Assessing unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH) for customers claiming or receiving Youth Allowance (YA), Disability Support Pension (DSP), Special Benefit (SpB) or Tertiary Access Payment (TAP) 001-04030030

If a customer advises they are homeless or they are at risk of becoming homeless, the customer's consent must be received before coding a Homelessness Indicator on their record. See Homelessness Indicators.

If a customer is claiming more than one payment, for example, YA and TAP, only one UTLAH assessment is needed.

A UTLAH assessment is not required if the customer can be assessed as independent under the State care category, see Assessing independence when a customer is in State care. This may apply to customers that are:

• claiming, or in receipt of Youth Allowance (YA), and
• have requested a UTLAH assessment, and
• are currently in State care, or
• are no longer in State care only because of their age

Some customers are independent by age. A UTLAH assessment is not required for:

• YA and SpB customers 22 years and over
• DSP customers over 21 years

A new UTLAH assessment is not needed, if:

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

See Unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH) initial contact for Youth Allowance (YA), Disability Support Pension (DSP), Special Benefit (SpB) or Tertiary Access Payment (TAP) for initial contact with a young person claiming UTLAH.

Contact with customers when assessing UTLAH is by phone and letter. Check and update all contact details for the customer. If a new claim activity prevents the update, clearly provide the correct number and a current postal address on a DOC.

If the customer does not have access to a working phone, consider the following alternatives:

• Contact the UTLAH Assessment Team (O18) or Social Workers to discuss the case. They may be able to speak to the young person now
• It may be possible for the young person to attend a service centre to receive a phone call. Not all service centres can offer this. Contact the office to discuss. See Office Locator for contact details

The delegation for approving independence under the UTLAH criteria depends on the customer's age:

• Customers transferring from Special Benefit who live with parent/s or guardian/s that are not residentially qualified to receive an income support payment are referred to the Level 2 Policy Helpdesk. No social worker appointment is required
• Under 18 years old, only social workers
• 18 years or over, only smart centre Service Officers within the UTLAH Assessment Team (O18). Occasionally a social worker will undertake a UTLAH assessment for a young person aged 18 years or older if:
• there are extenuating circumstances, and
• the young person is experiencing complex vulnerability
• Smart centre Service Officers who are not a member of the O18 team cannot make this decision

Check nominee arrangements:

• When a nominee is in place:
• Review the arrangement and update if required. See Reviewing nominee arrangements and Separating safely - protecting personal details.
  A nominee arrangement does not have to be ended when the nominee is the parent. Discuss the implications of this with the customer
• When there is no nominee:
• Discuss a potential nominee arrangement with customer
• If the customer wants a nominee, see Adding or rejecting a nominee request

For customers 15 years or under who have not yet been connected with a social worker or require crisis support, immediately refer them to a social worker, see Referral to a social worker.

For customers aged 16 or 17 years, Service Officers must check the required social worker appointment has been booked.

Is an appointment showing on the system?

• Yes, tell the customer their appointment time
• No, book a Social Work UTLAH appointment via the Centrelink Appointment System in Customer First

Do not issue statement forms to customers aged under 18 years. This leads to unreasonable delays for these vulnerable customers.

For customers aged 18 years and over, encourage the young person to lodge all required forms. Online or Assisted Customer Claims for YA or TAP should have the customer's UTLAH responses in the Independence section, but forms may be needed. See:

• Unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH) initial contact for Youth Allowance (YA), Disability Support Pension (DSP), Special Benefit (SpB) or Tertiary Access Payment (TAP), and
• Lodgement of unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH) statements for Youth Allowance (YA) and Tertiary Access Payment (TAP)

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

Note: For a customer who submitted a claim for payment, or notified of their change in circumstances, before turning 18 years and requires a UTLAH assessment or reassessment, see Table 2 > Step 1 in UTLAH initial contact.

For example, from family and domestic violence, including abuse due to homophobia and transphobia.

Note: do not seek consent to contact the relevant parent from a young person if:

• there is a violence intervention order lodged, or
• they advise they are the victim of family and domestic violence (FDV) allegedly, perpetrated by a parent

The parent should not be contacted as part of the UTLAH assessment, even if the young person has given consent. This may put the young person or other family members at risk. In these cases, O18 Service Officers will consult with a social worker who provides support to the O18 Team.

If the young person cannot obtain completed SY016 statements for one or both parents, or advises it would be unsafe for them to do so, complete a warm transfer to O18. If the call is unsuccessful:

• record the details in a Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Social Worker > Update > O18 UTLAH CALLDOC Enquiry
• make sure that Document Completion is set to No
• include the parents' phone numbers and the customer's consent for the O18 team to phone them (if applicable), or that there are concerns related to parent contact that require assessment
• tell the young person they will be contacted by the UTLAH Assessment Team, who will call from a private number

Note: do not record any sensitive details on the customer's record.

