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Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) overseas absences 061-01070020

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Payments while outside Australia

Examples

Payments of PES during travel outside Australia

This table contains examples of how PES payments are affected when a customer travels outside Australia.

Item	Example
1	PES customer leaves Australia to live in another country + Read more Julie has been studying at University for the past 2 years and receiving PES. Julie has advised she is leaving Australia on December 4 to return to live in the USA. While payment would generally cease on departure due to the portability rules, Julie has advised that studies will cease on 20 November. Therefore PES will cease from 20 November rather than the date of departure.
2	PES customer departing Australia temporarily to study overseas + Read more Lou is attending University and receiving PES. Lou is required to study part of the course in Germany from July to December. At the end of this study Lou is planning on using the opportunity to tour Europe prior to returning to study in Australia from February the following year. Lou's PES is payable for the full period of study. In addition, it can be paid for 6 weeks from the end of study in Germany. As long as Lou returns to Australia prior to the end of the 6 weeks and remains enrolled to continue study the following year, the PES will be payable for the full absence. If Lou was to have 2 weeks holiday in August during her study period in Germany and returned to Australia, the original portability decision would continue when she left Australia again to return to Germany. That is, payment would continue until the end of the course in December.
3	PES customer not studying overseas departing Australia temporarily + Read more Jonathan is studying and receiving Parenting Payment (PP) and PES. Jonathan travelled to New Zealand to visit family from 10 January to 21 March for a total of 10 weeks. Jonathan's PES is only portable for 6 weeks and will suspend if Jonathan remains overseas. If Jonathan returns to Australia and there is a gap in entitlement to the Parenting Payment, Jonathan will need to lodge a new claim for PES.
4	PES customer not studying overseas departing Australia temporarily after a recent absence of longer than 6 weeks + Read more Peter is studying and receiving Carer Payment (CP) and PES. Peter travelled to New Zealand to visit family from 18 January to 22 March for a total of 9 weeks. Peter's payment was stopped after the 6 week maximum portability period for CP was exceeded. Peter reclaimed PES when he returned to Australia and it was granted. In April, Peter decided to go back to New Zealand to visit family for Easter. As Peter had not been in Australia for 6 weeks since the return in March, Peter is not entitled to a new period of portability. This applies even though Peter had to re-claim PES. Therefore, PES is not payable for any part of the absence in April.