Existing customer starts an Australian Apprenticeship 102-07030200

Is the Australian Apprenticeship full-time?

Yes, go to Step 2.

No, the apprenticeship is only part-time and the customer is currently receiving:

• a student payment - they may still be eligible for help as a student if:
• they are studying an approved course and
• undertaking an approved study load
• See Commencing or returning to work for Austudy and Youth Allowance (Students), or Student, partner or parents/guardians commencing or returning to work for ABSTUDY
• Procedure ends here
• Youth Allowance (YA) (job seeker) or JobSeeker Payment (JSP)
• They may be eligible to remain on their current payment. See Commencing or returning to work for JobSeeker Payment (JSP) and Youth Allowance (job seeker)
• Procedure ends here
• any other income support payment
• See Identifying the most beneficial payment for students or Australian Apprentices
• Procedure ends here

Is the apprentice currently or was previously receiving an income support payment or ABSTUDY Living Allowance from Services Australia before starting their apprenticeship?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, see Identifying the most beneficial payment for trainees or Australian Apprentices Procedure ends here

Has the customer's payment suspended or cancelled due to starting an Australian Apprenticeship and an open YAL/AUS apprentice action required Fast Note is on the record or a new claim has been lodged?

• Yes, for staff:
• trained in apprentice processing go to Table 3 > Step 1
• not trained in apprentice processing, procedure ends here. DOC the record. go to Table 3 > Step 1
• No, go to Step 4

If the customer is currently receiving an income support payment or ABSTUDY Living Allowance and the customer has started an apprenticeship, determine the start date of the full-time Australian Apprenticeship.

If the start date of the full-time apprenticeship is:

• today or in the past, and the customer is receiving:
• Austudy or Youth Allowance (YA) (student), go to Step 5
• YA (job seeker) or JobSeeker Payment (JSP), go to Step 6
• ABSTUDY Living Allowance, go to Step 9
• All other payments, see Table 2 > Step 2
• in the future, and the customer is receiving:
• Austudy or Youth Allowance (YA) (student), go to Step 7
• YA (job seeker) or JobSeeker Payment (JSP), go to Step 6
• ABSTUDY Living Allowance, go to Step 11
• All other payments, see Table 2 > Step 3

If an Austudy or YA (student) has started full-time employment as an Australian Apprentice today or in the past, check if they have notified Services Australia within their notification provisions.

Did the customer notify the change in circumstances within their notification provisions?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, the customer:
• is only eligible to be paid up to the last date of study. See Table 2 in Payment of Youth Allowance (YA) and Austudy when a student is deferring or discontinuing study before the end of the course
• will need to lodge a new claim
• procedure ends here

If the customer's payment is suspended YBS (Youth Bonus Wage subsidy) (SUS-YBS) they can remain suspended under this reason while the Apprenticeship details are obtained, go to Step 8

To continue to qualify for YA (job seeker) or JSP before or since starting an apprenticeship, the customer must continue to meet their mutual obligation requirements (MORs). This is to satisfy policy requirements around job seeker customers remaining qualified and payable.

Generally, customers will have met their MORs if they continue to report every fortnight.

If the customer is not present, make genuine attempts to contact customer to discuss meeting requirements. Where contact is unsuccessful go to Step 7

Has the customer advised they have met and will continue to meet the requirements set out in their job plan?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, payment must be cancelled, on the Benefit Action (BA) screen in Customer First:
• Service Reason field: payment type
• Action field: CAN
• Reason field: COP (another payment more appropriate)
• Effect Date field: date commenced apprenticeship
• Source and Date of Receipt fields
• Finalise on AR (Assessment Results) screen

DOC the cancellation by recording all relevant details, use Fast Note, select Auto text, use Generic > SUS/CAN/RES > Suspend Cancel Reason. Include details of conversation with the customer and the reason payment has been cancelled, following the GIR DOC minimum standards

• The customer will need to lodge a new claim. Procedure ends here

Service Officers must suspend payment until Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) provides the Australian Apprenticeship details.

