Processing Youth Allowance (YA) (job seeker) claims 001-04030100

Claims for YA (job seeker) can be lodged by:

• completing an online claim
• an Assisted Customer Claim (ACC)

Customers are considered to be vulnerable if they experienced a vulnerable circumstance at any time in the 8 weeks before contact and this was the reason they were unable to submit their claim on the contact date. See Intent to claim and vulnerable customers.

Customers can start an early claim for YA (job seeker) up to 13 weeks before the first day of eligibility. For the day they become qualified, the customer must provide their:

• employment separation details, and
• any other income

If an early claim lodgement is accepted, the start date is the first day the customer becomes qualified for the payment. See Early claims.

Disability Service Officers initiate a YA (job seeker) claim following a Disability Support Pension (DSP) Medical Risk Based Review when completing the Service Offer Interview.

Do not unassign these activities.

A customer can apply for a formal review of the decision to reject their claim at any time.

If they apply more than 13 weeks after the rejection notice was given, the payment or concession may be affected by the date of effect rules. See Customer initiated review of decisions. A new claim will be required for reviews lodged more than 13 weeks after the rejection letter was sent.

No additional evidence or information is required before an application for a formal review can be made.

If a customer applies for a formal review, record the application.

Make sure all outstanding documents have been supplied before re-indexing the original claim.

See Request to reassess a rejected claim when YA (job seeker) claim is rejected for:

• not supplying documents (FSD)
• not lodging (DNL)
• not reporting on time (FRP), or
• Proof of Identity (POI)

If the customer contacts more than 13 weeks after the rejection letter was sent, they will need to make a new claim for YA (job seeker).

Use Process Direct to review the YA (job seeker) claim information and to process the claim once all required information is available.

A claim ID is created as a work item when the YA (job seeker) claim has been submitted online or via ACC.

Process Direct:

• contains information provided by the customer or their correspondence nominee online or recorded using ACC
• loads provisional claim information into a YA claim activity
• lists documents the customer has been asked to provide
• has functions to view scanned documents, request and make referrals

Pre-filled Single Touch Payroll (STP) data may present to customers during their online claim. Employer details, name and ABN, will present to the customer if STP data is provided to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) within 8 weeks prior to claim.

Customers will have the option to confirm the employer within the claim. If a customer confirms the employer, once on payment, STP pre-filled income will present to the customer when they report. If the customer does not confirm the employer, once on payment, the STP employer may present to the customer again when they report.

UTLAH assessments may be:

• conducted by a Services Australia social worker
• completed by the Over 18 UTLAH (O18) team, or
• automatically re-applied by the system

If an UTLAH assessment is in progress, do not reject the claim Failed to supply documents (FSD). If it is not already held, place the claim on hold pending the outcome of the UTLAH assessment.

Responses to some questions in the Youth Allowance (YA) (job seeker) claim will be used to pre-populate similar questions in the Job Seeker Snapshot. The job seeker will have the opportunity to review the responses, either online or staff assisted and make changes where required.

During the Participation Interview, job seekers who are subject to RapidConnect requirements are advised of their requirements or exemption to RapidConnect.

Job seekers referred to Workforce Australia Online for individuals are required to agree to a Job Plan.

Job seekers referred to a Workforce Australia Employment Services Provider or other specialist provider will have an initial appointment booked during the Participation Interview. Attending this first provider appointment is known as the job seeker's RapidConnect requirement.

In most cases, meeting RapidConnect requirements will determine the start date of the job seeker's income support payment. This is subject to job seekers meeting any waiting periods and qualification requirements.

YA (job seeker) new claims and re-indexed claims must have the Participation Interview completed and a RapidConnect determination. For more information, see RapidConnect.

Mutual obligation requirements apply to all job seekers receiving participation payments including Youth Allowance (YA) (job seeker), unless exempt.

Mutual obligation requirements are designed to make sure that unemployed people receiving activity tested income support payments are actively looking for work and are participating in activities that will help them into employment.

Job seekers will satisfy their mutual obligation requirements if they:

• enter into a Job Plan, if required, with Services Australia or an Employment Services Provider without unreasonable delay
• fully comply with the terms of the Job Plan, and
• either:
• actively seek and are willing to undertake suitable paid work
• undertake suitable paid work, or
• participate in some other approved training, program or course which is likely to improve their employment prospects

For more information, see Mutual obligation requirements.

A job seeker who is unable to meet their mutual obligation requirements, in certain circumstances may be eligible for an exemption.

For more information, see Mutual obligation requirements exemptions.

Some job seekers may meet the requirements to have their Job Plan managed by Centrelink.

For job seekers that meet this criteria, staff should negotiate the Job Plan as part of the new claim finalisation process.

For eligibility criteria and coding, see Negotiating Centrelink Managed Job Plans.

Some job seekers claiming Youth Allowance (YA), may advise they have a medical condition or disability that will impact their ability to work or look for work. An ESAt referral may be needed to assess if a Partial Capacity to Work (PCW) will apply. If a PCW is granted, the job seeker may be eligible for:

• Youth Allowance (YA) as an independent, and
• Youth Disability Supplement (YDS)

For:

• independent criteria and coding, see Assessing independence for customers with a partial capacity to work
• Youth Disability Supplement eligibility, see Youth Disability Supplement (YDS)

Youth Allowance (YA) job seekers assessed as having a PCW are not subject to the Parental Income Test (PIT). If the claim is awaiting the outcome of an ESAt, customers claiming Youth Allowance (YA) must not be rejected Parental Income too High (PIH) or Parental Income not Provided (PIA).

From 20 September 2024 independence for PCW and Youth Disability Supplement (YDS) is only payable from the acceptance date of the ESAt. The YA grant date may need to be changed to the acceptance date of the ESAt if:

• the customer is not eligible for Youth Allowance (YA) under the Parental Income Test (PIT), and
• an ESAt has been completed

If the customer requests a reassessment of a rejected claim, an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) referral may need to be resubmitted. Staff must check if an ESAt referral was made during the first Participation Interview. If an ESAt is still required, the Participation Interview must be re-run to complete a new ESAt referral. See Participation Interview.