Calculating the start day for Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) and ABSTUDY PES 106-05010100

For Pensioner Education Supplement (PES), a short course is a full-time course that lasts for 30 weeks or less, including holidays.

Is the customer undertaking a short course?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, see Table 2

Is the customer claiming PES or ABSTUDY PES?

• PES, go to Step 7
• ABSTUDY PES, go to Step 3

Customers claiming ABSTUDY PES, who received ABSTUDY in the past are not required to lodge a new claim to meet the closing date. These claims follow the same lodgement rules as all ABSTUDY claims. See Claiming ABSTUDY.

Is the student returning to full-time or concessional study-load study after a break?

• Yes, and the break was:
• less than or equal to one semester (including students returning to study after a semester/holiday break), go to Step 6
• greater than one semester, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 8

Did the student have a break greater than one semester due to circumstances beyond their control?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 9

If the student starts full-time study:

• in the first semester between 1 January and 31 March, qualifies, and starts before the third Friday, their start date will be 1 January. Procedure ends here
• in the second semester between 1 July and 31 July, qualifies, and starts before the third Friday, their start date will be 1 July. Procedure ends here
• outside the above dates, go to Step 9

If a student was receiving ABSTUDY PES just before the vacation period, see Specific coding requirements for paying ABSTUDY students over a vacation break.

Did the student undertake the same short course in the previous study period?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 9

Was the student unable to complete the short course because of circumstances beyond their control?

• Yes, the PES customer is a 'continuing student' if they are re-enrolling in the same short course. This does not include short course to a new short course. They will be undertaking full time Study as a student between the previous course and the same short course because a continuing student remains qualified from the end of the previous study period. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 9

• If an ABSTUDY customer is not required to lodge a new claim, their start day will be the date of qualification - usually the date the student started the course
• If the PES customer lodges the claim form within 4 weeks of the date of qualification, the start day will be the date of qualification - usually the date the student started the course
• If the PES claim is lodged outside 4 weeks of the date of qualification, the start date will be the date the claim was lodged

Note: different processes apply for customers in vulnerable circumstances.

Procedure ends here.

For PES, a full year course is a full-time course that lasts more than 30 weeks, including holidays, that starts on or after:

• 1 January and before 1 April, or
• 1 July and before 1 August

Is the customer starting or returning to a full year course or an articulated short course?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, see Table 3

If the customer is claiming:

• PES, go to Step 8
• ABSTUDY PES, go to Step 3

Customers are not required to lodge a new claim to meet the closing date if:

• they are claiming ABSTUDY PES and received ABSTUDY in the past. These claims follow the same lodgement rules as all ABSTUDY claims. See Claiming ABSTUDY
• they already receive ABSTUDY, (including Incidentals and part-time students), and now want to claim ABSTUDY PES. As the customer has already applied for ABSTUDY, they are only changing allowances under the ABSTUDY Scheme. The only information required to complete the transfer from ABY to EPA (ABSTUDY PES) is normally available on their qualifying payment record

Is the student resuming full-time or concessional study-load study after a break?

• Yes, and the break was:
• less than or equal to one semester (including students resuming study after a semester/holiday break), go to Step 6
• greater than one semester, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 7

Did the student have a break greater than one semester due to circumstances beyond their control?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 7

If the student is starting full-time study in the:

• first semester between 1 January and 31 March, qualifies and starts before the third Friday, their start date will be 1 January
• second semester between 1 July and 31 July, qualifies and starts before the third Friday, their start date will be 1 July

If a student was receiving ABSTUDY PES just before the vacation period, see Specific coding requirements for paying ABSTUDY students over a vacation break.

Procedure ends here.

The closing dates for full-year courses are:

• 31 March for a full-year course starting between 1 January and 31 March
• 31 July for a full-year course starting between 1 July and 31 July

Was their claim lodged before the relevant closing date?

Note: ABSTUDY secondary students will be eligible to have their ABSTUDY PES backdated to 1 January if they qualify and start by the third Friday in Term 1. A customer who is not required to lodge a new claim will meet the relevant closing date above.

