Social worker involvement with Special Benefit (SpB) 003-12060030

Customers under 16 years are to be referred to a social worker for an Unreasonable to Live at Home (UTLAH) Special Benefit assessment, see Assisting a customer aged under 16. Customers who are assessed as not eligible and/or their claim is rejected may still be referred to a social worker for further support and/or referral to external agencies.

For Australian Citizen (ACC)/permanent resident children, see Special Benefit (SpB) for Australian Citizen Child (ACC) and Australian permanent resident children. There may be some instances where these customers may need a referral to a social worker.

Social workers must refer to Social worker’s role regarding Youth Protective Assessments when responding to a referral for an unsupported customer under 18 years old. They should make a Youth Protective Assessment referral to the relevant State or Territory Welfare Authority where required.

Customers can be paid independent Youth Allowance (YA) from 15 years of age, unless they are:

• under the minimum school leaving age for the State or Territory in which they reside, and
• do not have a formal exemption from attending school

SpB may be paid to a young person aged 15 to 17 years (inclusive) who is considered to be at risk of abuse, serious harm or violence before the completion of a protective assessment by a state/territory welfare department.

Customers who are under 15 years, or under school leaving age may be assessed for UTLAH for SpB. eligibility. This assessment will also involve considering if there is an appropriate parent/guardian or Approved Care Organisation (ACO) eligible to claim Family Tax Benefit (FTB) on behalf of the young person. Social workers must document their assessment in a UTLAH report in the Social Work Information System (SWIS).

For under 15 year olds, it is mandatory for social workers to consult with their Social Work Manager throughout the UTLAH assessment. For those who are at risk of homelessness or unsupported, SpB should only be paid if they meet all eligibility requirements and:

• after completion of a protective assessment, the state/territory welfare department does not intend to provide support to the young person, or
• it is determined that the support provided by the state/territory welfare department is inadequate

The social worker should offer the young person a referral to social casework. To refer the customer see the Social casework referral table on the Process page in Social work service referral.

If SpB is granted to a young person under the school leaving age, their qualification for YA will be considered when they reach school leaving age.

If the claim for payment has resulted from a relationship breakdown, referral to a social worker is mandatory:

• where family and domestic violence is not a factor, a social worker must be involved for the purpose of exploring the possibility of mediation and/or reconciliation, or
• where the claimant is suspected to have experienced or be experiencing family and domestic violence, the assuree claimant must be referred to a social worker before any contact with the assurer is made

The social worker is to:

• explore the possibility of mediation and/or reconciliation if family and domestic violence is not identified
• complete an assessment outlining if it is appropriate to contact the assurer or recommending that correspondence be delayed due to family and domestic violence

If a Newly Arrived Resident claims to be in severe financial hardship due to a change in circumstances, they must substantiate their claim.

A social work referral is strongly recommended where:

• there has been a change in complex circumstances, or
• an exploration of community support options is needed before SpB can be considered (as a last resort)

A social work referral is mandatory where:

• there has been a change in circumstances and family and domestic violence has been identified

The social worker is to:

• provide consultation on complex cases
• complete an assessment (especially if a Maintenance Exemption is needed)

The social worker is to consider that:

• For any Special Benefit claim lodged on or after 1 January 2012, the exemption from the Newly Arrived Resident's Waiting Period (NARWP) for family members of an Australian citizen or long term Australian resident will no longer apply to customer who are holders of a Partner Provisional Visa (Subclass 309, 310, 820, 826)
• These customers may be able to receive an exemption from the NARWP for other reasons, for example if they suffer a substantial change in circumstances for reasons beyond their control

A PPV holder claiming SpB due to a substantial change in circumstances beyond their control must substantiate their claim with documents.

A social work referral is strongly recommended where:

• there is a change in complex circumstances, or
• an exploration of community support options is needed before SpB can be considered (as a last resort)

A social work referral is mandatory where:

• there has been a change in circumstances and family and domestic violence has been identified

The social worker is to:

• provide consultation on complex cases
• complete a generic Social Work Report in the Social Work Information System

The information provided by a social worker should contribute to a decision about qualification for SpB, however it is the delegate, not the social worker, who makes the final decision about qualification.

Note: there is a group of young people who may arrive in Australia on a spouse visa via their parents. In this case, although they hold a partner provisional visa (because that is the visa their parent entered the country on) they are not a spouse or partner. Their circumstances will need to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

A Socially Marginalised customer is generally considered to be someone who:

• has poor prospects of finding work, and/or
• would not be considered by employers to be suitable for employment

SpB is a last resort after eligibility for other payments has been explored.

A social worker should:

• Assess if the person meets the eligibility criteria for SpB,
• Explore alternatives to granting SpB, for example, the customer may qualify for Disability Support Pension (DSP) but be reluctant to claim or seek professional help. Social workers can help the customer to receive treatment and claim the appropriate payment, and/or
• Explore possible assistance available through external agencies

The social worker is to:

• provide consultation on complex cases
• complete a generic Social Work Report in the Social Work Information System

This category only applies to customers who do not qualify for DSP for the sole reason that they do not meet residency requirements for DSP because their continuing inability to work occurred when they were not a resident of Australia and they do not have 10 years qualifying residence in Australia.

Note: DSP is payable to some customers under certain International Agreements. If the customer has lived or worked in an Agreement country that covers DSP, the customer should test their eligibility for DSP.

Referral to a social worker is recommended in all cases. Social workers can provide case consultation and offer advice about help that may be available through external agencies.

The social worker is to:

• Provide consultation on complex cases
• Complete a DOC on the customer's record briefly outlining their intervention. If needed, a generic Social Work Report is to be completed in the Social Work Information System

A social worker may be able to help the delegate in making a decision or in suggesting alternative support options to the customer.

A social work referral is strongly recommended where:

• there are complex circumstances,
• an exploration of community support options is needed before SpB can be considered (as a last resort), or
• the care situation needs further assessment (such as determining a carer's personal care or supervision needs, or information about the level of care or supervision and who is providing it)

The social worker is to:

• provide consultation on complex cases
• complete a generic Social Work Report in the Social Work Information System

If the carer is incapacitated, confirmation of circumstances is needed (such as medical evidence from the treating doctor). The evidence should outline the nature of the incapacity, extent to which the person concerned needs help with daily activities, and likely or estimated period for which care will be needed.

A social work referral is not compulsory for this category, however is strongly recommended where:

• there are complex circumstances
• an exploration of community support options is needed before SpB can be considered (as a last resort), or
• the care situation needs further assessment (such as determining a carer's personal care or supervision needs, or information about the level of care or supervision and who is providing it)

The social worker is to:

• provide consultation on complex cases
• complete a generic Social Work Report in the Social Work Information System

For this category, it may be necessary to involve a social worker before a decision can be finalised. The social worker can for example, explore referral options in the community before SpB is considered (as a last resort).

The social worker is to:

• provide consultation on complex cases
• complete a DOC on the customer's record briefly outlining their intervention
• if appropriate, complete a generic Social Work Report in the Social Work Information System

Social workers must record their involvement in SpB claims as follows:

• All contacts, referrals, and reports are to be recorded in the Social Work Information System (SWIS)
• Social worker DOCs are to be created on customer records