new centrelink reforms (1 Viewer)

[pete_finlay]

so im going back to uni next year, and centrelink/youth allowance has just been reformed in the budget


i am 22 now - going back to uni next year full time

they are lowering the age of independence from 25 years to 22 years. does this mean i will automatically qualify as independent and therefore receive the higher youth allowance rates? i fail to see how this is a saving of money like it is being advertised as?


also, if not, i am currently working f/t and have been since january this year - i plan on returning to uni semester 2 next year, so that would give me 18 months of full time work in the last 2 years to qualify as independent. my question is, if i take a 2 month holiday in march and april, will this mean they will only say i have worked 16 months, even thouhg i am still employed/on the books during the time?



also, i have been working since i finished school, and have earnt 20k in an 18 month period already. how do i prove this? do i need to produce group certificates etc? my issue is that group certificates are for 12 month blocks obviously, and i dont have seperate payslips to show the continuous next 6 months. this was also back in 2005-2006 that i held the same job for 2 years that i reached this. would that still be considered valid?



thanks

 

[S.H.O.D.A.N.]

Seriously? Lowering it to 22? Hallelujah!

 

[izzy88]

so im going back to uni next year, and centrelink/youth allowance has just been reformed in the budget


they are lowering the age of independence from 25 years to 22 years

really??! is this actually going to happen??!!! amazing! although unfortunately i'm only 20 and they'll probably have changed it again by the time i get there.

edit: yay- in the Australian (high education sup), brilliant!

 

[Trentyboi]

Did they change the amount of money required to be classes as an independent?

 

[izzy88]

Did they change the amount of money required to be classes as an independent?

yes... they got rid of it apparently!! :burn:the 18,000 in 18 months is out. its now working part time or full time for a certain period...

 

[44Ronin]

I was deemed independent when I was 17...

 

[squiresshane990]

i was got YA since i was 16 cos i was poor lol

then i got a fucking job and moved out at 18 you leeches

 

[darkwolfzx]

Source please?

 

[squiresshane990]

oh its um somewhere towards the back

 

[izzy88]

Source please?

well this is the article in the Australian which lowers the independence age to 22.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,25470915-12149,00.html

and for removing the 18month thing:
quoting from government page: (about a quarter of the way down):

"An Innovation and Higher Education System for the 21st Century — Student Income Support — Youth Allowance workforce participation criteria


Expense ($m)
2008‑09 2009‑10 2010‑11 2011‑12 2012‑13 Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations - -132.7 -552.2 -561.8 -573.1 The Government will tighten the workforce participation criteria for establishing independence under Youth Allowance by removing the following two eligibility criteria:

• the criterion that the recipient worked part‑time for at least 15 hours per week for two years or more since leaving school; and
• the criterion that the recipient earned, in an 18‑month period since leaving school, an amount equivalent to 75 per cent of the maximum rate of pay under Wage Level A of the Australian Pay and Classification Scale generally applicable to trainees (in 2009 this requires earnings of $19,532).

These changes will apply from 1 January 2010 and will not apply to students who have already satisfied the workforce participation criteria and are already independent.
The measure will provide savings of $1,819.9 million over four years, which will be redirected to help fund other improvements to student income support."



so what does that leave left??? working full time for 18 months and being 22 for independence?...

edit: and lowering the age is only happening incrementally- (same government link as above)
"The Government will provide $98.7 million over four years to progressively reduce the Youth Allowance age of independence for students from 25 years to 22 years.

The age of independence will be reduced from 25 years in 2009 to 24 years in 2010, 23 years in 2011 and 22 years from 2012. Independent students are not subject to the parental income and assets test.

This measure, as part of the income support package, will help better target student income support to those most in need, including students from low socio‑economic backgrounds and other disadvantaged groups. "

 

[arcticfox]

There's more than just the 25-22 drop in age for independence.

1. Households will be able to earn up to ~42k (up from 32k) before YA payments start to fall
2. Recipients will be able to work $400 (up from $240?) a fortnight before payments are affected

Source: The Age.

 

[Trentyboi]

So if I work casual (for over 15 hours) a week over the time period for full time or casual, I still can't qualify for YA?

Looks like it just became impossible for me to get YA. Oh well, I don't mind continuing working as much as I am in my job.

My supervisor has one part time staff, out of 60+ and he's like nearly 40 with no life.