To suspend the payment, in Customer First:

• On the Benefit Action (BA) screen,suspend (SUS) using the code 'OTH' (other) from the later of either:
• date paid to + 1, or
• expected start date of full-time apprenticeship
• In the Notes field, record the reason for suspension as customer has started full- time apprenticeship/traineeship.
• Create a Q134 letter inside the suspension activity. The manual suspension letter must include the following information:
• Reason for suspension
• Date of effect
• Payment type
• Reference to the relevant act
• the customer's review and appeal rights. See the Resources page for the most appropriate text to use in the letter
• DOC the suspension by recording all relevant details use Fast Note, select Auto text, use Generic > SUS/CAN/RES > Suspend Cancel Reason. The Fast Note must have the following:
• Decision made
  payment type, and
  Act/Guide reference upon which decision was based
  See Online Document Recording (ODR)
• Date of effect of decision
• Reasons for decision, including why the person was not qualified or why the payment is not payable, for decisions made under section 80

Tell the customer:

• payments cannot restart until DEWR provides the Australian Apprenticeship details. Services Australia can hold a claim for up to 13 weeks pending confirmation of the Australian Apprenticeship details
• If receiving a job seeking payment, they must continue to meet their mutual obligation requirements to maximise their entitlements if their payments are to be restored.

Once the suspension has been completed, notify the Australian Apprenticeship team (NCA that the customer has already started or will start an apprenticeship in the future.

If the customer is receiving:

• YA (student) or Austudy, go to Step 8
• YA (job seeker) and the most appropriate apprentice payment is:
• YA, go to Step 8
• ABSTUDY tell the customer to lodge a new claim for payment as an Australian Apprentice, DOC the record, procedure ends here
• JSP, tell the customer to lodge a new claim for payment as an Australian Apprentice, DOC the record, procedure ends here.

• Create a Fast Note referral to the Australian Apprentice team
• Select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY& Apprentices > Update > YAL/AUS apprentice action required
• Complete the template including:
• Commonwealth Apprenticeship Identification Number (if available)
• Date apprenticeship started
• Start date of full-time employment
• Name (and ABN if available) of the employer
• Details of fortnightly earnings
• Date customer stopped studies. If receiving student payments
• Once the template content is complete, select Continue
• Do not close the open DOC created by the work item

Procedure ends here.

Details are required from DEWR. See Table 3.

If a customer has started full-time employment as an Australian Apprentice today or in the past and are receiving ABTUDY Living Allowance, Service Officers must first confirm previous study details.

Has the student stopped their course?

Yes, and the student had started that course, and:

• the apprenticeship started within 28 days of the last day of attendance,
• Code the Student End Date field on EDC as the day before the customer started the apprenticeship
• Go to Step 10
• the apprenticeship started greater than 28 days from the last day of attendance
• Code the Student End Date field on EDC students last day of attendance
• Go to Step 10
• the student is a continuing or intending student,
• see Table 2 in Payment of ABSTUDY when a student is deferring or discontinuing study before the end of the course
• Then go to Step 10

No, where the customer is:

• remaining full-time. Student is eligible to continue receiving ABSTUDY living allowance
• changing to part-time:
• Select the course the student has reduced their study load in from EDCH
• Update the Student End Date using the date before the start of the reduced study load
• Key 'C' in the Action: field to correct the information and press [Enter]
• From EDCH select the EDC that has been corrected
• Input a new Participation Status Event Date as the date they reduced their study load. Note: if a customer reduces their study load on the first day back after a break, the date to be used is the first day of the new term/semester. The date should not be the last day of the previous term/semester
• Change the Participation Status to 'PTS'
• Input an 'I' in the Action: field to 'Insert' the new information and press [Enter]. This will then show 2 lines on the EDCH screen for the current course, one as full-time and one as the part time study load
  - Select the new line that was just created, for the part-time study load, on the EDCH screen
• Update the Student Start Date as the day they reduced their study load. Update the Inst Course End Date (if applicable) and the Student End Date to match the new Course End Date
• Input a 'C' in the Action: field to 'correct' the EDC screen
• Go to Step 10

Record any relevant information on a DOC and finalise the activity.

