisions made by the SSAT are binding. However, if either you or the Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS) consider the SSAT's decision to be incorrect, either may apply to the AAT for a further review of the decision.
If you are unhappy with the SSAT decision, you can have a review of the SSAT decision by applying to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).
What is the Administrative Appeals Tribunal?
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal is a more formal body than the SSAT. It is there to resolve disputes between people and government agencies. The AAT can review decisions of the SSAT. Appeals to the AAT must be lodged in writing within 28 days of receiving a decision from the SSAT, although a late appeal might still be accepted.
Forms on which an appeal may be lodged are available from the AAT Registry in each State (GPO Box 9955 in each capital city). There is no charge for lodging an appeal in the AAT and the AAT will not award costs in social security matters.
After you have lodged an appeal to the AAT, Centrelink on FaCS' behalf, is required to lodge with the AAT a statement of reasons for the decision, including all relevant Centrelink documents. You will receive a copy of that statement.
The AAT will then hold a conference at which you, or your representative can meet with a Centrelink representative. At this conference, the Tribunal will seek to clarify the issues and, if possible, resolve the matter to the satisfaction of both parties. The Tribunal will give each party the opportunity to present evidence and argue its case in an open hearing.
Decisions made by the AAT are binding on the parties. Either party can appeal a decision of the AAT to the Federal Court, but only on a question of law.
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