Skip to navigation Skip to content

Determining who can be the applicant for the Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) 010-03020020

This page contains the steps to take to determine whether a parent/guardian or an organisation or an institution can be the applicant for a student under the Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC).

On this page:

Possible applicants for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC)

Determining eligibility criteria for a person other than a parent

Possible applicants for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC)

Table 1

Step	Action
1	Current AIC applicant + Read more ... Has the current AIC applicant died? Yes, go to Step 2 No, and the applicant is: an organisation, go to Step 6 anyone else, go to Step 9
2	Applicant's death confirmed + Read more ... When a person contacts to advise the death of an applicant, the death must be confirmed. Note: Service Officers must check the record of the applicant to ensure the death action has been completed. If the death action has been completed on the applicant's record, the death action will create a Manual Follow-up (MFU) on the AIC student's record. Has the death action already been completed on the applicant's record? Yes, go to Step 3 No, see Centrelink – Notification, confirming and recording a death and follow the process outlined. If the death has now: been actioned, go to Step 3 not been actioned, no further action can be taken until the death has been completed on the applicant's record. Procedure ends here
3	Cancelling AIC + Read more ... To cancel the AIC payment on the student's record: select the DEA MFU with keyword PTRAPPDE from the Activity List (AL) screen go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen the AIC payment should be displayed as cancelled ADE - Death of applicant record details on a DOC Go to Step 4.
4	Surviving partner + Read more ... The surviving parent/guardian may be eligible to receive the remaining entitlements for the year, however, they will need to lodge a new claim for AIC and meet the eligibility criteria to be payable. Did the applicant have a surviving partner? Yes, and the surviving partner has assumed responsibility and: has claimed AIC as an applicant for the student, go to Step 8 has not claimed AIC as an applicant for the student, go to Step 5 No, go to Step 6
5	Contacting the surviving partner + Read more ... Make genuine attempts to contact the surviving partner. If contact is successful: offer the services of a social worker at any time during contact invite the surviving partner to claim for AIC as an applicant for the student. See Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) eligibility if the surviving partner wishes to claim, send a claim form (if required), and record an intent to claim. See Intent to claim and vulnerable customers record the details on a DOC procedure ends here If contact is unsuccessful: send a Q164 letter to the surviving partner record the details on a DOC procedure ends here
6	Student accommodation details + Read more ... Does the student live with their parents/guardians in the organisation or the institution and the parent has at least some responsibility for the student? Yes, the parent is the approved applicant. Check the other eligibility criteria for AIC. Procedure ends here No go to Step 7
7	Approved applicant for an organisation or institution + Read more ... An organisation or institution may be the approved applicant if: it is a non-government body and the following conditions are met: the student boards with organisation during school term and their permanent home address satisfies one of the geographical isolation rules the student normally lives with the organisation/institution (including school vacations) but needs to board away to access an appropriate school due to the geographic isolation of the organisation/institution the organisation is a special institution where the student resides because of the nature of a disability or other health related condition An organisation who does not have primary responsibility for a student living continuously at the institution (due to a disability or other health-related condition), is not the applicant. The applicant would be the parent with whom the student would normally live, but for the need to board. To determine the applicant in this case, go to Step 10. Does the organisation have full responsibility for the student? Yes, the organisation has primary care of the student and is a: non-government organisation, it is an approved applicant. Check the other eligibility criteria for AIC. Procedure ends here government organisation, it is not an approved applicant. However, to determine if there is another approved applicant, go to Step 9 No, see Table 2 > Step 3
8	Possible overpayment + Read more ... Is there a possible overpayment identified on the deceased applicant's record? Yes, and the deceased applicant died after: receiving a term instalment in advance, that instalment stands as the correct payment for the term, or receiving a fortnightly in arrears payment, the payment made immediately (that is, up to 14 days) after the applicant's death stands as the correct payment. See Finalised 'no debt' (FND) or 'zeroing' debts that are not legally recoverable Any entitlement due to a subsequent applicant, who then assumes responsibility for the student, will only commence at the beginning of the following payment period. i.e. next term, or following fortnight Yes, and the deceased applicant died before: receiving a term instalment in advance, that instalment is not correct, and should be raised as an overpayment see Actioning an undetermined debt on the Debt Management and Information System (DMIS) No, go to Step 9
9	Prison, lawful custody or a psychiatric institution + Read more ... Is the applicant in prison, lawful custody or a psychiatric institution? Yes, the applicant is not an approved applicant. However, to determine if another person may be an approved applicant, go to Step 10 No, go to Step 10
10	State authorised foster care + Read more ... Is the student in state authorised foster care? Yes, the foster parent is an approved applicant. Check the other eligibility criteria for AIC. Procedure ends here No, go to Step 11
11	Student not in the care of a parent/guardian or the State + Read more ... Is the student not in the care of a parent/guardian or the State? Yes, the student should apply for Youth Allowance (YA) or ABSTUDY if they are an Indigenous student. Tell the student how to claim YA online or claim ABSTUDY by phone. Issue relevant paper forms to the student, if appropriate. See: Initial contact with students or Australian Apprentices claiming Youth Allowance (YA), or Claiming ABSTUDY Procedure ends here No, go to Step 12
12	Parents/guardians are divorced or separated + Read more ... Are the parents or guardians of the student divorced or separated? Yes, go to Step 13 No, either parent/guardian may be an approved applicant. Check the other eligibility criteria for AIC. Procedure ends here.
13	Student normally lives with one parent/guardian + Read more ... Does the student normally live with one of their parents/guardians? Yes, the parent/guardian the student normally lives with is the approved applicant. If the student normally lives with one of the parents and their partner, either that parent or their partner may be the approved applicant. Check the other eligibility criteria for AIC. Procedure ends here No, go to Step 14
14	Student lives with each parent/guardian at different times + Read more ... Does the student live with each parent/guardian at different times? Yes, consider the following factors: the approved applicant is the parent who has legal custody of the student, or if there is no legal recognition of who has care of the student, the approved applicant is the parent: with whom the student normally lives and has lived for the last 12 months or lives with during holidays who is responsible for the care (provides food and shelter) of the student who contributes regularly to the student's living and education costs who receives Family Tax Benefit (FTB), holds a Medicare card or receives other allowances for the student, or if neither parent has sole responsibility for the care of the student, the parent who has principal financial responsibility for the student is the approved applicant No, in cases where the parents are equally sharing the care of the student and the student spends an equal amount of time living with each parent, the approved applicant can be either parent or either parent's partner. See Table 2