Create an open work item using Fast Note: select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY and Apprentices > Update > ABSTUDY apprentice action required

• Select Confirm
• Include:
• start date of full-time employment
• name (and ABN if available) of the employer
• details of fortnightly earnings
• date customer stopped studies

Procedure ends here.

Details are required from DEWR. See Table 3.

If the customer is still studying full-time, no update is required.

If customer has stopped study, see Table 2 in Payment of ABSTUDY when a student is deferring or discontinuing study before the end of the course. Then return to this step.

In Customer First, create a manual review on the Review Registration (RVR) screen and complete the fields as follows:

• Service Reason: ABY
• Review Reason: REV (Manual Review)
• Due Date: date customer advises start date of their apprenticeship
• Source: INT
• Date of Receipt: today's date
• Notes: 'Customer has advised they have started an apprenticeship on XX/XX/XXX. See Existing customer starts an Australian Apprenticeship for instructions.'
• Keywords: ABYAPT and NOREG
• Workgroup: leave blank
• Position: leave blank
• Transfer to Region: ABS

The review will mature on the Due Date coded in the RVR activity. Workload Management will allocate the review for manual action.

Customers currently receiving ABSTUDY may not be eligible for payments until they start their apprenticeship.

If there is a gap of 28 days or greater between stopping study and starting the Australian Apprenticeship, customers who require income support for this period, must claim YA (job seeker) or JSP.

Tell the customer to claim YA or claim JSP.

The customer can reapply for ABSTUDY as an Australian Apprentice from the date the Australian Apprenticeship started. See Claiming ABSTUDY

Procedure ends here.

If the customer is currently receiving an income support payment (ISP) other than YA, Austudy, JSP or ABSTUDY, determine the start date of the full-time Australian Apprenticeship.

If the start date of the full-time apprenticeship is:

• today or in the past, go to Step 2
• in the future, go to Step 3

Check the customers current payment qualification upon starting full-time employment and coding requirements.

For:

• Disability Support Pension, see, Commencing or returning to work or self-employment Disability Support Pension (DSP)
• Carer Payment, see, Carer Payment (CP) and/or Carer Allowance (CA) care receiver commences or returns to work
• all other income support payments, see Commencing or returning to work

Will the customer continue to qualify for their current payment upon starting full-time employment in their apprenticeship?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, tell customer to submit a new claim for payment as an Australian Apprentice and DOC the record

Australian Apprentices processing staff: If processing a new claim see Table 3 > Step 1.

Check if the customer continues to qualify for their current payment upon starting full-time employment for example.

For:

• Disability Support Pension, see, Commencing or returning to work or self-employment Disability Support Pension (DSP)
• Carer Payment, see, Carer Payment (CP) and/or Carer Allowance (CA) care receiver commences or returns to work
• all other income support payments, see Commencing or returning to work

Will the customer continue to qualify for their current payment upon starting full-time employment in their apprenticeship?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 5

To determine the most beneficial payment for the customer, before proceeding, see Identifying the most beneficial payment for students or Australian Apprentices

Would a transfer to an Australian Apprentice payment be more beneficial?

• Yes,
• The grant date is the day their outgoing payment ceased or will cease as a result of coding the transfer, see Calculating the start day for a transferee
• Tell the customer to submit a new claim for payment as an Australian Apprentice and DOC the record
• Australian Apprentices processing staff: If processing a new claim see Table 3 > Step 1
• No:
• Customer will remain on existing payment
• Code employment income. See Recording and correcting employment income details. Details will be recorded in a DOC
• Check if customer would be entitled to ABSTUDY Incidentals Allowance only
• Procedure ends here

Customers will continue to qualify for the current payment until they start full-time employment in their apprenticeship

Tell the customer to submit an online claim.

For customers:

• 25 years and over, see Initial contact with students or Australian Apprentices claiming Austudy
• under 25 years, see Initial contact with students or Australian Apprentices claiming Youth Allowance (YA)
• Note

See Table 3 > Step 1.

