Determining and reviewing an exclusion from automatically triggered Vulnerable Welfare Payment Recipient (VWPR) Youth enhanced Income Management by social workers 103-01180040

The following customers who live in a VWPR enhanced IM location will automatically be identified for VWPR Youth enhanced IM if they are aged:

• under 16 years and getting Special Benefit (SpB-USY)
• 16 years or over and getting an independent rate of Youth Allowance (YA), Disability Support Pension (DSP) or ABSTUDY Living Allowance due to meeting the Unreasonable to Live at Home (UTLAH) criteria, or
• under 25 years and received a Crisis Payment (CrP) in the last 13 weeks due to prison or release from psychiatric confinement

Customers will not be identified for VWPR Youth if they are a full-time student or Australian Apprentice (in receipt of YAL/CUR-STU or YAL/CUR-APT, full rate of Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) or ABSTUDY (ABS) with an amount identified as a living allowance), or currently on Voluntary Income Management or enhanced Income Management.

Customers may be eligible for an exclusion from VWPR Youth enhanced IM if:

• they have received less than 25% of their maximum basic rate of payment for at least 4 out of the last 6 fortnights, or
• a social worker determines enhanced IM is detrimental or not practicable

See Vulnerable Welfare Payment Recipient (VWPR) Youth enhanced Income Management Exclusions.

Social work determined exclusion

Social workers may determine a VWPR Youth customer is eligible for an exclusion for the following reasons:

• Detrimental: where enhanced IM would place the customer's mental, physical or emotional wellbeing at risk, includes situations where a customer:
  • cannot meaningfully engage with the agency due to mental health issues, or
  • does not have the capacity to comprehend the operation of enhanced IM, or
  • is experiencing serious instability in their housing or living situation and enhanced IM would substantially impair their ability to meet housing costs
• Not Practicable due to Support & Demonstrated Capacity: as the customer has been on VWPR Youth enhanced IM for 12 months, and they have:
  • successfully engaged in a supportive relationship that provided mentoring, coaching or case management that included a transition to independence, or
  • demonstrated the skills and ability to manage their money and to live independently, and
  • satisfied the social worker that they are likely to continue participating in appropriate activities/supportive arrangements and therefore does not need to remain on enhanced IM

If customers do not meet the exclusion criteria, they may still request an exclusion from enhanced IM. If a VWPR Youth customer requests an exclusion this is to be assessed and the outcome documented.

If a VWPR Youth exclusion assessment is not undertaken, the social worker must clearly outline the reasons for this and include details of discussion with the customer and any other support provided.

Exclusions from VWPR can be requested under this measure every 90 days.

After completing a VWPR Youth exclusion assessment, the social worker must record the outcome of the exclusion assessment, whether granting or rejecting the application.

The outcome of enhanced IM exclusion assessments is documented and referred to enhanced IM staff trained in manual processes to action through a Manual Follow Up (MFU) activity.

Social Work Information System (SWIS) reports are also required. See Recording Vulnerable Welfare Payment Recipient (VWPR) assessments for Income Management or enhanced IM – social work.

If a social worker determines the customer is eligible for an exclusion, they will exclude the customer from VWPR Youth for a period of 12 months.

The social worker must review the customer's circumstances before the end of the exclusion period. A new exclusion assessment is required if the exclusion is to be granted for a further 12 months.

Social workers can end the exclusion period early if required, which may result in the customer being eligible for enhanced IM, providing they meet all eligibility criteria. An exclusion assessment must be completed if varying or ending the exclusion eligibility.

Note: customers granted an exclusion because enhanced IM would place their wellbeing at risk will be automatically excluded from enhanced IM under the Disengaged Youth (DEY) and Long Term Welfare Payment Recipients (LTWPR) measures during this period.

Customers can request an explanation or apply for a formal review of the social worker's decision to reject a request for an exclusion from automatically triggered VWPR Youth.

Under the review and appeal process:

• a SME social worker who was not the original decision maker will
• explain the exclusion decision to the customer, and
• determine if the customer's exclusion assessment is correct
• an ARO will undertake a formal review of an exclusion decision

Restrictions on the customer requesting another exclusion from VWPR Youth (once every 90 days) does not stop the customer from applying for a formal review of the original determination.

Note: a new Social Worker Information System (SWIS) VWPR report is required if new information is provided, and the original decision is to be set aside.