Calculating the start day for Austudy and Youth Allowance (YA) students and Australian Apprentices claims 106-05010150

The start day for Austudy and YA (student or Australian Apprentice) depends on the customer meeting the payability and qualification requirements for payment at the time of the claim.

Before payment can be made:

• students must meet study requirements

Australian Apprentices:

• do not have to satisfy the full-time study requirements
• must have a current Apprenticeship Identification Number

Generally, customer eligibility for payments or concession cards is assessed from the date they submit a claim.

Different processes apply for customers:

• in vulnerable circumstances; see Intent to claim for vulnerable customers
• who have an incapacity; see Calculating the start day for an incapacitated customer

The start day to be paid as a student is:

• the date of claim, if on that day the customer:
• satisfied the full-time study requirements for YA students, or
• the activity test for Austudy, and
• satisfied all of the date of claim conditions
• is payable, apart from the application of an Income Maintenance Period or waiting period
• the student start date, if the customer:
• was not a student before claiming, and
• is payable, apart from the application of an Income Maintenance Period or waiting period, and
• their student start date is after the date of receipt of the claim (as this is the date the customer is first undertaking full time study as a student for Austudy or YA (student)), or
• the transfer date, if the customer is transferring to Austudy or YA (Student) from another payment. See Assessing and coding a transfer to Austudy or Youth Allowance (YA) student claim from another payment

If a customer starts their course before the second Friday after the course start date set by their education provider, they are deemed to have started on their course start date. See Late commencement of course for ABSTUDY, ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES), Austudy, PES, and Youth Allowance (YA)

The Resources page has information and scenarios for determining the first day of a course.

An Australian Apprentice is a person who has a current Apprenticeship Identification Number in relation to a full-time:

• apprenticeship
• traineeship, or
• trainee apprenticeship

This does not include those:

• undertaking a part-time or school-based apprenticeship, or
• whose Apprenticeship Identification Number is suspended or cancelled

The start date for an Australian Apprentice is the latter of the:

• date of claim, or
• the Apprenticeship Identification Number start date

Student and Australian Apprentices provide their, and/or their partner's current and future employment income details in their claim.

This information is used to determine:

• if the start date of their payment needs to be manually changed to a day the customer is both eligible and payable, or
• if their claim should be rejected because employment income will preclude them from payment in the 13 weeks after claim lodgement

The system will apply a Manual Start Date on the Date of Commencement (NDC) screen when the customer lodges a claim for YA (student) and:

• is under 22 years of age
• is not a continuing or intending student, and
• has a Student Start Date later than the claim submission date

This will make sure the customer is paid from the date they meet study requirements.