Procedure ends here.

Has the UTLAH independence eligibility decision been made by a social worker or the O18 UTLAH Assessment Team?

• Yes, see Table 7 > Step 1
• No, go to Step 4

For social workers or O18 UTLAH Assessment Team staff undertaking a UTLAH assessment, go to Step 4.

Review the customer's circumstances to establish whether they are:

• independent for any other reason, or
• exempt from providing parental income for TAP

See:

• Independence for Youth Allowance (YA) customers
• Assessing payment rates and independence for Disability Support Pension customers under 21 years
• Assessing and finalising claims for the Tertiary Access Payment (TAP)

For YA, DSP or SpB customers, go to Step 5.

For students claiming TAP, go to Step 6.

Are there other reasons why the customer may be considered independent?

• Yes:
• Document the reason for independence. See Table 5 > Step 1
• Code independence for the correct payment type
  For students undertaking an approved scholarship course, continue the UTLAH assessment. They may become eligible for a Relocation Scholarship due to UTLAH approval. This is more beneficial to the customer. Go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 7

Are there other reasons why the customer may be exempt from providing parental income for TAP?

• Yes:
• Document the reason. See Table 5 > Step 1
• Record the appropriate Parental Income Exemption on the TAP Claim Eligibility Data (TPCD) screen in Process Direct. See Assessing and finalising claims for the Tertiary Access Payment (TAP)
• No, go to Step 7

Establish if the customer is living with their parent(s). If they are still living with either parent, it is not unreasonable to live at home and the customer is not independent for this reason.

Note: parent means a biological, adoptive or relationship parent of the young person, See 'Parent' for definition. 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 still living with their parent(s)?

• Yes, customer is assessed as dependent, with the PIT parent being the parent(s) they are living with. See Applying the Parental Income Test (PIT) for ABSTUDY and Youth Allowance (YA). Go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 9

Tell the customer that independence under the UTLAH criteria or exemption from the TAP Parental Income Test cannot be established if they are living at their parental home.

Note: sometimes a customer will seek to test their eligibility for UTLAH independence before they leave home. It is important to identify if there is any risk of harm to the young person.

Make a social work referral immediately, where a young person is at risk of harm in the family due to abuse, neglect or exposure to family and domestic violence. This should be a warm social work referral, if possible.

If a warm referral to a social worker is not possible and the young person discloses they may be in immediate danger or at serious risk of harm, talk to them about a referral to police or the child welfare agency in their state/territory.

A delegated officer can release information in the public interest to the police or child welfare agency without the young person's consent, where the Service Officer believes providing the information will lessen the threat to the health, life or welfare of the young person. See Risk identification and management of threats to the safety or welfare of a child.

If the young person wishes to test their eligibility for UTLAH, offer a social work referral. Tell the customer UTLAH independence cannot be established whilst they are living at home, but a social worker can:

• talk to them about their situation, and
• provide advice and information about UTLAH independence

For customers who require assistance with accommodation or other essential services, see Payment and Service Finder

Record details of the discussion on a DOC. Procedure ends here.

• YA customers, go to Step 10
• DSP, SpB or TAP customers, see Table 2 > Step 1

Check the Independent/Homeless/Away from Home Details (NIH) screen. Look for an away from home (AFH) grant code in the Rsn field. There is a list of AFH grant codes on the Resources page.

If the customer is not receiving the away from home rate, consider if they are eligible to be paid this rate while waiting for the outcome of their independence eligibility assessment under UTLAH provisions.

Record the AFH decision on a DOC. Continue with the UTLAH assessment. See Table 2 > Step 1.

If granting the away from home rate and the young person's parents are separated, only ask for income details from the PIT parent.

Is the customer already receiving the away from home rate of YA and receiving Rent Assistance (if eligible)?

• Yes, check the payment is based on the correct PIT parent. If not, the AFH rate cannot be paid
• If payment is going to a parent's account, go to Step 12
• If payment is already going to the customer's account, see Table 2 > Step 1
• No, go to Step 11

Customers who are eligible to be paid as a dependent at the away from home rate may also be eligible for Rent Assistance if paying rent, see:

• The away from home rate for Youth Allowance (YA) customers
• Qualification for payment of Rent Assistance (RA)

Where the away from home rate can be paid, update the rate details on the system, by selecting the appropriate codes on the NIH screen. Update the Accommodation (AC) screen as appropriate.

Go to Step 12.

Payments can be directed to a customer under 18 years, instead of their parents, if parents give permission or:

• a social worker or Service Officer is satisfied that the payment is not being used for the customer's benefit
• UTLAH is being assessed but not yet determined
• the social worker recommends that payment be directed to the customer

Note: The above circumstances may indicate the young customer is at risk of harm. See Risk identification and management of threats to the safety or welfare of a child. Advise the young person what directing payments to them means. Protect the privacy of both the young person and any customer linked to the young person.

