Current Youth Allowance Status? (3 Viewers)

[H.P]

I am currently in full time Study (Year 12)
planning to apply for the Youth Allowance

although It most likely will be rejected on the basis of parental income being too high

I'm nearly 18( and as such for all purposes and intents an adult under Australian legislation)

my question is, are there going to be any changes to Youth allowance any time soon?

the reason I'm asking is if it's worth taking a gap year and working if that will have any effect on YA.

if not is there any other welfare payments to support full time students either now or when I'm in University?

 

[quik.]

If you take a year off and earn over the threshold you can apply as an independent (as far as I know)

Get a job you bum etc

 

[H.P]

but isn't that the 18k in 18 months?
gap years only last about 12 months :S

 

[quik.]

If you can't earn 18k in 12 months without any study commitments you don't deserve to get free money

 

[Azarnakumar]

but isn't that the 18k in 18 months?
gap years only last about 12 months :S

forget youth allowance i think you qualify for the disablity pension

 

[izzy88]

I am currently in full time Study (Year 12)
planning to apply for the Youth Allowance

although It most likely will be rejected on the basis of parental income being too high

I'm nearly 18( and as such for all purposes and intents an adult under Australian legislation)

my question is, are there going to be any changes to Youth allowance any time soon?

the reason I'm asking is if it's worth taking a gap year and working if that will have any effect on YA.

if not is there any other welfare payments to support full time students either now or when I'm in University?

Yes- YOUTH ALLOWANCE IS CHANGING!

It hasn't got through parliament yet i don't think but the government plans are that from January 2010 you will not be able to qualify as independent by earning '18k in 18 months' (the 75% full wage thing).* To classify as independent you will need to work full-time for 18months or part-time for 2 years (or some of the other random qualifications like being married etc).

*Note however the government recently announced a slight backdown, that for rural students who completed year 12 in 2008, took a gap year in 2009 with the intention of qualifying for youth allowance, and live more than a certain distance from their university (90 minutes or something), will be able get an extension until the end of June 2010 to claim youth allowance under the old requirements. ie. they will be able to qualify as independent by earning the 18k in 18 months. [how this will be administered i'm not quite sure- it appears difficult to manage but anyway].

No, there are no other welfare payments for when you are at uni- until you're 25 and if you're still at uni you can qualify for austudy.

 

[bdude]

No, there are no other welfare payments for when you are at uni- until you're 25 and if you're still at uni you can qualify for abstudy.

But, the parental income limit will be raised from 1 January ~$70000 if you're at home and ~$90000 if you move away from home, and those limits increase if you have siblings.

Plus there are a few thousand dollar once-off payments for thouse who go to uni

 

[izzy88]

But, the parental income limit will be raised from 1 January ~$70000 if you're at home and ~$90000 if you move away from home, and those limits increase if you have siblings.

good point

Plus there are a few thousand dollar once-off payments for thouse who go to uni

really? Government based ones? Most of the payments/government scholarships that i've seen require you to be on youth allowance or some kind of centrelink benefit...

however, I'm happy to be proved wrong if you could point me in the direction of where some are?...

 

[Azamakumar]

if you live away from home you're an independant and as such your parents' incomes are irrelevant

 

[blue_chameleon]

No, there are no other welfare payments for when you are at uni- until you're 25 and if you're still at uni you can qualify for abstudy.

Bahahahahahaha, I'm assuming the OP isn't an abo.

Think you mean Austudy.

 

[izzy88]

Bahahahahahaha, I'm assuming the OP isn't an abo.

Think you mean Austudy.

fixed! apologies for the typo

if you live away from home you're an independant and as such your parents' incomes are irrelevant

no your not- living away from home is irrelevant in classifying someone as independent. It can get you more money from youth allowance once you've already qualified, but apart from that its useless. Otherwise I would have qualified ages ago (my parents live in the country).