Determining eligibility criteria for a person other than a parent

Table 2

Step	Action
1	Determine the approved applicant + Read more ... Can the approved applicant be determined? Yes, check the other eligibility criteria for AIC. Procedure ends here No, and the applicant is: the parent/guardian of the student or the parent's partner, go to Step 3 neither the parent/guardian of the student nor the parent's partner, go to Step 2
2	Primary or joint responsibility for the student's care + Read more ... If the claim form is lodged by a person other than a parent or parent's partner, consider the following: Does the person have primary (or joint) responsibility for the student's care? Does the person support the student wholly or substantially? Is the arrangement bona fide? If the parent (or parent's partner) is supporting the student in the other person's home or directly or indirectly providing financial assistance to the student, the person is not an approved applicant. Can the approved applicant be determined? Yes, check the other eligibility criteria for AIC. Procedure ends here No, go to Step 3
3	Contact for further information + Read more ... If the approved applicant cannot be determined from the information provided, make one genuine attempt to contact the applicant. Verbally request documents that confirm the applicant: is either the primary carer, or has joint responsibility for the student's care If a claim form: has not been lodged, advise the applicant a claim form needs to be provided. See Initial contact with customers claiming under the Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme has been lodged, go to Step 4
4	Document and notify decision + Read more ... When a claim has been lodged, and a determination cannot be made that the applicant has primary care of the student, reject the application at the end of the assessment. See Assessing and coding claims for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC).