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Unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH) initial contact for Youth Allowance (YA), Disability Support Pension (DSP), Special Benefit (SpB) or Tertiary Access Payment (TAP) 001-04030020

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If a child is in immediate danger or risk of harm you must act, and a delegate must call 000.

Risks to a customer's privacy have been identified. See Separating Safely - protecting personal details to make sure the customer's personal details are safe before progressing.

This page contains the steps to take if a customer is currently in receipt of YA or DSP, or lodges a claim for YA, DSP, SpB or TAP and their circumstances may meet UTLAH independence category.

On this page:

Initial contact discussion

UTLAH assessment - preliminary steps

Previous UTLAH - check for change of circumstances

Assessing independence because it is unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH)

Customers aged 16 or 17 years - UTLAH assessment process

Customers aged 18 years or older - UTLAH assessment process


Initial contact discussion

Initial contact may be:

  • a customer attending a service centre or calling by phone
  • an online claim
  • a paper claim form

Table 1

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Step

Action

1

Customer indicates it is unreasonable for them to live at home

Face-to-face contact: Typically done by service centre staff. Staff may complete this step if they are trained.Processing Team: Typically done by specialised processing teams in a service centre or Smart Centre. Unless otherwise stated, staff may complete this step if they are trained.

If the customer is lodging a new claim, refer to Intent to claim for vulnerable customers.

Has the young person said it is unreasonable to live at home or have they told the agency about circumstances that may meet UTLAH criteria, and they want to be:

  • assessed as independent, or
  • exempt from providing parental income if they are receiving TAP?

Note: this could be verbally, in an online question set or on a paper claim form for YA, DSP or SpB.

2

State care

Is the customer currently claiming or receiving Youth Allowance (YA) or Disability Support Pension (DSP) and in State care, or left State care only because of their age?

3

Determine where the customer is living

Face-to-face contact: Typically done by service centre staff. Staff may complete this step if they are trained.Processing Team: Typically done by specialised processing teams in a service centre or Smart Centre. Unless otherwise stated, staff may complete this step if they are trained.

Note: parent means a biological, adoptive or relationship parent of the young person. A guardian is not considered a parent for the purposes of determining if it is unreasonable to live at home with a young person's parent(s).

Is the customer living out of the parental home?

  • Yes, see Table 2
  • No, the customer cannot currently be considered independent based on it being unreasonable to live at home:


UTLAH assessment - preliminary steps

Table 2

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Step

Action

1

Child 15 years or under or otherwise at risk

Face-to-face contact: Typically done by service centre staff. Staff may complete this step if they are trained.Processing Team: Typically done by specialised processing teams in a service centre or Smart Centre. Unless otherwise stated, staff may complete this step if they are trained.

Is the customer a child 15 years or under or otherwise at risk?

2

Nominee or person permitted to enquire arrangement

If the customer has a nominee, discuss with them whether this arrangement should continue. Refer to Separating Safely - protecting personal details.

Does the customer have a current nominee or person permitted to enquire arrangement?

3

Check contact details and payment destination

Make sure the customer's details are up to date.

Phone and address details

Check the young person's telephone and address details are correct and update if needed. Refer to Separating Safely - protecting personal details.

Payment destination

If the customer is currently receiving a dependent income support payment and their payment is directed to their parents, consider if the payment destination should be updated. UTLAH circumstances may mean the payment is not being used for the customer's benefit.

Do not suspend or cancel payments pending a UTLAH decision. Only suspend or cancel the payment if the customer does not qualify for the payment.

4

Check if the customer has previously been granted UTLAH for any payment type

Where a customer is claiming more than one payment, for example YA and TAP, they only need one UTLAH assessment.

A new UTLAH assessment is not needed, if:

  • a customer is re-claiming or claiming a different payment within 52 weeks of last being entitled to a payment paid under a UTLAH independence category, and
  • their circumstances have not changed

Was the customer receiving YA, DSP, SpB or ABSTUDY in the 52 weeks before a new payment claim, and previously assessed as independent under UTLAH provisions?


Previous UTLAH - check for change of circumstances

Table 3

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Step

Action

1

Check if there has been a change of circumstances since the last UTLAH assessment

To determine if there has been a change of circumstances since the last UTLAH assessment, consider the following questions, (for online claims or ACC, these questions are asked in the claim):

  • Has the customer returned to live at home for any periods over 28 days since the last UTLAH assessment was completed?
  • Is the customer receiving any continuous support from their parent(s)/guardian(s)?

