Assessing entitlement to the Long Term Income Support rate of Austudy for students or migrants studying English language courses 010-04040000

The LTIS rate of Austudy is a higher rate of Austudy. It is available to some customers who are starting a course or an Australian Apprenticeship receiving an income support payment for a certain period.

The LTIS rate recognises a person who has been on income support for an extended period may have an increased need for further training and/or education to be competitive in the labour market. These customers are also less likely to have savings to help support this need.

A higher rate of payment intended to ease the transition when these customers decide to return to study or training. The higher rate gives the customer a similar rate of basic benefit as JobSeeker Payment (JSP) if they meet the relevant criteria.

The LTIS rate of Austudy is lower than the rate payable to single customers over 60 years of age who have been on payments for at least 9 months and are getting JSP. These customers should consider the reduction in rate before claiming Austudy.

Each time a student starts a new course or returns to a course following a break in study, they must satisfy the eligibility criteria to be considered a long term income support student.

The LTIS rate of Austudy is payable to a student or Australian Apprentice who:

• does not have a dependent child, and
• is undertaking qualifying study for Austudy in a course with a duration of at least 12 months
• is an Australian Apprentice and became an Australian Apprentice after turning 22, and
• has, when starting their course of study, been getting one or more of the following for at least 26 out of the preceding 39 weeks:
• JobSeeker Payment (JSP)
• Newstart Allowance (NSA)
• Wife Pension (WP)
• Parenting Payment Single (PPS)
• Parenting Payment Partnered (PPP)
• Disability Support Pension (DSP)
• Sickness Allowance (SA)
• Carer Payment (CP)
• Special Benefit (SpB), or
• Bereavement Allowance (BVA)

Note: nil rate periods are not considered as receiving payment for the purposes of the Austudy LTIS rate.

The LTIS rate may also be paid to customers who do not have English as a first language and are undertaking an approved English language course. In these cases, the period of time on income support is not relevant.

If the customer has a dependent child, the customer would be considered for the rate of Austudy payable to a single or partnered person with a dependent child (or some other payment) rather than the LTIS rate. The rates for customers with a dependent child are higher than the standard rates of Austudy.

The LTIS rate may be paid to students or an Australian Apprentice who qualify for Austudy who have been receiving one of the relevant income support payments (Austudy rules) for at least 26 weeks in the 39 weeks immediately before starting or restarting an approved course or Australian Apprenticeship.

In assessing this, 39 weeks is counted back from the day before the day they started or restarted the approved course or Australian Apprenticeship.

The customer does not need to have been continuously on income support for the whole period. However, the total time on income support must add up to at least 26 weeks (182 days) in the 39 weeks immediately before starting the course or apprenticeship.

Periods on an employment income nil rate period do not count towards time on income support.

When making an unfavourable decision, speak to the customer:

• explain the decision
• give them a chance to provide more information, and
• advise their review and appeal rights