Obtain the Australian Apprenticeship details from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR)

If the Australian Apprenticeship details are current, go to Step 2

Staff allocated NOREJ/NOREG manual review, go to Step 2

The payment must remain suspended/cancelled in cases where:

• the Australian Apprenticeship details are not available, and
• the customer does not qualify for their current payment

If the payment is current, suspend the payment in Customer First:

• On the Benefit Action (BA) screen, suspend (SUS) using the code 'OTH' (other) from the later of either:
• date paid to + 1, or
• expected start date of full-time apprenticeship
• In the Notes field, record the reason for suspension as customer has started full- time apprenticeship/traineeship.
• Create a Q134 letter inside the suspension activity. The manual suspension letter must include the following information:
• Reason for suspension
• Date of effect
• Payment type
• Reference to the relevant act
• the customer's review and appeal rights. See the Resources page for the most appropriate text to use in the letter

DOC the suspension by recording all relevant details use Fast Note, select Auto text, use Generic > SUS/CAN/RES > Suspend Cancel Reason.

Contact the customer to tell them payments cannot be made until DEWR confirms eligibility

If transferring activity and new claim is not required

In Customer First, create a manual review on the Review Registration (RVR) screen and complete the fields as follows:

• Service Reason: customer's payment type
• Review Reason: select most appropriate reason
• Due Date: 13 weeks from:
• date of suspension, or
• date customer notified if payment is suspended Youth Bonus Wage Subsidy (YBWS) 26 week suspension period (SUS-YBS)
• Source: INT
• Date of Receipt: today's date
• Notes: 'Customer has advised they have started an apprenticeship xx/xx/xxxx. Payment already suspended or cancelled. Check if Australian Apprenticeship details have been established. Return to Existing customer starts an Australian Apprenticeship for instructions.'
• Keywords:
• YA/AUS - NAPEMPL, NOREG and NOREJ
• ABSTUDY - ABYAPT and NOREG
• Workgroup: leave blank
• Position: leave blank
• Transfer to Region: leave blank

The review will mature on the Due Date coded in the RVR activity. Workload Management will allocate the review for manual action.

If transferring between payments and a new claim is lodged

If the Australian Apprenticeship details are not yet current:

• Record the following details in the Claim Progress DOC:
• ADMS Data checks are currently in progress. Customer is not eligible for apprentice payment until a current full-time Apprenticeship Identification Number and training contract is confirmed with Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. Note: the customer is not required to provide this information. Services Australia is not involved in the Apprentice Registration. If the customer disagrees with their status with Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, they should follow up with their employer and the Australian Apprenticeships Network Provider
• Place the claim on hold for 14 days to be checked again
• If the apprentice details are not current at the time of re-allocation of the claim, annotate the Claim Progress DOC and re-hold the claim activity
• If the status of the apprentice's training contract is still in draft or not available at 13 weeks from date of claim submission, go to Step 2

If the Australian Apprenticeship details are available:

• If transferring activity within the same payment, go to Step 3
• If transferring between payments, see Table 5 > Step 1
• If the customer was transferring from YA (job seeker) or JSP and the apprenticeship is only part-time, the YA (job seeker) or JSP can be restored, see Restoration of JobSeeker Payment (JSP) Youth Allowance (job seeker) and Special Benefit (SpB). Procedure ends here

If the Australian Apprenticeship details are still not available at 13 weeks, and:

• the customer's payment is SUS-YBS or CAN-YBE and they are not considered an apprentice; payment is to remain suspended or cancelled
• the customer was transferring between payments (for example, JobSeeker Payment to Austudy), code the YA, Austudy or ABSTUDY claim. Reject the claim NAT (Not an Apprentice). JSP can be restored, see Restoration of JobSeeker Payment (JSP) Youth Allowance (job seeker) and Special Benefit (SpB). Procedure ends here
• the customer was transferring activity within the same payment, payment should have cancelled 13 weeks after it was suspended. Make genuine attempt to contact the customer to tell them YA, Austudy or ABSTUDY was cancelled because confirmation of their Australian Apprentice status has not been recorded by DEWR.. See Calling a customer or returning a customer's call. Tell the customer their review and appeal rights Procedure ends here

Customer transferring activity type on the same payment and Australian Apprenticeship details obtained by Australian Apprentice team.