 

[darkwolfzx]

well this is the article in the Australian which lowers the independence age to 22.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,25470915-12149,00.html

and for removing the 18month thing:
quoting from government page: (about a quarter of the way down):

"An Innovation and Higher Education System for the 21st Century — Student Income Support — Youth Allowance workforce participation criteria


Expense ($m)
2008‑09 2009‑10 2010‑11 2011‑12 2012‑13 Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations - -132.7 -552.2 -561.8 -573.1 The Government will tighten the workforce participation criteria for establishing independence under Youth Allowance by removing the following two eligibility criteria:

• the criterion that the recipient worked part‑time for at least 15 hours per week for two years or more since leaving school; and
• the criterion that the recipient earned, in an 18‑month period since leaving school, an amount equivalent to 75 per cent of the maximum rate of pay under Wage Level A of the Australian Pay and Classification Scale generally applicable to trainees (in 2009 this requires earnings of $19,532).

These changes will apply from 1 January 2010 and will not apply to students who have already satisfied the workforce participation criteria and are already independent.
The measure will provide savings of $1,819.9 million over four years, which will be redirected to help fund other improvements to student income support."



so what does that leave left??? working full time for 18 months and being 22 for independence?...

edit: and lowering the age is only happening incrementally- (same government link as above)
"The Government will provide $98.7 million over four years to progressively reduce the Youth Allowance age of independence for students from 25 years to 22 years.

The age of independence will be reduced from 25 years in 2009 to 24 years in 2010, 23 years in 2011 and 22 years from 2012. Independent students are not subject to the parental income and assets test.

This measure, as part of the income support package, will help better target student income support to those most in need, including students from low socio‑economic backgrounds and other disadvantaged groups. "

Thanks for the source, this certainly means people who take a gap year for the purpose of getting through the independence loophole are going to be sorely disappointed.

 

[blue_chameleon]

Thanks for the source, this certainly means people who take a gap year for the purpose of getting through the independence loophole are going to be sorely disappointed.

More pressure on "working families" to assist funding a university education for their children?

 

[darkwolfzx]

regrettably, it would seem so

 

[Domm]

From the horse's mouth: 2009–10 Commonwealth Budget - Education Overview - Providing assistance where needed

It will come into effect 1 Jan but it's very good news.

There will be a payment of about 2200 for students on income support and more (much more in fact) if you are moving away from home or living away from home.

The age of independence from 25 to 22 will not be implemented by 2012 (there's another federal election before then, but then the way Krudd's going at the moment there could be one next week as well) but it's still good news in that the parental means test amount is raised and you can earn more in your part time job.

 

[Trentyboi]

Is the living away from home scheme still the same?

Like, you have to have moved a certain distance and the like. What about rent assistance?

 

[izzy88]

http://www.budget.gov.au/2009-10/content/glossy/education/html/education_overview_08.htm

It will come into effect 1 Jan but it's very good news.

its great news for those already on youth allowance but i'm not sure how its great news for those who aren't.

They've taken away the most accessible method of proving independence- either 18,000 in 18months or 15 hours part time for 2 yrs. Is it correct that now the only real method of proving independence is working full time for a year?? (well unless your married or have a child!) In which case, you will have to take a year off just so you can afford to go to uni.

My parents live in the country, so i have to live out of home. I support myself as much as possible on part time jobs- but now i won't be able to claim independence unless i take a year off.

They are removing those two methods of proving independence from jan 2010 but the age of 22 for independence only comes in 2012! which will completely skip me by...not happy!

 

[Trentyboi]

its great news for those already on youth allowance but i'm not sure how its great news for those who aren't.

They've taken away the most accessible method of proving independence- either 18,000 in 18months or 15 hours part time for 2 yrs. Is it correct that now the only real method of proving independence is working full time for a year?? (well unless your married or have a child!) In which case, you will have to take a year off just so you can afford to go to uni.

My parents live in the country, so i have to live out of home. I support myself as much as possible on part time jobs- but now i won't be able to claim independence unless i take a year off.

They are removing those two methods of proving independence from jan 2010 but the age of 22 for independence only comes in 2012! which will completely skip me by...not happy!

Don't worry, get used to the government fucking you over. My parents got $950 for me, they decided to give it to me. Now that the low-income threshold has been lowered from $110 000 (dual income) to something like $70 000, it looks like they might have to pay the $950 back, which means I get to pay it back

I also got fucked over in YA too, so once again, don't worry and get used to it

 

[pete_finlay]

haha. you're a fucking germ, trent

what was with your little bitch session the other week? fucking hypocrite

It's called being lazy, I don't know. It's funny when it's the people that receive the most benefits that always bitch about the tax rates and government funding.

So you already get Youth Allowance and you want more free money?