If the young person answers:

  • Yes to either or both of the above questions:
    • discuss the change(s) with them and DOC the customer's record with the details
    • See Table 4
  • No to both questions above, the customer does not need another UTLAH assessment. If the customer is claiming:
    • TAP, go to Step 2
    • YA, DSP or SpB, record no change to circumstances on a DOC and remove the independence code end date on the Independent/Homeless/Away From Home Details (NIH) screen. Procedure ends here

2

Customer is claiming TAP

For customers previously assessed for UTLAH who state their circumstances have not changed:

  • record no change to circumstances on a DOC
  • in Customer First, remove the independence code end date on the Independent/Homeless/Away From Home Details (NIH) screen
  • change to Process Direct and go to the TAP new claim. Select the appropriate Parental income exemption reason from the dropdown menu on the TAP Circumstance Details (TPCD) screen. Use the same code used on the NIH screen. The UTLAH parental income exemption reasons for TAP are:
    • HDH - Serious family breakdown - long term domestic disharmony
    • HNH - No parental home
    • HOE - Other exceptional circumstances
    • HSR - Customer at serious risk
  • Finalise the UTLAH DOC

Procedure ends here.


Assessing independence because it is unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH)

Table 4

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Step

Action

1

Aged 15 years or under but under school leaving age

Face-to-face contact: Typically done by service centre staff. Staff may complete this step if they are trained.Processing Team: Typically done by specialised processing teams in a service centre or Smart Centre. Unless otherwise stated, staff may complete this step if they are trained.

Is the customer aged under 15 years, or is 15 years but under the minimum school leaving age for the State or Territory where they live?

  • Yes:
    • If the customer wants to claim a payment and has not yet done so, service officers should help the customer to claim Special Benefit (SpB) online or using Assisted Customer Claim
    • Immediately refer them to a social worker. The social worker will undertake a risk assessment and arrange for a local social work UTLAH assessment to start. If the customer is in State care, the UTLAH assessment will also consider the adequacy of State care
    • Procedure ends here
  • No, go to Step 2

2

Explore other options before UTLAH assessment

Face-to-face contact: Typically done by service centre staff. Staff may complete this step if they are trained.Processing Team: Typically done by specialised processing teams in a service centre or Smart Centre. Unless otherwise stated, staff may complete this step if they are trained.

Explore other options before referring for an UTLAH assessment, so:

  • customers and parents are not unnecessarily subjected to a sensitive and sometimes longer process, and
  • the customer receives the correct rate of payment

Other options may also let the young person receive a payment quickly while their UTLAH eligibility is assessed. For example, State care, parents cannot exercise parental responsibilities, refugee, or orphan. See:

Note: for YA, if the assessment is for a student undertaking an approved scholarship course, independence under UTLAH or State care criteria may attract a Relocation Scholarship. This may be more financially beneficial for the customer, rather than granting independence under other provisions.

Is the customer independent on other grounds?

  • Yes, and the customer is:
    • a YA student undertaking an approved scholarship course and the other independence category does attract a Relocation Scholarship, assess the claim using the other independence criterion. Procedure ends here
    • a YA student undertaking an approved scholarship course and the other independence category does not attract a Relocation Scholarship, go to Step 3
    • not a YA student undertaking an approved scholarship course, assess the claimusing the other independence criterion. Procedure ends here
    • claiming TAP, go to Step 5
  • No, go to Step 3

3

Check payment and age of customer for consideration of away from home rate while awaiting UTLAH assessment

Face-to-face contact: Typically done by service centre staff. Staff may complete this step if they are trained.Processing Team: Typically done by specialised processing teams in a service centre or Smart Centre. Unless otherwise stated, staff may complete this step if they are trained.

Determine the highest available payment rate for the customer before referring them for a UTLAH assessment. See the away from home rate for YA customers.

Is the young person a YA customer, aged 16-21 years and needs to live away from home for the purpose of education, training, or employment?

  • Yes, assess YA at the away from home rate plus rent assistance (if applicable):
  • No, go to Step 4

4

How old is the customer?

If the customer is aged:

5

Check if a TAP customer may be exempt from providing parental income

TAP customers may be exempt from providing parental income under any other reason because they:

  • have (or have had) a dependent child
  • are an orphan
  • have parents unable to exercise parental responsibilities. For example, parents are in prison or a nursing home
  • are a refugee
  • are in State care
  • have Special Adult Status in a traditional community (indigenous only)
  • currently have care of another person's child
  • are 16 years or older and living in an Indigenous community after previously living with a non-indigenous family for more than two years (indigenous only), or
  • are 18 or older and have been in lawful custody for six months

Is the TAP customer exempt from providing parental income for any of the above reasons?

  • Yes, request appropriate supporting evidence. To request additional documents, select https://ourblueprint.internal.dept.local/content/images/process_direct_small/more options.png| > Request Documents. On the Maintain page, complete the following:
    • Benefit: field, Tertiary Access Payment
    • Benefit Status: field, New Claim
    • Authority To Request: field, Tertiary Access Payment Guidelines for VET and NUHELP Applicants
    • Information to be supplied within: field, 28 days
    • select the relevant form or document required for assessment
    • select Finish
      The claim is automatically placed on Hold, for the reason 'Customer to provide Information'. For further details about requesting additional documents, see Requesting information (CLK). Procedure ends here
  • No:
    • Ask the TAP customer to complete the Tertiary Access Payment parent(s)/guardian(s) details, for assessment under their parent(s)/guardian(s) income details (SY105). The SY105 is contained in the Claim for Tertiary Access Payment (SY104). See the Resources page for a link to the form
    • Procedure ends here


Customers aged 16 or 17 years - UTLAH assessment process

Table 5

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Step

Action

1

Customers aged 16 or 17 years - UTLAH assessment process

Customers aged 16 or 17 years must attend a phone appointment with the social work UTLAH team. Customers can book and reschedule their social work UTLAH appointment online. Some may have difficulty doing this.

Contact about a started or submitted claim

If a customer aged 16-17 years contacts about a started or submitted claim, and they need an UTLAH assessment, service officers must:

  • confirm that the customer has a social work appointment booked or they have attended one, and
  • book a Social Work UTLAH appointment if there is not one already scheduled or attended
  • Go to Step 2

Claim allocated for processing

Service officers allocated a claim for processing that requires a UTLAH assessment must:

  • confirm that the customer has a social work appointment, or they have attended one
  • not place a claim on hold awaiting UTLAH if no appointment has been booked or attended
  • send a pre-call SMS and make genuine attempts to contact by phone to tell the customer they must undertake a social work interview and then book an appointment

No contact details

If the customer does not have a contact number, service officers must:

  • annotate the Progress of Claim DOC
  • create a Display on Access DOC (using code OTH) and include the following text:
    • 'Customer to be assessed for UTLAH, a Social Work Appointment is required. Customer has no contact information on record. If customer contacts, please update customer's telephone details, and book a Social Work UTLAH appointment'
  • issue a Q164 letter asking the customer to make contact. In the letter, tell them that the claim will be rejected if they do not respond
    • if the customer fails to respond to Q164 in 22 days, reject the claim 'failed to reply to correspondence' (FRC). In the Rejection DOC include the following text:
    • 'Customer has not responded to request to contact. Unable to progress UTLAH assessment as no contact number supplied and Social Work UTLAH appointment cannot be completed'
  • Go to Step 2

Unsuccessful contact

If contact is unsuccessful, add notes to the Progress of Claim DOC, and book the next available social work UTLAH appointment.

2

Customers aged 16 or 17 years - book a social work UTLAH appointment

Book the social work UTLAH appointment in the Centrelink Appointment System using Process Direct or Customer First.

  • For guidance requesting an urgent UTLAH assessment, or a reassessment for a customer who has turned 18 since their original assessment, see Urgent UTLAH assessment below
  • Tell the customer:
    • they need a social work interview for their claim to progress
    • the social worker will call them from a private number
    • to check they do not have incoming calls from private numbers blocked
    • if they do not have reliable access to a phone, they can attend their nearest service centre at the time of the appointment. Record any such arrangements in the appointment notes

In Customer First:
  • access the customer record
  • from Workspace, locate the Appointments box and select Book and Manage appointments
  • select Create Appointment
  • Appointment Type: select SWO Unreasonable to Live at Home
  • Appointment Channel: defaults to Phone
  • Service Reason: select most appropriate to customer's payment type
  • Specify if the customer needs an interpreter
  • Phone: select the customer's preferred phone number
  • select Next
  • On this day: defaults to the next available appointment date, or select the customer's preferred date
  • Timezone: defaults to the customer's location. Check this is correct
  • if appointment times do not show below, select Find
  • select the customer's preferred appointment time
  • select Next
  • Appointment Note: include any relevant details for the assessing social worker
  • select Finish

In Process Direct:
  • access the customer record
  • using Super Key, go to the Appointments (APPT) screen
  • any existing appointments will show under Booked Appointments. There are options to Create, Reschedule or Cancel an existing appointment
  • select Create/make new appointment
  • Appointment Type: select SWO Unreasonable to Live at Home
  • Appointment Channel: select Phone
  • Service Reason: select most appropriate to the customer's payment type
  • On this day: defaults to the next available appointment date, or select the customer's preferred date
  • Location: select a location starting with UTLAH to find available appointments:
    • The location selected does not need to match the customer's location
    • service officers may need to change the location several times before appointments show under Available Time
    • If an appointment cannot be found by changing the location, change the date to the next business day and try again
  • Planned Time: populates after an appointment is selected. Do not attempt to change the default times
  • Available Time: select the customer's preferred appointment time
  • Appointment Note: include the customer's preferred contact phone number and any other relevant details for the assessing social worker
  • select Save

