Full-time study exemptions for Youth Allowance (student) customers when their partner dies 010-19101857

Offer the services of a social worker during the first contact with a customer after the death of a partner. For more information, see Centrelink - Notification, confirming and recording a death.

YA students may be eligible for Bereavement Payment if their partner dies.

Note: YA students do not need to be considered independent to be eligible for a bereavement payment.

If the customer and partner's records are not linked they may need to show proof of the relationship. For more information, see Member of a Couple (MoC) and Separated under one roof (SUOR) assessments.

The customer may be entitled to a Lump Sum Bereavement Payment (LBP) or Partner Bereavement Payment (PBV). PBV can be assessed as either part of a new claim or when an existing customer contacts.

A YA student whose partner has died is eligible for a partner Part-time or full-time study as an approved mutual obligation requirement for Youth Allowance (YA)The exemption period is 14 weeks from when their partner died. If the customer is pregnant at the time of their partners death, they will be exempt from the full-time study requirements for the period of the pregnancy.

During the exemption period the student can:

• cancel their enrolment
• defer their study
• take an approved leave of absence, or
• reduce their study load to part time

The customer must have an intention to return to qualifying study:

• in the study period that commences immediately after the last day of the exemption period, and
• within 21 weeks from the day after the exemption period ends

Customers who do not intend to return to qualifying study will no longer qualify for YA (student). Eligibility for alternative payments must be explored.

Note: if the customer transfers to a JobSeeker Payment, the partner Part-time or full-time study as an approved mutual obligation requirement for Youth Allowance (YA) will continue for the bereavement period.

If a YA customer has a bereavement full-time study exemption coded on their record and uses the manage study details online service to update their study details, the details will not be automatically applied to their record. Service Officers may need to contact the customer by phone to determine their future study intentions if they have advised cessation of their course or a reduction in study load.

YA customers usually need to be in a de facto relationship for 12 months to be considered independent.

Note: in special circumstances, YA customers can be considered independent where the de facto relationship lasts at least 6 months.

Customer independence does not impact the application of an exemption from full-time study.

Complete a holistic assessment of a customer's circumstances after the death of their partner.

For more information, see Assessing independence when a customer is/was married or a member of a couple.