Assessing parental home inadequate for study, work or job search for Youth Allowance (YA) at the away from home rate 010-06040080

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Factors

1

Lack of privacy

It is not unacceptable to expect a customer to share a bedroom. It is, in fact, quite a common occurrence in larger families and/or smaller houses. The nature of the situation that needs to be examined.

Factors that would need to considered include:

• The number of people sharing versus the size of the room - 2 people in a bedroom or 10 in a dormitory may be acceptable but perhaps not vice versa
• The relative ages of the people sharing - 2 teenagers may be expected to get along together but a teenager and a toddler or a teenager and an elderly person may be another matter. The nature of their interaction would also have to be taken into account
• The gender of the people sharing - it would not generally be considered acceptable for a customer to have to share a bedroom with someone of a different gender (with the possible exception of a very young child)
• The daily routine of the other person - the customer's roommate may be a shift-worker, a sleepwalker, an insomniac or just generally irritating. The extent of the problem this causes would have to be considered

The customer's sleeping area may serve another purpose (such as also being the laundry or the lounge) and so the customer's access to it would be limited. The effect this has on them may be significant or may be negligible.

Evidence would be needed to support any claim under this criteria. The customer should supply a written statement about the situation (the parent/s should as well) and a sketch plan of the house indicating the function of each room and who sleeps where. Dimensions of the rooms would be necessary. Service Officers will also check to ensure that all floors of a multilevel building are included.

The Service Officer should consider not just the size and number of occupants of the customer's bedroom but also the availability of other rooms. For example, a vacant 'guest bedroom' would tend to count against the customer's claim. Other rooms may also be able to be converted into a bedroom or at least be used as a study to alleviate some of the problems. Not all vacant or under-utilised rooms, however, are suitable as a bedroom and this needs to be taken into account.

2

Lack of physical facilities

Physical facilities that are suitable for general family life would normally be expected to be suitable for a student or job seeker. For example, students usually do not need a desk but can make do with a table (unless that table is in constant use for other things or is in a busy area); inadequate laundry facilities may make it very difficult for an Australian Apprentice to attend work or a job seeker to attend interviews appropriately dressed. Each case will be examined on its merits.

The customer would need to provide a written statement about the situation. The parent/s should also provide a statement.

3

Family conflict

Issues of family conflict will always be dealt with in a compassionate and professional manner. Great care will be taken. A statement such as 'My parents and I don't get along' could mean anything from 'My parents want me to keep my room tidy' to 'My parents bash me'.

The conflict may not directly involve the customer. Conflict between the parents may make it necessary for the customer to move out, particularly if alcoholism or family and domestic violence is a factor.

Services Australia cannot make an informed decision without the relevant information. This can happen where the customer will not discuss their circumstances in any detail. It is worth remembering that all information they give to the agency will be treated as confidential. An interview with a social worker can be arranged, if necessary, or if the customer requests it.

Minor problems that could be expected to occur naturally in any family would not be sufficient grounds to grant this rate.

Written statements (similar to those provided for 'unreasonable to live at home' cases) should be provided (unless a social worker makes a recommendation).

4

Chronic illness

Chronic illness affecting either the customer or a resident of the family home may be sufficient grounds for granting the away from home rate.

• The customer may have a medical condition that is exacerbated by living in the parental home. An example of this would be an asthmatic in a dusty or smoky environment. Whether this pollution arises externally (the parental home is located near a chemical plant) or internally (the family has a carpentry business run from the home) the issue remains the customer's health
• The chronic illness of another resident of the family home may have a detrimental effect on the customer. This effect may be physical (an elderly relative with Alzheimer's disease continually disturbing a student, ruining books, etc) or mental/emotional (a customer having to watch a parent succumbing to a terminal disease). In either case the customer may be better served to live away from home
• Immunosuppressed illness affecting either the customer or a resident of the family home may be sufficient grounds for granting the away from home rate. A medical condition that is exacerbated by living in the parental home. An example is, a selective IgA deficiency genetic disorder in a dusty or smoky environment

Each case will be assessed on its merits. The customer would need to provide written statements about the situation. These statements should include one from a medical practitioner confirming the nature of the illness and the effect that this is having.

5

Other factors

There may be other factors that necessitate a customer living away from home. Each case would be considered on its merits.