Rate of Youth Allowance (YA) when customer is in State care 010-06040020

A Youth Allowance (YA) customer who is currently in State care or is no longer in State care only due to age, should be able to provide a letter from the relevant State or Territory department confirming this.

Does the letter from the State or Territory department indicate the young person living with a natural or adoptive parent?

• Yes, the young person is not considered to be independent based on being in State care. Consider other grounds for independence. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 2

For a customer to be considered to be in State care they must:

• be in the guardianship, care or custody of a court, a Minister or a Department, of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory, or
• be under a current direction from a court, Minister or Department placing them in the guardianship, care or custody of someone who is not their natural or adoptive parent (this may include care from other family members, for example grandparents, aunts and uncles), or
• have been in one of the situations above, and only ceased to be in that situation because of their age

Note: this does not include young people in voluntary placements unless they have a direction from a court, Minister or Department or they are in the guardianship, care or custody of a court, Minister or Department.

Is the young person considered to be in State care?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 3

Has the young person stopped being in State care simply because of their age?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, the young person is not considered to be independent on these grounds. Consider other grounds for independence. End existing VRP code on Rate Component Override (RCO) screen (if applicable) from the date State care ceased. Record details on a DOC. Procedure ends here

A young person who was previously in State care and has only ceased being in State care due to age is considered to be independent for YA purposes.

Go to Step 8.

The letter confirming the young person is currently in State care will also confirm whether an allowance is being paid for the support of the young person. This allowance may be paid directly to the young person, or it may be paid to a third party such as foster parents.

Note: the amount of the allowance that is being paid is not relevant to this assessment.

See Resources for Allowances for the upkeep of the young person.

Is the State or Territory Government paying an allowance for the upkeep of the young person?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 7

A young person in supported State care is paid the in supported care rate, which is the equivalent of the at home rate of YA. See Rate chart for maximum payment of Youth Allowance (YA).

Where a supported State care recipient has a rent liability, they may be entitled to Rent Assistance. This includes customers who are receiving the NSW Independent Living Allowance. For the purposes of coding accommodation (AC) details, customers in State care who reside with a foster parent or legal guardian are not considered to be living with parents (LWP). Customers receiving the NSW Independent Living Allowance are eligible for Rent Assistance.

The system will not automatically pay Rent Assistance to a customer with the independent code of 'PSF'. For further action refer these cases to a Service Support Officer (SSO).

For SSO action only

Code the following:

• RCO: VRP- Pay RA
• RCO end date: One day preceding customer's 22nd birthday
• Record a DOA DOC to alert Service Officers of rate override, including cessation date

Refer to NSS system coding for manual rate of payment for more information.

Go to Step 8.

A young person in unsupported State care is paid the in unsupported State care rate which is the equivalent of the away from home rate of YA (regardless of whether or not they live with a foster parent or legal guardian).

Where an unsupported State care recipient has a rent liability, they may be entitled to Rent Assistance. For the purposes of coding accommodation (AC) details, customers in state care who reside with a foster parent or legal guardian are not considered to be living with parents ('LWP').

For processing instructions, see Completing the Accommodation Details (AC) screen and assessing Rent Assistance (RA).

Code details on the Independent/Homeless/Away from Home Details (NIH) screen.

• Act: IND
• Start date: for a new claim code the grant/reject date. For all other updates use the later of the date the customer:
• requested an assessment of independence, or
• became independent
• Start/Reject Reason: use the code that applies to the customer
• PSF, State care or ward - supported by guardian(s), or
• PSU, in State care or ward - not supported by guardian(s)
• Complete the Source: and DOR: fields
• Press [Enter]
• Finalise the activity on the Assessment Results (AR) screen or continue coding the new claim

Customers under the age of 18 years with code PSF

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

• Service reason: YAL
• Review reason: MAN (Manual Assessment Entitlement)
• Due Date:
• customer's 18th birthday, or
• a date prior to the 18th birthday if the customer will leave State care before turning 18
• Source: INT
• Date of Receipt: today's date
• Notes: for the following reviews:
• 18th birthday: 'Review PSF code. The young person may stop receiving any support from the State once they turn 18, and the code may need to be changed to PSU.'
• customers leaving State care before turning 18: 'Review PSF code. Customer may no longer be in supported State care. Contact the customer to review their circumstances and update NIH screen, if appropriate.'
• Keywords: for
• students, STCREREV
• apprentices, STCREAPT
• job seekers, STCREJSK
• 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 the customer receiving:

• NSW Independent Living Allowance, go to Step 9
• After Care Allowance, go to Step 9
• Western Australia (WA) Home Stretch Program, go to Step 10
• None of the above, go to Step 11

The amount of NSW Independent Living Allowance or After Care Allowance paid to a customer will be assessed as income. For coding information, see Assessment of income for Centrelink payments.

State care customers who are deemed independent due to age and are receiving the NSW Independent Living Allowance or After Care Allowance payments are assessed against the supported State care rate of Youth Allowance. There are 2 rates of this payment:

• under 18, or
• 18 and over

Advise the customer they must tell us when they cease receiving these payments.

Go to Step 11.

The WA Home Stretch Program has a number of elements that maybe be assessed as income. For further information, see Assessment of income for Centrelink payments.

Go to Step 11.

Record details on a DOC of all decisions and any advice given to the customer.