• Yes, provided they qualify and started before the third Friday, their start date will be the first day of their course
• No, go to Step 15

A PES student undertaking a full year course would be eligible for payment in a calendar year from 1 January or 1 July (depending on starting semester of) unless they:

• did not lodge a PES claim by 31 March or 31 July in the year of study (depending on the semester study started), or
• had a break in full-time or concessional study of more than one semester (unless the break in study was of up to a year can be allowed where it was because of circumstances beyond their control), or
• did not start study within the first 2 weeks of the term/semester (unless this was due to circumstances beyond their control)

If one or more of the above circumstances applies to the customer, their eligibility starts at a date after 1 January or 1 July (depending on which semester they started studying in).

To determine the start day, if the course starts on or after:

• 1 January and before 1 April, go to Step 9
• 1 July and before 1 August, go to Step 10

Has the student made their claim on or before 31 March?

• Yes, go to Step 11
• No, go to Step 15

Has the student made their claim on or before 31 July?

• Yes, go to Step 11
• No, go to Step 15

Has the customer had a break in study?

• Yes, and the break was for:
• more than one semester, go to Step 12
• one semester or less, including where they were enrolled and undertook at least one day of study in the previous semester, go to Step 14
• No, go to Step 14

Was the break in study because of illness or other circumstances beyond the control of the student?

• Yes, go to Step 13
• No, the start date for PES will either be:
• the start date of the course, or
• the date they start full-time study if they start late, (such as after the Friday of the second week of the study period) unless they started late because of circumstances beyond their control
• Procedure ends here

The PES customer is an 'intending student'. This also applies if they are moving between courses including from a short course into a full year course.

They will be undertaking full time Study as a student between the previous course and the full year course.

The start date of PES will depend on when the student enrols, or intends to enrol, in the full year course. This could be from 1 January or an earlier date. For students who were enrolled and undertook at least one day of study in the previous semester, the start date would be the day after they were unable to continue the previous course due to circumstances beyond their control.

The start date of study for the PES student is:

• 1 January for full year course starting on or after 1 January but before 1 April
• 1 July for full year courses starting on or after 1 July but before 1 August

Note: for payment to be backdated, the student must start study in the course by the Friday of the second week of classes for PES, unless they were unable to due to circumstances beyond their control, in which case they should be treated the same as those who did start study within the first two weeks.

Procedure ends here.

From 1 July 2018, eligible customers will receive payments or concession cards from the date they actually submit a complete claim with all relevant supporting documentation.

Claims lodged within 4 weeks of starting study or becoming qualified for PES or ABSTUDY PES can have the start date backdated to the date the customer qualified.

Note: different processes apply for customers in vulnerable circumstances, see Intent to claim and vulnerable customers.

Procedure ends here.

For PES, a late starting course is a full-time course that lasts more than 30 weeks, including holidays and starts:

• on or after 1 April but before 1 July, or
• after 31 July

Is the customer undertaking a late starting course?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, procedure ends here

Is the customer claiming PES or ABSTUDY PES?

• PES, go to Step 5
• ABSTUDY PES, go to Step 3

Is the customer restarting study within 28 days or resuming study after a vacation?

• Yes, customer remains entitled to ABSTUDY PES over the break. The coding is the same for both scenarios, see Specific coding requirements for paying ABSTUDY students over a vacation break
• No, go to Step 4

Customers are not required to lodge a new claim to meet the closing date if:

• they are claiming ABSTUDY PES and received ABSTUDY in the past. These claims follow the same lodgement rules as all ABSTUDY claims. See Claiming ABSTUDY
• they already receive ABSTUDY, including Incidentals and part-time students, and now want to claim ABSTUDY PES. As the customer has already applied for ABSTUDY, they are only changing allowances under the ABSTUDY Scheme. The only information required to complete the transfer from ABY to EPA (ABSTUDY PES) is normally available on their qualifying payment record

• If an ABSTUDY customer is not required to lodge a new claim, their start day will be the date of qualification. This is usually the date the student started the course
• If the student lodges the claim form within 4 weeks of the date of qualification, the start day will be the date of qualification - usually the date the student started the course
• If the student lodges a claim for a late starting course and it is not lodged within 4 weeks of the date the course starts, the start date will be the date the claim was lodged

Note: different processes apply for customers in vulnerable circumstances.

Procedure ends here.