Unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH) initial contact for Youth Allowance (YA), Disability Support Pension (DSP), Special Benefit (SpB) or Tertiary Access Payment (TAP) 001-04030020

In line with a zero tolerance approach to harm of children, if a staff member in the course of their duties observes behaviour, which raises concerns about a child or young person's safety, Services Australia sets out specific steps that must be taken. Follow the risk identification and management of threats to the safety or welfare of a child for more information on this model and the agency's commitment to the safety of children and young people.

Young people may be considered independent for YA, DSP and SpB, or exempt from providing parental income for TAP, if they cannot live at the home of either or both parents because:

• of extreme family breakdown or similar exceptional circumstances, or
• it would be unreasonable to expect the young person to do so as there would be serious risk to their physical or mental well-being due to family and domestic violence, child abuse, neglect or other similar unreasonable circumstances, or
• their parents are unable to provide the young person with a home because they lack stable accommodation

For more detailed eligibility criteria, see Assessing unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH) for customers claiming or receiving Youth Allowance (YA), Disability Support Pension (DSP), Special Benefit (SpB) or Tertiary Access Payment (TAP).

Separate procedures apply when

• assessing unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH) for customers aged 15 years or under, 16-17 years or 18 years and over
• the customer is in state care and claiming, or in receipt of, YA or DSP. See Assessing independence when a customer is in State care

If a customer advises they want to test their eligibility for independent status under UTLAH provisions, Service Officers must check they are receiving, or have lodged a claim for, an income support payment or the Tertiary Access Payment (TAP). Follow standard procedures to assist the customer if they have not claimed a payment.

Immediately refer customers aged 15 years or under to a social worker. The social worker will undertake a risk assessment and organise for the UTLAH assessment to start locally.

After the risk assessment, the social worker will use the Young Person 15 years and under Social Worker Referral (guided procedure) to initiate the local UTLAH assessment. Note: Service Officers should not run this guided procedure, they should refer a customer aged 15 years or under to a social worker immediately.

Customers aged 16 or 17 years of age, must attend a phone appointment with the social work UTLAH team. Service Officers must ensure that this appointment has been booked. If the customer does not have a phone tell them to attend their nearest service centre or agent at the time of the appointment. Record this arrangement in the appointment notes.

Customers can book and reschedule their social work UTLAH appointment online, or this can be done through an Assisted Customer Claim (ACC).

Service Officers must book a social work UTLAH appointment if the young person requires a UTLAH assessment and:

• has not yet attended a UTLAH appointment with a social worker, and
• does not have an appointment booked

Service Officers in the Over 18 UTLAH Assessment Team (O18) will complete an assessment for customers aged 18 years or older. If the customer is not already receiving a payment, tell them:

• to complete an online claim or Assisted Customer Claim (ACC), and
• submit required documents

Service Officers may need to issue Unreasonable to live at home Statement forms. See Table 2 on the Process page for details.

Note: if a customer is claiming TAP only, the same forms are used for both income support payment and TAP UTLAH assessments.

In some circumstances young people may require an urgent, or priority, assessment. For customers:

• 15 years and under, all cases are considered urgent, immediately refer customers aged 15 years or under to a social worker
• aged 16 or 17 years, see Step 7 in Table 2 on the Process page for urgent assessment criteria and Fast Note instructions
• aged 18 years or older, see Lodgement of unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH) statements for Youth Allowance (YA) and Tertiary Access Payment (TAP) for priority assessment criteria and Fast Note instructions

A UTLAH assessment is required for eligible TAP claimants of any age, in circumstances where they cannot live at home due to extreme circumstances. Service Officers should follow the age based UTLAH processes above to correctly advise the customer about what they need to do for a UTLAH assessment to progress.

An assessment of independence under UTLAH provisions only applies to DSP customers aged 16 or 17 years. DSP customers aged 18 - 20 years, are considered independent when living away from the parental home for any reason and do not require a UTLAH assessment.

Some customers claiming YA, DSP, SpB or TAP will have their UTLAH decisions automatically re-applied where they:

• declare there have been no change to their circumstances, and
• are re-claiming within 52 weeks of last receiving a payment paid under a UTLAH independence category

See Table 2 on the Process page for more detail.

YA and DSP can continue to be paid, or granted at the dependent rate whilst a claim for UTLAH is being assessed.

As YA is usually paid directly to parents for young people under 18 years, Service Officers can consider directing payments to the young person (instead of the parent) during the assessment of UTLAH. A claim for UTLAH may indicate the payment is not being used for the customer's benefit, especially where the young person is considered to be at risk. Consultation should occur with a social worker before changing payment destinations. See Payments to parents for under 18 year old Youth Allowance (YA) dependent customers.

Do not suspend or cancel payments pending a UTLAH decision. The Service Officer should only suspend/cancel the payment if they are satisfied that the person does not qualify for the payment.

A decision maker will decide if a customer meets the eligibility criteria for UTLAH independent status. The customer can appeal this decision.

When making an unfavourable decision the decision-maker will attempt to speak to the customer to:

• explain the decision
• give them a chance to provide further information or evidence relevant to the decision
• tell them their review and appeal rights

The decision-maker will make 2 genuine attempts to contact a customer before finalising an unfavourable decision.

If a customer contacts the agency to query or disagree with a UTLAH independent status decision, follow the agency's internal review process. See Initial contact about a decision and the review of decision process.

Customers will automatically go on the VWPR measure of Income Management if they are:

• living in a location offering VWPR, and
• 16 years of age or over, and
• considered independent due to UTLAH provisions