Youth Allowance Independence Test (1 Viewer)

[aussie-boy]

So you need to earn ~$22k in 18 months to qualify for youth allowance.

The problem is, I earn a proportion of my income from cash in hand babysitting and tips. Will it be enough to declare this on my tax return? Or is there some other way that Centrelink checks income?

 

[ay0_x]

What they don't know won't hurt em.

If you really want to be considered independent, then do the whole 'unreasonable to live at home' thing. Easiest way IMO.

 

[townie]

A tax return would be sufficient proof of income, just remember to keep reporting it to centrelink though, or you could end up in trouble later down the line

 

[izzy88]

also remember the changes that are happening to youth allowance.

Unless you fit into a very specific category, the 22k in 18months is being removed as a test of independence from january 2010.

That is unless you are a country student who graduate in 2008, went on a gap year in 2009, and need to move away to attend university, that earning money test is gone next year. If that situation is you, then you can get a 6 month extension to allow you to apply under the old test (because you need to have left school 18months ago before you can apply).

Hope that makes sense.

 

[babikakez]

BUMPING THIS

Has anyone gone from receiving YA as a non-independent to being able to claim independence later on? My YA payment has been cut in half due to an apparent increase in my parents assets, and as far as I can see from the centrelink website, I've earned almost enough to claim independence. (These changes are yet to go through Parliament so this is still a valid way to claim independence.)

So yeah, is it possible?

 

[SnowFox]

BUMPING THIS

Has anyone gone from receiving YA as a non-independent to being able to claim independence later on? My YA payment has been cut in half due to an apparent increase in my parents assets, and as far as I can see from the centrelink website, I've earned almost enough to claim independence. (These changes are yet to go through Parliament so this is still a valid way to claim independence.)

So yeah, is it possible?

You have to prove that you are living independently, so if you can i dont see why not.


As for your YA getting halved, it doesnt surprise me. A friends mother got a payrise of $20 a week, her YA got cut back $90.

 

[SnowFox]

What they don't know won't hurt em.

If you really want to be considered independent, then do the whole 'unreasonable to live at home' thing. Easiest way IMO.

Its also a rate i think.

 

[izzy88]

Just for interests sake, the government's changes to youth allowance failed to get through parliament, so it is still possible to get youth allowance (independence test) through the $19k (or there abouts) in 18 months, as well as working part time etc.

However, the government is re-introducing the legislation to parliament early this year, and the rules may change at some point in the near future.

 

[rozymisty]

here's a thing about youth allowance and how the government are delaying their decisions about youth allowance....typical that they dont do this with dole payments!!

Hungry students in Queensland relying on staff food handouts | The Courier-Mail

I went to this uni from 2002-2007, the first degree i did i got in via a low income background thing and jus lived at home. Then circumstances changed and had to move out due to extenuating circumstances...not good to get the independence coz its unreasonable to live at home when your folks wont talk to you for you to get the paperwork signed!!

While i was living at home, and this happened to my sister too when she turned 16, the payments dropped dramatically. My sis 3 yrs ago was only getting like $40 a wk and that was when it was just mum (a single parent) was on like $40k a year!! Single parent.....so a full family wouldve got nothing.

If you do get the independence, you get, well from my experience i got about $450 a pftn, and that included $90 of rent assistance. thankfuly my degree was nursing and i did shift work so i got penalty pay.

Dont know what ts like now.

 

[Peartie]

its from the date of your last exam I believe....

 

[SnowFox]

here's a thing about youth allowance and how the government are delaying their decisions about youth allowance....typical that they dont do this with dole payments!!

Hungry students in Queensland relying on staff food handouts | The Courier-Mail

I went to this uni from 2002-2007, the first degree i did i got in via a low income background thing and jus lived at home. Then circumstances changed and had to move out due to extenuating circumstances...not good to get the independence coz its unreasonable to live at home when your folks wont talk to you for you to get the paperwork signed!!

While i was living at home, and this happened to my sister too when she turned 16, the payments dropped dramatically. My sis 3 yrs ago was only getting like $40 a wk and that was when it was just mum (a single parent) was on like $40k a year!! Single parent.....so a full family wouldve got nothing.

If you do get the independence, you get, well from my experience i got about $450 a pftn, and that included $90 of rent assistance. thankfuly my degree was nursing and i did shift work so i got penalty pay.

Dont know what ts like now.

Roughly ~370 pft.

Plus wtf is the point of putting Board on a rent assist form? I pay 160 board, and centrelink gave me $6 extra to take my total to 379.

Sorta fail.

 

[jaredtomas]

I'm going to be moving to QLD next year and will be studying full time and living out of home. I've worked around ~14-16 hours a week for the past few years while at uni. Will I be eligible for youth allowance when I move out?