If payments are now to go to the customer, update the Payment Destination Summary (PAS) screen with the customer's account details.

Is the customer aged under 18 years?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 3

For:

• information on how to complete the assessment, see Conducting a social worker unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH) assessment
• social workers who have completed the assessment, record a UTLAH assessment decision on a Fast Note. See Table 5 > Step 1

The UTLAH Assessment Team (O18) undertakes UTLAH assessments for:

• YA, ABSTUDY and SpB customers aged 18 to 22 years, and
• TAP customers aged 18 years and over but under 23 years on the course start date

Note: DSP customers aged 18 years or over do not need a UTLAH assessment.

Pre-assessment record checks are required prior to making an assessment. This should include checking:

• progress notes on the O18 UTLAH Online claim DOC or progress notes on the O18 UTLAH Claim progress DOC
• submitted documents using the Documents icon in Process Direct or Document Tools in Customer First
• Nominee Authority in Customer First
• Contact Details in Customer First

Assessment progress updates for the UTLAH claim must be documented in either the O18 UTLAH Online Claim DOC or O18 Claim Progress DOC.

Has the customer:

• completed UTLAH statements in the online claim or Assisted Customer Claim (ACC), or
• lodged completed UTLAH forms from themselves and their parent/s (if the parents are together only one SY016 form is required, if they are separated an SY016 form is required from each parent)?
• Yes, go to Step 10
• No, go to Step 4

Make genuine attempts to contact the customer by phone to take a verbal statement and/or permission to contact parents. Send a pre-call notification SMS if the customer is subscribed to electronic messaging.

Contact attempts must be documented in the O18 UTLAH Online claim DOC or the O18 Claim Progress DOC.

If permission was not given to contact parent/s, discuss this with the young person. Explain to them that contact with their parents is a mandatory procedure for UTLAH assessments to obtain the parents' perspective on the reasons the young person is unable to live at home. This is unless contact with a parent presents a severe risk to the young person or others such as siblings.

If the customer does not provide consent for parents to be contacted on the grounds of serious risk, or the Service Officer has concerns for the customer's safety were parents to be contacted (even if the customer has given permission), they must consult with a social worker who provides support to the O18 UTLAH Team, see Table 4.

Was the contact successful and the customer was able to provide all the information needed?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, send a:
• Q164 letter to the customer, requesting they contact the O18 Team
• Go to Step 7

Are there circumstances of family violence or concerns that contacting one or both parents could put the young person at serious risk? This might include, but is not limited to:

• The young person has advised they believe they will be at risk if one or both parents are contacted by the agency
• There are existing violence protection orders
• Information in the young person's statement or interview indicates circumstances of family and domestic violence (FDV). This includes homophobia and transphobia. The young person may not name such behaviour 'family and domestic violence' and Services Officers must be alert to identifying cues that indicate the customer is affected by FDV, see Family and domestic violence
• Other indications on the customer's record, for example an 'FDV Concern Identified' display on access DOC

If:

• Yes, do not contact the parent(s), See Table 4
• No, go to Step 6

If permission was given to contact parent(s), and there are no concerns that contacting the parent(s) will pose a serious risk to the young person a genuine attempt to contact the parent(s) by phone must be made.

Contact attempts must be documented in the O18 UTLAH Online claim DOC or the O18 Claim Progress DOC.

Was the contact successful and the parent(s) were able to provide all the information needed to make the assessment?

• Yes, go to Step 10
• No, send a Q465 'IHR entitlement questionnaire for parent' if there are no risk concerns, go to Step 7

Issue forms when:

• they have not been requested before
• there is information missing
• there is doubt whether forms have been received, or
• contact with parents for verbal statements has not been successful

Forms can only be sent to parents if permission has been given by the customer and there are no concerns that contacting the parent(s) will pose a risk to the young person.

TAP customers use the same forms.

The forms are:

• Unreasonable to live at home statement by young person form (SY015). Issue only if no statement has been provided with the claim
• Unreasonable to live at home statement by parents or guardians form (SY016):
• An SY016 must be completed by each parent, unless they both live together or contact with the parent would pose a risk to the young person or others such as siblings
• If the young person can provide verification that there has been no recent contact (no parental concern) with the 'other' parent, then an SY016 may not be required from that parent. This would need to be supported by the other parent (where parents are separated), or an Unreasonable to live at home Statement by Independent Third Party (SY017)

Note: an SY015 supplied by the customer via their online services does not require a signature. SY016 and SY017 forms must have a wet ink signature, no digital signatures of any kind can be accepted.

