Using Centrelink records to determine entitlement for Youth Allowance customers 104-01020030

This document outlines the privacy laws and guidelines that staff must adhere to while performing their duties, specifically when assessing a customer's entitlement to Youth Allowance (YA).

Assessment of entitlement

Income of parents, guardians and/or siblings are used in determining qualification and rate payable for YA. As a result, information supplied for one customer may be used when assessing another customer's entitlement. Under the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) as contained in the Privacy Act 1988, customers are advised on forms that the information they provide on the form will be used to decide correct payments and suitability for services for themselves and, where relevant, third parties.

Change in circumstance affecting other member of the family

Staff are also bound by the privacy laws and guidelines about disclosing information. So, where information is obtained about a change in circumstances for one member of the family and this affects the rate of payment to another member of the family, care must be taken, when advising the customer of the change, to release only the minimum necessary details about the change in circumstances of the third party.

The Resources page contains a link to the Privacy intranet page.