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Assisting a customer aged under 16 003-08030080

If you have concerns about a child's safety, conduct the risk and referral process.

This document outlines how to respond to customers aged under 16 years when they contact Services Australia.

Helping customers under 16 with claiming and referral to a social worker

Step	Action
1	Under 16 year old customer contacts for the first time + Read more ... Advise the customer they will need to speak to a Services Australia social worker and this will be arranged immediately. Search for an existing record for the customer. If the customer’s file exists as a child record: Convert the child Customer Reference Number (CRN) to a customer record and update the customer’s record accordingly. See Searching for a customer on the system Go to Step 2 If there is no existing file for the customer Add them to the system. See Adding a customer to the system Go to Step 2 If for any reason, e.g. system outage, it is not possible to convert or create a record for the customer, Service Officers must still refer the child to a social worker. Go to Step 6
2	Check customer's circumstances + Read more ... A young person who is an Australian citizen or holds a permanent visa or qualifying temporary visa may be eligible for Special Benefit (SpB) if the parent or guardian they live with: is a non-permanent resident, and is not qualified for any social security payment Customers under 16 may be eligible for SpB if they are: not in the care of a parent or guardian, or not receiving continuous support This is because they are unable to financially provide for themselves.
3	Is the customer living with a parent or guardian? + Read more ... Yes, and the parent or guardian is: a non-permanent resident who does not qualify for payment, see SpB for children who are Australian Citizen Children (ACC). Procedure ends here a citizen or permanent resident who meets the residence requirements for FTB, explain that FTB is the most appropriate payment. See Eligibility for FTB for individuals. If the customer still needs a social work referral, go to Step 6. Otherwise procedure ends here No, go to Step 4
4	Check eligibility for an income support payment + Read more ... Check if the customer is eligible for one of the following payments: Youth Allowance (job seeker) Youth Allowance (student or apprentice) ABSTUDY Carer Payment (CP) and Carer Allowance (CA) Parenting Payment (PP) To be eligible for YA, a person under 16 years of age must: be over the minimum school leaving age for the State or Territory where they live, or have a formal exemption from attending school Does the customer meet the criteria for any of the above payments? Yes, help the customer claim the relevant payment, go to Step 6 No, help the customer claim SpB, To check if the customer meets independence, go to Step 5 To do referral to Social Work, go to Step 6
5	Independence categories for Special Benefit (SpB) for customers under 18 years + Read more ... A young person under 18 years of age is still required to meet the usual provisions for SpB. As with all claims for SpB, every avenue of support should be explored and exhausted before the claim is granted. A young person under 18 years would generally not qualify for SpB unless they were regarded as independent under one of the following Youth Allowance (YA) independent categories: orphan parents cannot exercise responsibilities refugee unreasonable to live at home member of a couple person with a dependent child, and person in state care
6	Refer to a social worker + Read more ... Prepare to discuss the reason for referral with the social worker. Gather all relevant information and review the customer's record. Relevant information about the customer's circumstances can include: What help the customer is requesting? Have they disclosed any risk issues (for example, family conflict, family and domestic violence, risk of homelessness)? Who are they living with? Are they supported by a parent, guardian or potential Approved Care Organisation (ACO)? Are they engaged in full-time study/training? Could their circumstances meet a YA ‘disadvantaged independent’ category? Go to Step 7
7	Refer to local social worker + Read more ... Refer them to the local social worker for immediate assistance by contacting the local social worker directly. Service Officers: at the service centre should follow local arrangements to check if a social worker is available assisting a customer in a service centre by phone should refer to Office Locator for the relevant service centre contact details Is a local social worker available? Yes, refer to the social worker immediately, see Table 2 > Step 3 in Social work service referral. Go to Step 8 No, warm transfer call to a social worker, see Table 2 > Step 4 in Social work service referral. Go to Step 8
8	Update customer record + Read more ... Record details of the interaction with the customer on a DOC. Note: Child safety reporting or other sensitive information must not be recorded on customer records. Do not record any information about the interaction on another person’s record e.g. a parent of the customer.