Urgent UTLAH assessments

UTLAH assessments can be considered urgent for customers aged 16-17 years with:

  • very limited/no ongoing financial or other support, and
  • extremely unstable or no accommodation, and/or
  • significant other risk factors requiring immediate assessment

In these cases, service officers must:

  • make sure the customer's telephone contact details are correct
  • book the next available SWO Unreasonable to Live at Home phone appointment for the customer. This will help secure a timely interview if a social worker is not able to immediately connect with the customer. Advise the customer that the social worker will call from a blocked number
  • check the young person has submitted a claim for income support and assist them to do so if there is no current claim or their claim is in draft status
  • warm transfer the young person to the Social Work Line:
    • select option 2 for Centrelink customers, then option 1 for customers under 18 years
    • case consult with the social worker before transferring the customer
    • the social worker will accept the referral, conduct a risk assessment and determine whether the customer requires an immediate assessment or other support

Customers in remote communities

If a UTLAH assessment is required for a customer aged 16-17 years residing in a remote area of Western Australia, Northern Territory or Northern Queensland, service officers can direct the request to a remote UTLAH-skilled social worker. See the Resources page for a link to Office Locator, which includes contact details and information about remote UTLAH assessment requests.

Note: do not use the Social Work Referral guided procedure to refer a 16 or 17 year old customer for a UTLAH assessment. This will cause a delay for the young person.

Procedure ends here.


Customers aged 18 years or older - UTLAH assessment process

Table 6

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Step

Action

1

Customers aged 18 years or older - UTLAH assessment process

UTLAH statements supplied via secure online services do not require a signature. However, if the statement is from a person who is not the owner of the online service, the form must have a wet ink signature.

An O18 UTLAH Online Claim DOC generates when a customer 18 years or over indicates it is unreasonable for them to live at home during a new claim. This DOC remains open on the Activity List (AL) screen as a UTLAH new claim work item.

If the customer needs a UTLAH assessment for a new claim, service officers must check for an 'O18 UTLAH Online Claim' DOC or 'O18 UTLAH Claim Progress' DOC.

Is there an open O18 UTLAH Online Claim or Claim Progress DOC on the AL screen?

If the customer is unable to complete the SY015 online issue a Statement by Young Person (SY015) using Request Documents in Process Direct, go to Step 3.

Note: service officers in O18 will assess customers aged 18 years or older for UTLAH. A social work appointment is not needed. However, if the customer asks for a social worker or is presenting with vulnerable circumstances and inadequate supports, see Referral to a social worker.

2

Customers aged 18 years or older - statement by young person

A UTLAH assessment cannot commence without a Statement by Young Person (SY015).

If the customer has lodged a Statement by Young Person (SY015), staff must:

  • scan relevant documents to the customer's record and
  • create an O18 UTLAH ACTDOC Enquiry DOC so the O18 UTLAH Team can action the evidence
    • use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Social Worker > Update > O18 UTLAH ACTDOC Enquiry
    • Document Completion must be set to No

The O18 UTLAH Team Service Officer will create a O18 UTLAH Claim Progress DOC.

Tell the customer the O18 team may contact them for further details. Calls are from a private number.

3

Customers aged 18 years or older - statement by parents

In most cases, customers are required to provide an 'Unreasonable to live at home' Statement by Parent(s)/Guardian(s) (SY016) form for their UTLAH assessment. If parents are separated, an SY016 form is needed from each parent.

Check if the customer has submitted the relevant SY016 UTLAH Statement(s) from their parent(s). If they:

  • have submitted one or more SY016 forms, go to Step 5
  • have not yet submitted the SY016 form(s), tell them that a statement from their parent(s) is needed, except:
    • where this would put the young person at risk, or
    • if they have had no contact with the parent(s) for more than 2 years

Customer cannot obtain an SY016 from their parent(s) or this poses a risk

  • If the young person states their parent(s) will not complete an SY016, seek their consent for a service officer from O18 to contact their parent(s) by phone
  • In some cases, the customer may not give their consent and/or may disclose circumstances that indicate contact with their parents by the agency may put them or others at risk. For example, from family and domestic violence, including homophobia and transphobia

Is the customer unable to provide an SY016 for either of these reasons?