The O18 Team requests an SY017 when:

• the SY015 and SY016 do not align
• a parent refuses or fails to provide a statement
• contact with a parent by the young person or the agency may put the customer at risk, or
• there is doubt about the reason the young person is unable to live at home

Note: use of an Intervention Order as third-party evidence is to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The source of this information is independent. However, the order alone may not provide enough detail to determine all relevant circumstances. For example, whether there is continuous support. If the Service Officer determines more information is required, obtain further third-party evidence.

Encourage the customer to upload the completed forms electronically. Reply paid envelopes can also be provided.

Offer to send the SY016 form to the parent(s) on the customer's behalf:

• Confirm parent(s) most recently known addresses with the young person
• Use a Q465 'IHR entitlement questionnaire to parent' as a cover letter and include reply paid envelopes

If the customer is arranging for the statements to be completed, tell them:

• the forms must be returned within 14 days, and
• to contact the agency if there will be delays in returning them

If the SY015 and SY016(s) align, as determined by the O18 team, the Unreasonable to live at home Statement by Independent Third Party (SY017) is not required and should not be requested.

If the customer is at risk or has other complex needs and minimal supports, consider a referral to a social worker.

Place a Display on Access (DOA) DOC on the record so any caller can be transferred to the O18 Team. See the Resources page for suggested text.

Hold the UTLAH activity on the Activity List (AL) screen. To determine the correct hold to date, consider the time given for the return of the forms, see Requesting information (CLK) on the Resources page.

Select a date in the future from the pop-up calendar in the Resubmit Date field on the Activity Details (AY) screen.

The open activity will be either:

• an existing open UTLAH Online claim DOC, or
• a new open UTLAH Assessment in progress Fast Note

Procedure ends here until:

• the forms are received
• the customer or parent/s contact by phone, or
• activity becomes due

It may not be possible to make a decision to grant UTLAH if the customer:

• has not lodged forms, or
• cannot be contacted

Make 2 genuine attempts to contact the customer.

Was the attempt to contact successful?

• Yes:
• Record the discussion in Secure Notes, and
• continue the assessment, go to Step 10
• No, reject the claim for UTLAH. See Table 7 > Step 1

When the statement forms are returned, check that:

• forms have been fully completed and signed
• contact details for parents and third parties are included, and
• permission to contact parents has been given

See Lodgement of unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH) statements for Youth Allowance (YA) and Tertiary Access Payment (TAP).

Along with UTLAH circumstances, consideration should be given to issues of continuous financial or other support and no parental concern for 2 years or more. See the Resources page for examples and scenarios.

If not all information is available on forms, contact the customer, parent/s or third party (if necessary), to discuss the circumstances or to clarify any information. Record information in Secure Notes.

Note: if there is not sufficient evidence to support the grant of UTLAH, check for supporting information from previous assessments and other details available on the record. Where appropriate, consult with a social worker who supports the O18 UTLAH Team, to request information from the Social Work Information System, with consideration that accessing this information is on a need-to-know basis.

If parent/s or third-party contact while the claim is held:

• conduct the interview
• record information in Secure Notes
• continue or complete the assessment at that time

To make the UTLAH assessment, establish if circumstances regarding both parents must be considered.

Note: do not seek consent to contact the parent(s) if there are circumstances of family violence or concerns this could put the young person or other family members at risk. This is even if the young person has given consent. In these circumstances, O18 Service Officers should consult with a social worker who provides support to the O18 UTLAH Team, see Table 4. See Resources tab for examples.

If a social work referral due to serious risk is required, O18 Service Officers must document the Progress of Claim DOC.

See Resources Tab for the O18 UTLAH guide for seeking approval for no parental contact due to serious risk

Have the parents separated?

• Yes, see Table 3 > Step 1
• No:
• If both parents live together, it is not necessary for both to provide information
• Consider information from the SY016 and/or parent interviews
• Compare the information given by the parent/s and the young person to decide whether a UTLAH reason is met
• Interview a third party or request an SY017, only if necessary
• When the UTLAH independence eligibility decision is made, see Table 6 > Step 1

Where parents are separated, the circumstances in relation to each of the 2 parents must be assessed. Assessment teams refer to parents as:

• Parent 1 - the parent the customer normally lives with, or most recently lived with
• Parent 2 - the other parent

Note: step-parents are not assessed for UTLAH decisions.

Look at the circumstances regarding Parent 1 first.

Has the assessment of forms and/or interviews found that it is unreasonable for the young person to live at the home of Parent 1?

• Yes, look at the circumstances regarding Parent 2. Go to Step 3
• No, young person does not meet UTLAH criteria. UTLAH claim is to be rejected. See Table 6 > Step 1

Has the assessment found that it is unreasonable for the young person to live at the home of Parent 2?