Determine if there is a gap in entitlement. This may be due to:

• the customer starting work as an Australian Apprentice but, when the Commonwealth Apprenticeship Identification Number was issued, it was current from a later date
• the customer was being paid as a student, and
• stopped studies before starting full-time apprenticeship,
• was receiving YA, Austudy or ABSTUDY, and
• did not wish to participate in job search in the interim
• the customer was being paid YA (job seeker) and did not meet mutual obligations since commencing an Australian Apprenticeship
• payment was suspended under the Youth Bonus Wage Subsidy (YBWS) before starting their apprenticeship
  Note: a customer is entitled to remain suspended YBS until the date they start their apprenticeship. A gap in entitlement is to be considered if they started their apprenticeship after the 26 week suspension period ended and payments have cancelled YBE. If a customer's payment is suspended YBS and there has been a gap between the end of the suspension period and the apprentice payment grant date, the customer's Working Credit balance will not be transferred to Student Income Bank

Is there a gap in entitlement?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No,
• and the customer was a job seeker, see Table 4 > Step 5
• and the customer was a student, go to Step 5

If the gap is:

• greater than or equal to 13 weeks, and the customer is being paid ABSTUDY, see Claiming ABSTUDY as the customer may not need to reclaim. Procedure ends here
• greater than or equal to 13 weeks, see Identifying the most beneficial payment for trainees or Australian Apprentices. Procedure ends here
• less than 13 weeks, go to Step 5

Was the customer being paid asa student?

• Yes, and:
• being paid ABSTUDY, see Table 4 > Step 4
• not being paid ABSTUDY, see Table 4 > Step 1
• No, see Table 4 > Step 2

If a YA or Austudy student stops full-time study, they must notify within 14 days (notification period) to transfer to YA or Austudy (apprentice) if they are eligible.

Update the study details:

• go to Change Education Details (EDC) screen in Process Direct or Education Course History (EDC) screen in Customer First and correct the Student End Date: field, if the customer:
• ceased study during a study period, use the date the customer last studied
• ceased study during a semester break, use the date the customer stopped having an intention to return to study (the customer must supply a date)
• reduced to part-time study during a study period, use the date the customer last undertook a sufficient study load to qualify for payment. That is, the day before their study load reduced
• reduced to part-time study during a semester break, use the date the customer last intended to undertake a sufficient study load to qualify for payment

Go to Step 6.

Did the customer notify of the change in circumstances within their notification provisions?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 3

The customer is payable for YA (job seeker) until they became qualified for payments as an apprentice if they have:

• remained current on YA (job seeker) after they commenced their apprenticeship, and
• continued to meet their mutual obligation requirements (MORs)

YA (job seeker) is cancelled from the date they cease to meet their MORs and YA (apprentice) is assessed from the date they notified, if they have:

• not met their MORs, and
• failed to notify of the change in circumstance within their notification provisions

Go to Step 4.

Was the customer being paid ABSTUDY before starting their apprenticeship?

• Yes,
• code the Education Course Details
• Participation Status event date: Start date of the apprenticeship
• Participation Status: of APT (Apprentice/Trainee) from the date of qualification as an Australian Apprentice
• go to Step 7
• No, and the:
• customer's payment is cancelled YBE and they started an Australian Apprenticeship within the 26 week suspended YBS period go to Step 5
• customer's payment is not cancelled YBE, go to Step 6

If the customer is:

• not cancelled YBE, go to Step 6
• cancelled YBE, restore the payment using either Process Direct or Customer First

Process Direct:

• Cancel the customer's payment via the Benefit Action (BA) screen:
• Service reason: field, select appropriate service reason from the drop down menu
• Action: field, CAN - Cancel
• Reason: field, OTH - Other
• Enter date of effect as date before the apprenticeship start date or date of notification (whichever is later)
• Select Save
• Code Receipt Date, Channel and Service Reason
  Note: if the system does not select a default Service Reason, select the most relevant Service Reason for the update
• Select Save

Customer First:

