Assessing a customer with a disability when the parental home is isolated from required facilities for Youth Allowance (YA) at the away from home rate 010-06040090

If the YA customer is:

• dependent, go to Step 2
• independent, the customer does not require an approved reason to live away from home. Procedure ends here

A disability may be a physical, intellectual or psychiatric impairment.

Payment of Youth Disability Supplement (YDS), Mobility Allowance (MOB) or having an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) is not an automatic qualification for the away from home rate of YA. The customer will still need to provide evidence that they are required to live away from home for one of the reasons below to satisfy this away from home criterion.

Does the customer have a disability?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, the customer is not eligible for the away from home rate under this criterion. Record the reasons for the decision on a DOC. Procedure ends here

The parental home is isolated if it is:

• 56 kilometres or more from an appropriate government school, or
• 90 minutes travelling time 1 way, or
• isolated because of impassable roads for 20 school days in a year

Is the parental home isolated?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, the customer is not eligible for the away from home rate under this criterion. Record the reasons for the decision on a DOC. Procedure ends here

A customer with a disability who's parental home is isolated, may need to live away from home to:

• board at a special institution for people with disabilities
• access special facilities or medical treatment which would otherwise involve excessive travelling time, or
• avoid the effects of lengthy daily travel

Excessive travelling time/lengthy daily travel is usually defined as 90 minutes travelling time 1 way by public transport. However, allowance may need to be made, for the level of disability that the customer has.

The customer will need to provide evidence to support their claim, for example a letter from the special educational provider or treating doctor to verify their individual treatment plan. These cases are discretionary and each case should be assessed on its own merits with consideration given to the customer’s individual circumstances.

Does the customer need to live away from home?

• Yes, code the Independent/Homeless/Away From Home Details (NIH) screen with the grant reason code 'ADI' (customer has a disability – isolated from special facilities). See Commencement, cessation and coding of the away from home rate for Youth Allowance (YA)
• No, the customer is not eligible for the away from home rate under this criterion. Record the reasons for the decision on a DOC. Procedure ends here