• Yes, UTLAH criteria is met and the UTLAH claim is to be granted. See Table 6 > Step 1
• No, go to Step 4

In exceptional circumstances, it may be considered unreasonable for the young person to live with the other parent, although UTLAH reasons are not met. Such exceptional circumstances may include situations where:

• the other parent does not meet the definition of a parent for the purposes of the parental income test, and
• either:
• it has been verified that there has been no parental concern for the young person for 2 years or more, or
• the young person qualifies for the away from home rate of payment based on the home circumstances of the other parent. That is, there is an approved reason for living away from home

In such exceptional circumstances, the young person meets the UTLAH provisions.

For DSP customers, see Assessing payment rates and independence for Disability Support Pension customers under 21 years.

For YA, SpB and TAP customers, has the assessment found that circumstances regarding Parent 2 meet an approved reason for living away from home?

• Yes, UTLAH criteria is met and the UTLAH claim is to be granted. See Table 6 > Step 1
• No, young person does not meet UTLAH criteria. The UTLAH claim is to be rejected. See Table 6 > Step 1

Consider which of the parents the risk concerns relate to. If the risk concerns relate to:

• one of the parents and the parents live together, go to Step 2
• one of the parents and the parents are separated, go to Step 3
• both parents, go to Step 4

If parents live together, a statement is only required from one parent. If risk concerns relate to only one parent and the parents live together, Service Officers should consider if it is appropriate to seek a statement from the parent who does not pose a direct risk to the young person.

Service Officers must give consideration to whether contact with the parent who does not pose a direct risk to the young person could also put the young person at risk, e.g. if the parent who is contacted relays the details of the contact to their spouse. This should be discussed with the young person and any third party available to verify the circumstances of risk.

Are there concerns contacting the parent who does not pose a direct risk to the young person could still put the young person at risk?

• Yes, do not contact either parent, go to Step 4
• No, proceed with contacting the parent who does not pose a direct risk to the young person, see Table 2 > Step 4

When parents are separated, both parents must usually be contacted. This is unless contact with one or both parents could put the young person at serious risk or there has been no parental concern for over 2 years.

If the risk concerns relate to one parent and parents are separated:

• contact should be attempted with the parent who does not pose a risk to the young person, see Table 2 > Step 4
• do not contact the parent who may pose a risk to the young person

Go to Step 4.

Attempt to verify the risk concerns with an independent third party.

A violence protection order that protects the young person from the relevant parent is usually considered independent verification of severe risk. If no violence protection orders exist:

• contact any independent third party the young person has provided consent and details to contact, or
• issue an Unreasonable to live at home Statement by Independent Third Party (SY017)

Go to Step 5.

Seek a case consultation about the risk concerns with a social worker who provides support to the O18 UTLAH Team, by posting a consult request in the Social Work O18 UTLAH Case Consult Group chat.

Service Officers should refer to the O18 UTLAH guide for seeking approval for no parental contact due to serious risk. This document outlines the information the social worker will seek from the Service Officer during the case consultation. Service Officers are not required to write up this information or complete a template but should be prepared to answer the social worker's questions about the nature of the risk concerns and the available evidence.

The social worker will:

• escalate the case to an EL1 Social Worker Support Manager (SWSM) who supports the O18 UTLAH Team, seeking their approval for no parental contact due to serious risk, or
• advise the Service Officer that more information is required to enable the EL1 SWSM to complete a quality assessment of whether contact with a young person's parents could put them at serious risk. Once the Service Officer has sufficient information to provide to the social worker, the social worker will then escalate the case to a SWSM

The social worker should annotate the O18 UTLAH Claim progress DOC when the case is escalated.

Go to Step 6.

The EL1 SWSM who supports the O18 UTLAH Team will annotate the O18 UTLAH Claim progress DOC with the outcome of their assessment of the request for no parental contact due to serious risk.

Is the outcome of the O18 Team Service Officer's request not to contact parents:

• approved, make the UTLAH eligible decision without contacting the relevant parent(s), see Table 6
• not approved and the customer:
• gives consent to contact their parent(s), proceed with contacting parents, see Table 2 > Step 4
• does not give consent to contact their parent(s), UTLAH independence is to be rejected 'Refuses to contact Parent/Guardian' (RRE), see Table 6
• more information required, the O18 Team Service Officer should:
• attempt to obtain the further information requested. This may involve re-contacting the customer or third party or contacting an additional third party
• return to Step 5 once the additional information has been obtained

After completing the UTLAH independence eligibility decision, determine the claim or payment type:

• YA as a job seeker, go to Step 2
• YA as a student or Australian Apprentice, go to Step 3
• DSP, go to Step 4
• SpB, go to Step 5
• TAP, go to Step 6

Create an open Fast Note:

• Select Auto Text, use Social Worker > Claims > UTLAH JOBSEEKER GRANT/REJECT
• Select Confirm
• Make sure all fields within the DOC are completed, including Consent to contact
• Document Completion: must be No

If UTLAH is rejected and the customer has not been notified, make 2 genuine attempts to contact and notify the customer of the decision. Advise the customer of this decision using the Q168 letter. See Resources for variable options for creating Q168 correspondence.