4

Customer cannot provide a statement from parents or this poses a risk

If the young person cannot obtain a completed SY016 for one or both parents, or it could be unsafe for them to do so, complete a warm transfer to UTLAH Over 18 team. If the call is unsuccessful:

  • record the details in a Fast Note - select Auto text, use Social Worker > Update > O18 UTLAH CALLDOC Enquiry
  • Document Completion must be set to No
  • include the parent(s) name(s) and phone number(s) and the customer's consent for the Over 18 UTLAH team to phone them (if consent has been provided and there are no risk concerns)
  • clearly note in the Fast Note if there are risk concerns related to contact with parents
  • make sure the customer's telephone details are up to date and advise them the Over 18 UTLAH Team will call from a private number

Do not record any sensitive details on the customer's record.

For full details, see Completing the Youth Allowance and ABSTUDY 'Unreasonable to live at home' Statement by Parent(s) (SY016).

5

Customers aged 18 years or older - statement by third party

Tell the customer that an independent third party they nominate, (for example a youth worker, guidance counsellor or adult family member), may need to complete a Statement by Independent Third Party (SY017) form.

Explain that a service officer from the Over 18 UTLAH Assessment team will contact the third party or issue the form if this is required.

Note: an SY017 is not required for all Over 18 UTLAH assessments.

For full details, see Completing the Youth Allowance and ABSTUDY 'Unreasonable to live at home' Statement by Independent Third Party (SY017)

Has the customer provided a UTLAH statement?

6

UTLAH statements are returned

When any UTLAH statements are returned:

  • Check that they are fully completed and signed
  • Prepare and scan the available UTLAH statements onto the customer's record. For scanning a document, and to manually update outstanding related tasks for a pending new claim, see Circumstance Change Monitor (CCM)
  • When scanning:
    • make sure the first page to be scanned includes the page with the barcode
    • do not tick 'store only' to make sure an activity is created on the customer's record
    • make sure the documents are batch stored appropriately
    • scan relevant documents to the customer's record

Note: if the documents were uploaded by the customer online, make sure all necessary referrals are completed, and UTLAH work items are open. The system will map the resulting work item to the correct processing team.

If the forms are categorised correctly, go to Step 7.

When UTLAH statements are incorrectly categorised in Workload Management

If a customer or staff member has incorrectly uploaded an SY015, SY016 or SY017 with a different form code, update the form details.

Updating the Document Details screen will not change the WLM categorisation of this work item.

To change the WLM categorisation of the work item, staff must go to either Worklist search results or the Work Item Details screen in Work Optimiser:

To recategorise via the Work Item Details screen:

  • Select the work item
  • Select Unassign
  • In the Reason pop-up, select Re-categorised from the dropdown menu
  • Select the Re-categorise field to show a pop-up
  • In the pop-up, select the Work Type field and key: 'ZALL_ULH_NCL'
  • Select Submit to save changes

A warning message will show if the work item has already been recategorised.

Once recategorised, a message at the bottom of the screen says the work item is unassigned.

7

Priority assessment check

A young person may be considered for a priority UTLAH assessment if they do not receive the basic rate of a Centrelink income support payment and meet one of the below criteria:

  • has no form of accommodation, that is, they need to access refuge or emergency accommodation
  • has significant health issues (physical or psychological)
  • are at risk of suicide or self-harm
  • has left a Family and domestic violence situation and has no support

Note: a priority assessment check is not applicable for TAP claims. Eligibility is determined 42 days after the customer's student start date. Encourage customers to claim Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY as a UTLAH customer to facilitate a priority assessment check.

If the customer:

  • needs a priority assessment
    • record reasons for priority assessment by creating an open Fast Note - select Auto text, use Social Worker > Update > O18 UTLAH ACTDOC Enquiry
    • procedure ends here
  • has contacted to provide a verbal statement or other details, go to Step 8

Otherwise, procedure ends here.

8

Person contacts to provide a verbal statement or other details

If the O18 team consider it necessary to interview the customer, they will attempt to contact the customer by phone. Make sure the customer's telephone details are up to date and tell them calls from the agency will show as a private number.

If the young person, a parent or independent third party contacts the agency to provide details that were requested by O18 team:

  • attempt a warm transfer to UTLAH Over 18 team
  • if the call transfer is unsuccessful, record the details in a Fast Note - select Auto text, use Social Worker > Update > O18 UTLAH CALLDOC Enquiry
  • Document Completion must be set to No
  • include the full name and phone number of the person who has contacted
  • tell the person the return call from the agency will show as a private number

Do not record any sensitive details on the customer's record.