Recording Vulnerable Welfare Payment Recipient (VWPR) assessments for Income Management or enhanced IM - social work 003-12130120

The VWPR assessment is generally part of a complex social work intervention requiring ongoing contacts with customers and third parties if appropriate.

There is no maximum number of contacts that can be recorded and this should reflect the complexity of the customer’s circumstances as well as the social work assistance provided.

Young people can be subject to automatic triggers for VWPR if they meet one of the following eligibility triggers:

• aged under 16 years and in receipt of Special Benefit (SpB-USY)
• 16 years of age or over and in receipt of an independent rate of Youth Allowance, Disability Support Pension or ABSTUDY Living Allowance due to meeting the Unreasonable to Live at Home (UTLAH) status, or
• under the age of 25 and receive a Crisis Payment (CrP) within the last 13 weeks due to prison release or psychiatric confinement

Customers will not be identified for Income Management or enhanced Income Management (enhanced IM) if they are:

• full-time students
• Australian apprentices
• currently on Voluntary Income Management (VIM) or Voluntary enhanced Income Management (VeIM)

Detrimental Exclusion temporarily excludes a young person from having the VWPR Youth IM or enhanced IM automatic triggers applied because the social worker has determined that IM or enhanced IM will be detrimental to the young person's wellbeing.

The VWPR Detrimental Exclusion assessment is generally part of a complex social work intervention requiring a number of contacts with customers and third parties if appropriate.

There is no maximum number of contacts that can be recorded, and this should reflect the complexity of the customer's circumstances as well as the social work assistance provided.

Social workers may determine welfare quarantining is 'Not Practicable due to Support and Demonstrated Capacity' as the customer has been on VWPR Youth IM or enhanced IM for 12 months, and they have:

• successfully engaged in a supportive relationship that provided mentoring, coaching or case management that included a transition to independence, or
• demonstrated the skills and ability to manage their money and to live independently, and
• satisfied the social worker that the customer is likely to continue participating in appropriate activities/supportive arrangements and therefore does not need to remain on welfare quarantining

A Social Work Information System (SWIS) report must be completed for these exclusion assessments (granted or rejected).

The VWPR exclusion assessment is generally part of a complex social work intervention requiring a number of contacts with customers and third parties if appropriate.

There is no maximum number of contacts that can be recorded, and this should reflect the complexity of the customer's circumstances as well as the social work assistance provided.

For other VWPR Youth IM or enhanced IM Exclusion categories, see Determining and reviewing an exclusion from automatically triggered Vulnerable Welfare Payment Recipient (VWPR) Youth Income Management and enhanced IM by social workers.

In line with a zero tolerance approach to harm of children, if a staff member in the course of their duties observes behaviour, which raises concerns about a child or young person's safety, Services Australia sets out specific steps that must be taken. Follow the agency's Risk Identification and Reporting model when identifying and responding to child safety concerns. See Risk identification and management of threats to the safety or welfare of a child for more information regarding this model and the agency's commitment to the safety of children and young people.