• Cancel the customer's payment via the Benefit Action (BA) screen:
• Service reason: field, select appropriate service reason from the drop down menu
• Action: field, CAN - Cancel
• Reason: field, OTH - Other
• Enter date of effect as date before the apprenticeship start date or date of notification (whichever is later)
• Notes: staff must add notes to the activity to prevent an error
• Complete Source and Receipt date and Submit Change

If the payment does not restore, some possible (but not limited to) fixes could include:

• End date the job seeker's full-time work status on the Customer Employment Status Update (EAES) screen
• Key a 'zero' income for the last employer that the job seeker had when they stopped work
• Make sure they complete all outstanding reporting periods, or
• End date the 'other income' on the Other Income Summary (OINS) screen

Staff must take care and consideration to make sure:

• customers are not paid incorrect arrears or
• unnecessary debts are raised and
• letters are inhibited

Go to Step 6.

For YA and Austudy only, update the NES screen.

If the customer is transferring from a YA (job seeker) including if payment is suspended YBS and notified:

• within the notification period:
• the Student Status will already be coded as 'NST'
• in the Start Date (Process Direct) or Event Date: (Customer First) field, code the start date of Australian Apprenticeship
• in the Student Status: field, code APT (Australian Apprentice)
• outside of the notification period:
• the Student Status will already be coded as 'NST'
• in the Start Date (Process Direct) or Event Date: (Customer First) field, code later of the start date of Australian Apprenticeship or date notified.
• in the Student Status: field, code APT)

If transferring from a student payment and they have continuous entitlement:

• in the Start Date (in Process Direct) or Event Date (in Customer First) field, code the later of last date of study +1 or date the customer will start their Australian Apprenticeship
• in the Student Status: field, code APT

If transferring from a student payment and there is a gap in entitlement:

• 2 entries may be required on the NES screen, if there is no previous NES screen coding, or if the previous NES screen coding is not NST:
• in the Start Date (in Process Direct) or Event Date (in Customer First) field, code student end date +1
• in the Student Status: field, code NST
• and previous NES screen is coded NST:
• in the Start Date (in Process Direct) or Event Date (in Customer First) field, code the later of start date of Australian Apprenticeship or date notified in the Student Status: field, code APT

Once the Study Details (for ABSTUDY) or Student Status (for YA and Austudy) screens have been coded, this should trigger the link with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations' Apprenticeships Data Management System (ADMS).

ADMS may return a number of records to match and will show on the External Name List (XIL) screen.

The Service Officer must select the right customer to link the records.

The ADMS database will then transfer information to Services Australia and update the NAPD screen with the apprenticeship details.

If the ADMS link is not operational, manually code the apprenticeship details on the NAPD screen. Do this in either:

• Process Direct
• Go to the Apprentice Details (NAPD) screen
• Select Add. On the Create Apprenticeship Details screen, complete the Australian Apprenticeship details
• Select Save
• Key the Receipt Date, Channel and Service Reason
  Note: if the system does not select a default Service Reason, select the most relevant Service Reason for the update
• Select Save
• Select Assess and address any errors/warnings
• Selecting Assess again, then select Finish
• Record details of the update
• Select Finalise
• Customer First
• Go to the Apprenticeship Details (NAPD) screen
• Key the Australian Apprenticeship details

Is the customer a dependent customer on YA or ABSTUDY?

• Yes, go to Step 9
• No, go to Step 10

Dependent Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY customers may be eligible to receive a higher rate of payment if they need to live away from home in order to undertake their Australian Apprenticeship.

The away from home rate may be payable if:

• home conditions make it difficult to work in an Australian Apprenticeship
• it takes 90 minutes or more to travel 1 way from their permanent (that is, family) home by public transport to reach the Australian Apprenticeship place of employment

For more information, see:

• The away from home rate for Youth Allowance (YA) customers
• Assessing qualification for the away from home rate for ABSTUDY

If the criteria for the away from home rate has been met, select the Independence link in Workspace and record details.

Code the Employment Income with the following:

• Apprentice Employer: field, Yes
• Event Date: field, the date the employment income was paid to the customer
• Frequency: field,
• IOP - Income for One Period, where the customer's employer pay period duration is equal to or less than the entitlement period duration, or
• LOP - Long Period, where the customer's employer pay period duration is greater than the entitlement period duration.