Note: if contact is successful, tell the customer that because they are ineligible for UTLAH independence, more information such as parental income may be required to assess the claim as a dependent customer. If the customer states they do not wish to be assessed as a dependent, include this in the Grant/Reject DOC.

Complete the UTLAH progress DOC and any associated UTLAH work items (including scans).

Does the customer have an outstanding TAP claim in progress?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, procedure ends here

Create an open Fast Note:

• Select Auto Text, use Social Worker > Claims > UTLAH STUDENT GRANT/REJECT
• Select Confirm
• Make sure all fields within the DOC are completed, including Consent to contact
• Document Completion: must be No

If UTLAH is rejected and the customer has not been notified, make 2 genuine attempts to contact and notify the customer of the decision. Advise the customer of this decision using the Q168 letter. See Resources for variable options for creating Q168 correspondence.

Complete the UTLAH progress DOC and any associated UTLAH work items (including scans).

Does the customer have an outstanding TAP claim in progress?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, procedure ends here

Create an open Fast Note:

• Select Auto Text, use Social Worker > Claims > UTLAH DSP GRANT/REJECT
• Select Confirm
• Make sure all fields within the DOC are completed, including Consent to contact
• Document Completion: must be No

If UTLAH is rejected and the customer has not been notified, make 2 genuine attempts to contact and notify the customer of the decision. Advise the customer of this decision using the Q168 letter. See Resources for variable options for creating Q168 correspondence.

Complete the UTLAH progress DOC and any associated UTLAH work items (including scans).

Does the customer have an outstanding TAP claim in progress?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, procedure ends here

Create an open Fast Note:

• Select Auto Text, use Social Worker > Claims > SW recommendation - SpB under 16
• Select Confirm
• Make sure all fields within the DOC are completed
• Document Completion: must be No

If UTLAH is rejected and the customer has not been notified, make 2 genuine attempts to contact and notify the customer of the decision. Advise the customer of this decision using the Q168 letter. See Resources for variable options for creating Q168 correspondence.

Complete the UTLAH progress DOC and any associated UTLAH work items (including scans).

Does the customer have an outstanding TAP claim in progress?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, procedure ends here

Create an open Fast Note:

• Select Auto Text, use Social Worker > Claims > UTLAH TAP GRANT/REJECT
• Select Confirm
• Update the Service Reason: to TAP - Tertiary Access Payment
• the Channel: and Source: must be recorded accurately
• In the Summary line: add the following from the available dropdown options:
• CLM - Claim
• REV - Review of Entitlement
• Document Completion: must be No
• Update the details in the Text: section. Make sure to complete all details in the DOC, including the Consent to contact

If UTLAH is rejected and the customer has not been notified, make 2 genuine attempts to contact and notify the customer of the decision.

Note: if contact is successful, tell the customer that because they are ineligible for UTLAH independence, more information such as parental income may be required to assess the claim as a dependent customer. If the customer states they do not wish to be assessed as a dependent, include this in the Grant/Reject DOC.

Complete the UTLAH progress DOC and any associated UTLAH work items (including scans).

Procedure ends here.

After completing the UTLAH independence eligibility assessment, determine the payment or claim type.

If the customer:

• is claiming YA as a job seeker, go to Step 2
• is claiming YA as a student or Australian Apprentice, go to Step 3
• is a current income support customer, go to Step 4
• is claiming TAP only, go to Step 5

Record the decision on a DOC. Use Fast Note:

• Select Auto Text, use Social Worker > Claims > O18 UTLAH GRANT or O18 UTLAH REJECT
• Select Confirm
• Make sure all fields within the DOC are completed, including Consent to contact

If UTLAH is rejected and the customer has not been notified, make 2 genuine attempts to contact and notify the customer of the decision. Advise the customer of this decision using the Q168 letter. See Resources for variable options for creating Q168 correspondence.

Note: if contact is successful, tell the customer that because they are ineligible for UTLAH independence, more information such as parental income may be required to assess the claim as a dependent customer. If the customer states they do not wish to be assessed as a dependent, include this in the Grant/Reject DOC.

For Service Officers undertaking a UTLAH assessment only, create an additional open Fast Note:

• Select Auto Text, use Social Worker > Claims > UTLAH JOBSEEKER GRANT/REJECT
• Select Confirm
• Make sure all fields within the DOC are completed, including Consent to contact
• Document Completion: must be No

Complete any associated UTLAH work items (including scans).

For job seeker new claim proficient Service Officers undertaking end to end processing, see Table 7 > Step 1.

Otherwise, procedure ends here.