 

[H.P]

If you can't earn 18k in 12 months without any study commitments you don't deserve to get free money

it's not the 18k in 12 month problem it's the 30hour per week for 18 months problem

lol

if someone can feasibly work for 30 hours a week during the gap year and another 30pw for 6 months after starting uni...

 

[H.P]

But, the parental income limit will be raised from 1 January ~$70000 if you're at home and ~$90000 if you move away from home, and those limits increase if you have siblings.

Plus there are a few thousand dollar once-off payments for thouse who go to uni

curious as to where it say's the thresholds are changing? that's the first I've heard of it.

where would I find information about these one off payments?

 

[bdude]

curious as to where it say's the thresholds are changing? that's the first I've heard of it.

Well, it was in the budget but hasn't passed through Parliament yet. The government's budget proposal can be found here: http://home.deewr.gov.au/Budget/documents/TransformingAusHigherED.pdf

From 1 January 2010, the Parental Income Test (PIT) threshold for students applying for Youth
Allowance (YA) or ABSTUDY will be increased from $32,800 to $42,559 per annum to align with
the Family Tax Benefit-Part A (FTB) PIT. Current complex withdrawal arrangements for calculating
benefits above the threshold will be replaced with the 20 per cent per family taper as applied under
FTB arrangements. Legislative instruments will also be used to link the FTB and YA PIT thresholds to
ensure consistency in future years.
The measure allows 67,800 students to move from FTB to the higher rate of payment available
under student income support, with 34,600 existing recipients who currently receive a part payment
receiving an increase in their payment level, often to the full payment rate.

A centrepiece of the reforms is a new scholarship, a Student Start-Up Scholarship of $2,254 in 2010
and indexed thereafter, which will be provided as an entitlement to all university students receiving
income support and those assisted under veterans’ schemes. The allowance replaces the current
Commonwealth Education Cost Scholarship (CECs). All existing CECs students will continue to receive
scholarships under current arrangements.
The measure provides substantial assistance paid in two instalments at the commencement of
each semester when students need it most. An estimated 173,300 students will have access to the
Student Start-Up Scholarship by 2012-13.

From 1 January 2010, a Relocation Scholarship will assist Youth Allowance and ABSTUDY students
at university who are dependants who have to live away from the family home for study as well
as independent students who are disadvantaged by personal and relationship circumstances. The
Relocation Scholarship will provide $4,000 for students in their first year at university and $1,000
in each year thereafter and will be indexed. It will replace the Commonwealth Accommodation
Scholarship (CAS) for new students, while existing CAS recipients will continue to receive scholarships
under current arrangements.

 

[H.P]

sorry for being a bit slow, but where does the 70k and 90k figure come out of that document?

or does it have to do with the 20% taper?

 

[izzy88]

Well, it was in the budget but hasn't passed through Parliament yet. The government's budget proposal can be found here: http://home.deewr.gov.au/Budget/documents/TransformingAusHigherED.pdf

yes but unfortunately for all the one off payments you listed, you have to be on youth allowance or austudy to get them etc There isn't anything for uni students not on youth allowance.

 

[addikaye03]

Btw, there is no maximum amount that you can earn during the 18 months. I made the $18,000 really quickly (By End of April) and everyone was telling me theres a max you can earn, so i thought i would be sitting around for almost a year lol But theres not!!!

Another important point is that, To qualify for Youth allowance you are only allowed to have $3000 in the bank at June 01, 2010. So becareful there... Just do a dodgey and put it in someone else account or something. lol

 

[H.P]

frankly it's not that hard to earn 18k in less than 18 months, i'd venture to say it's doable is much less than half that time.

don't they stipulate a minimum time allocation though? (hours)

 

[addikaye03]

frankly it's not that hard to earn 18k in less than 18 months, i'd venture to say it's doable is much less than half that time.

don't they stipulate a minimum time allocation though? (hours)

I started work in on January 5th, and had earnt the $18000 by April 24th lol I was working a 65 hour week though.

 

[youngminii]

<3 Kevin Rudd
Or at least his money spending adventures