Note: where LOP is coded, Service Officers will be prompted to code the start and end date of the employer's pay period.

• select Save Response
• select Yes to 'Are there more employment details to declare for this employer?'
• Event Date: field, the Entitlement Period End Date (EPED) will pre-populate as appropriate
• Type of Employment Details Update: field, HOP - Hours For One Period
• Status: field, FTO - Full-time ongoing
• Hours: field, the amount of hours for which the customer was paid

Employment Income must be coded manually if coding is needed within a new claim activity.

Make sure the apprentice customer is placed on two-weekly reporting.

Contact the customer by phone, to confirm their income for each fortnight since the date they became qualified as an Australian Apprentice.

If the Apprenticeship details are being coded as part of a YA, Austudy or ABSTUDY claim, see:

• Assessing and coding students and Australian Apprentices claims for Youth Allowance (YA)
• Assessing and coding student and Australian Apprentice claims for Austudy
• Processing an ABSTUDY claim

If payments are to be restored, see Table 6 > Step 1.

The YA/Austudy grant date will depend on:

• which date YA/Austudy is the most beneficial payment from, and
• whether or not the customer remains entitled to the outgoing income support payment

It may be the date the:

• claim is lodged, or
• apprentice start date, or
• income support payment date paid to plus one day

Making a decision on the most beneficial payment on the date the claim is lodged is only required if the customer:

• will be transferring to YA/Austudy, and
• is qualified and payable for both their current payment and YA/Austudy on the date the claim is lodged

No consideration can be given to paying the current payment for any longer than the customer is qualified and payable for that payment.

On the date the claim was lodged, if the most beneficial payment (or the only payment that the customer is qualified and payable for) is YA/Austudy, and the outgoing payment is:

• JSP, go to Step 2
• Any other income support payment, go to Step 3

The grant date depends on when the customer first qualified for YA/Austudy and the date the customer loses entitlement to JSP.

If the customer has:

• remained current on JSP after they commenced their apprenticeship, or
• suspended OTH due to starting a full- time apprenticeship/traineeship, and
• continued to meet their mutual obligation requirements (MORs)

The customer is payable for JSP until they became qualified for payments as an apprentice. If the apprentice start date is after the JSP suspension, restore the JSP payment before actioning the claim.

If the customer:

• first qualified on the same date the claim was lodged, the grant date is the date the claim was lodged
• first qualified before the claim was lodged, assess the most beneficial start date, considering:
• the earliest qualification date for YA/Austudy
• any period that the customer qualified for both YA/Austudy and JSP
• the date from which the customer no longer qualifies for JSP

Key the grant date in the:

• Newstart Education Status (NES) screen
• Start Date: grant date
• Student Status: APT
• Education Level Attained: highest level attained if known
• Date of Commencement (NDC) screen
• Manual Start Date: grant date
• Comments: notes to explain the decision

Confirm prepopulated data on the Apprenticeship Details (NAPD) screen with a manual check of ADMS

Go to Table 6 > Step 5

The grant date is the date the customer will lose eligibility for their outgoing income support payment.

Within the claim, code:

Newstart Education Status (NES) screen

Start Date: grant date

Student Status: APT

Education Level Attained: highest level attained if known

Date of Commencement (NDC) screen

Manual Start Date: grant date

Comments: notes to explain the decision

Confirm prepopulated data on the Apprenticeship Details (NAPD) screen with a manual check of ADMS

Go to Table 6 > Step 5

YA and Austudy

If the customer's payment is suspended SUS-YBS or cancelled (CAN-YBE), go to Step 2

For all other YA and Austudy customer including if their payment is cancelled OTH:

• Restore benefit via the Benefits Action (BA) screen
• Record the Effect Date: the date will default or enter the date of restoration

Although payments are restorable (that is, no claim is needed) where there has been a gap in entitlement of up to 13 weeks, and the payment has cancelled, nil payment will be made in respect of the gap. A Social Application (SOA) Shell must be created as a workaround to have the payment restored from the correct date. The customer does not need to lodge a new claim as it is deemed a restoration.