Record the decision on a DOC. Use Fast Note:

• Select Auto Text, use Social Worker > Claims > O18 UTLAH GRANT or O18 UTLAH REJECT
• Select Confirm
• Make sure all fields within the DOC are completed, including Consent to contact

If UTLAH is rejected and the customer has not been notified, make 2 genuine attempts to contact and notify the customer of the decision. Advise the customer of this decision using the Q168 letter. See Resources for variable options for creating Q168 correspondence.

Note: if contact is successful, tell the customer that because they are ineligible for UTLAH independence, more information such as parental income may be required to assess the claim as a dependent customer. If the customer states they do not wish to be assessed as a dependent, include this in the Grant/Reject DOC.

For Service Officers undertaking a UTLAH assessment only, create an additional open Fast Note:

• Select Auto Text, use Social Worker > Claims > UTLAH STUDENT GRANT/REJECT
• Select Confirm
• Make sure all fields within the DOC are completed, including Consent to contact
• Document Completion: must be No

Complete any associated UTLAH work items (including scans).

If the customer has a TAP claim in progress, go to Step 5.

For student new claim proficient Service Officers undertaking end to end processing, see Table 7 > Step 1.

Otherwise, procedure ends here.

Record the decision on a DOC. Use Fast Note:

• Select Auto Text, use Social Worker > Claims > O18 UTLAH GRANT or O18 UTLAH REJECT
• Select Confirm
• Make sure all fields within the DOC are completed, including Consent to contact

If UTLAH is rejected and the customer has not been notified, make 2 genuine attempts to contact and notify the customer of the decision. Advise the customer of this decision using the Q168 letter. See Resources for variable options for creating Q168 correspondence.

Note: if contact is successful, tell the customer that because they are ineligible for UTLAH independence, more information such as parental income may be required to assess the claim as a dependent customer. If the customer states they do not wish to be assessed as a dependent, include this in the Grant/Reject DOC.

For Service Officers undertaking a UTLAH assessment only, create an additional open Fast Note:

• Select Auto Text, use Social Worker > Claims > UTLAH STUDENT GRANT/REJECT
• Select Confirm
• Make sure all fields within the DOC are completed, including Consent to contact
• Document Completion: must be No

For SpB customers:

• Select Auto Text, use Social Worker > Claims > UTLAH SPECIAL BENEFIT GRANT/REJECT
• Select Confirm
• Make sure all fields within the DOC are completed, including Consent to contact
• Document Completion: must be No

Complete any associated UTLAH work items (including scans).

If the customer has a TAP claim in progress, go to Step 5.

For student new claim proficient Service Officers undertaking end to end processing, see Table 7 > Step 1.

Create an open Fast Note:

• Select Auto Text, use Social Worker > Claims > UTLAH TAP GRANT/REJECT
• Select Confirm
• Update the Service Reason: to TAP - Tertiary Access Payment
• the Channel: and Source: must be recorded accurately
• In the Summary line: add the following from the available dropdown options:
• CLM - Claim
• REV - Review of Entitlement
• Document Completion: must be No
• Update the details in the Text: section. Make sure to complete all details in the DOC, including the Consent to contact

If UTLAH is rejected and the customer has not been notified, make 2 genuine attempts to contact and notify the customer of the decision. Advise the customer of this decision using the Q168 letter. See Resources for variable options for creating Q168 correspondence.

Note: if contact is successful, tell the customer that because they are ineligible for UTLAH independence, more information such as parental income may be required to assess the claim as a dependent customer. If the customer states they do not wish to be assessed as a dependent, include this in the Grant/Reject DOC.

Complete the UTLAH progress DOC and any associated UTLAH work items (including scans).

If the customer:

• has a YA or SpB claim in progress, for new claim proficient Service Officers undertaking end to end processing, see Table 7 > Step 1
• is currently receiving or claiming ABSTUDY, see ABSTUDY unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH) for details on recording the ABSTUDY UTLAH decision
• is claiming TAP only, procedure ends here

If the customer is claiming, or receiving:

• YA or SpB, go to Step 2
• DSP, go to Step 5
• TAP, go to Step 6

Once UTLAH has been assessed, code the decision to grant or reject UTLAH on the Independent/Homeless/Away from Home Details (NIH) screen, using details from the Decision DOC.

For customers aged under 18 years who are granted independence, record the customer's bank account details. This avoids difficulties that can arise if the payments are incorrectly paid to the parent(s).

To update the payment destination, go to the Payment Destination (PA) screen and code the customer's Financial Institution code, Account Number and Account Title.

To code the UTLAH decision for:

• an income support reassessment decision in Customer First, go to Step 3
• a claim in Process Direct, go to Step 4

Go to the Independent/Homeless/Away from Home Details (NIH) screen.