• if there has been a gap in entitlement (that is, gap of 1 day or more) and the customer's employment income is too high to qualify for payments, the record will cancel after any available working credits are depleted
• if there has been continuous entitlement and the customer's employment income is too high to qualify for payments, the record will cancel after 6 fortnights of nil entitlement
• Go to Step 3

For ABSTUDY

• To make sure there is no gap in entitlement an update to previous EDC coding is required:
• 'S'elect the previous course on the Education Course Details (EDC) screen with the old course details
• change the date in the Student End Date: field and the Allowable Time End Date: field to 1 day before the apprenticeship start date
• in the Action field, key 'C' for correct
• Restore benefit via the BA screen
• Code the Effect date: field with the date from previous cancellation
• Go to Step 3

YA and Austudy

In Customer First

If payment is suspended YBS.

Go to benefit action (BA) screen

• Key payment type in the SVC Rsn field
• Key RES for restore in Action field using reason code YBS
• Notes: enter this text 'manual restoration date required'
• Date of effect: date is either the date customer started Australian Apprenticeship OR date of notification (whichever is later)
• Complete Source field and the date of receipt in the Date of Receipt (DOR) field. The date of restoration and DOR need to be the same.
• Go the Assessment Result (AR) screen and finalise the activity

If payment is cancelled YBE

• Make note of the CAN-YBE date of event (DOV)
• Go to the Benefit Action (BA) screen and complete the following fields
• The payment type in the SVC RSN field
• 'CAN' in Action field
• Code 'OTH' in Reason field
• Enter date of effect as date before CAN-YBE DOV
• Code Source and DOR
• Go the Assessment Result (AR) screen and finalise the activity
• Note: care/consideration must be given to make sure customers are not paid incorrect arrears or unnecessary debts are raised and, that letters are inhibited

Once payments have been CAN- OTH payments can be restored:

• Go to Benefit Action (BA) screen
• In Svc Rsn field, select or key benefit type
• In Action field, key 'RES'
• Effect Date: field with the date from which the Commonwealth Apprenticeship Identification Number is current.
• Complete Source and DOR fields
• Go the Assessment Result (AR) screen and finalise the activity

Note: if the payment does not restore, some possible (but not limited to) fixes could include:

• End date the job seeker's full-time work status on the Customer Employment Status Update (EAES) screen
• Key a 'zero' income for the last employer that the job seeker had when they stopped work
• Make sure they complete all outstanding reporting periods, or
• End date the 'other income' on the Other Income Summary (OINS) screen

• Customers with an activity of Australian Apprenticeship are automatically profiled as 2 weekly stimulus reporters
• After going to the Entitlement (ELD) screen in Process Direct or the Assessments Results (AR) screen in Customer First, check the Reporting Regime Summary (RPRS) screen shows the customer is on 2 weekly reporting
• Explain self-service and Self Service Reporting. Register the customer for these services
• Advise of reporting obligations and the date employment income must be declared
• When transferring from job seeker to an Australian Apprentice, the Apprentice will continue to be entitled to a Health Care Card and can use the existing card until a new card is issued
• Record details on a DOC and finalise activity

Procedure ends here.

If the previous benefit was JSP or YA (job seeker):

• if there is a gap between the JSP or YA (job seeker) date paid to and the claim start date as an Australian Apprentice, and
• the customer is meeting their mutual obligation requirements as a job seeker, and
• has a working credit balance,
• restore JSP or YA (job seeker) in order to deplete working credits before transferring the activity type to Australian Apprentice

Make sure the final JSP reports are processed:

• the Authorised to Date: and Date Paid To: dates are equal on the NSS General Information (NGI) screen

Tell the customer their Health Care Card will cancel from the date they become an Australian Apprentice. Discuss automatic re-issue of Health Care Card for their Australian Apprenticeship when they submit a claim.

If a manual cancellation is required before the new claim can be processed, cancel the previous benefit from the date of suspension.

For more specific coding details, see:

• Assessing and coding students and Australian Apprentices claims for Youth Allowance (YA)
• Assessing and coding student and Australian Apprentice claims for Austudy
• Processing an ABSTUDY claim