Code the following fields, with information from the Decision DOC:

• Action: key HOM (Homeless Independent)
• Start/Reject Reason: use the code from the Decision DOC. See the Resources page for a list of YA Homeless (HOM) grant and rejection reasons
• Start Date: use the date from which the customer is considered to meet the UTLAH independence criteria
• For new claims, this is the later of the date of claim, date of qualification or date left home
• For current customers, this is the later of the date they left home or the date of notification of the change in circumstances
• Consent to contact: use the code from the Decision DOC

Complete the Source and DOR (Date of Receipt) fields. The DOR must match the Start Date for arrears or the payment to pay correctly.

Before finalising the activity via the Assessment Results (AR) screen, check that:

• the away from home rate is paying from the correct date, and
• Rent Assistance is also paying if the customer is eligible

Finalise the activity via the AR screen.

Go to Step 7.

For new claims being assessed in Process Direct, use Super Key and go to the Independence/Homeless/Away from Home Details (NIH) screen.

Code the following fields, with information from the Decision DOC:

• Action: key HOM (Homeless Independent)
• Start/Reject Reason: use to locate the appropriate code from the list of YA Homeless (HOM) grant and rejection reasons
• Start Date: the date from which the customer is considered to meet the UTLAH independence criteria
• For new claims, this is the later of the date of claim, date of qualification or date left home
• For current customers, this is the later of the date they left home or the date of notification of the change in circumstances
• Consent for parental contact details: use to locate the appropriate code
• Before finalising the claim, check that:
• the away from home rate is paying from the correct date, and
• Rent Assistance is also paying if the customer is eligible

Service Profiler will automatically place homeless customers on 2 weekly reporting. After the claim is finalised, stimulate outstanding payments and remove reporting requirements for UTLAH customers who:

• receive Youth Allowance (YA) (student), and
• do not have personal or partner earnings

Go to Step 7.

For DSP, the preferred method to record a UTLAH decision is to use the DSP New Claim and Service Update Assessment script. The script records the Independent Living Code on the Pension Disability Information (PDI) screen, creates a letter and a DOC.

To manually record the decision, go to the PDI screen. Code fields as follows:

• Independent Living Code field:
• for grants, key 'UTY'
• for rejections, key 'UTN'
• Event Date field, key the start date of the decision
• Complete the Source and DOR (Date of Receipt) fields. The DOR must match the Start Date for arrears or the payment to pay correctly
• Check that the Accommodation (AC) screen is completed correctly

Finalise the activity via the Assessment Results (AR) screen.

Record details on a DOC.

Note: DSP customers aged 18 years or over do not need a UTLAH assessment.

If the UTLAH claim has been:

• granted, go to Step 9
• rejected, procedure ends here

For customers aged under 18 years who are exempt from providing parental income for the TAP Parental Income Test, record the customer's bank account details on the system. This avoids difficulties that can arise if payments are incorrectly paid to the parent(s).

To update the payment destination, go to the Payment Destination (PA) screen and code the customer's Financial Institution code, Account Number and Account Title.

TAP claims are processed in Process Direct. The UTLAH decision is recorded as a Parental Income Exemption. See Assessing and finalising claims for the Tertiary Access Payment (TAP).

Record the decision on a DOC, if one is not present. Complete a Fast Note:

• Select Auto Text, use Social Worker > Claims > O18 UTLAH GRANT or O18 UTLAH REJECT
• Select Confirm
• Make sure all fields within the DOC are completed, including Consent to contact

If the decision is to:

• approve the customer's UTLAH independence, and the decision is not part of a claim grant, issue the customer with a Q170 letter. See Resources for variable options for creating Q170 correspondence.
• not approve the customer's independence under the UTLAH criteria, issue the customer a notice of this decision using the Q168 letter. See Resources for variable options for creating Q168 correspondence.

If UTLAH has been:

• granted, go to Step 9
• rejected, go to Step 10

Customers with a current Child Support assessment in place must be identified. See Maintenance Income Test (MIT) for ABSTUDY and Youth Allowance (YA) for details of how to do this. For these customers, Child Support must be notified if UTLAH is granted.

If the customer is:

• a student aged 16-19 in full-time secondary study
• a job seeker aged 16-19 and is a Family Tax Benefit (FTB) child who has an FTB exemption from education/training, or
• receiving DSP and aged 16-18

Create a Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Generic > Update > Child Support - Action Req'd noting the date the young person left their parent/s care.

If the customer does not meet any of the above descriptions, Child Support is not notified.

Make sure sensitive information (report and statements) is scanned with a Medical Information File Envelope (MIFE) indicator on the customer's record.

The social work report is stored in the Social Work Information System (SWIS) and can only be accessed by staff with the appropriate level of access.

Over 18 statements must be scanned on to the customer's record and any sensitive information (phone interviews) placed in Secure Notes.

Note: if a customer has received a Crisis Payment (CrP) and a rate change has occurred, a manual reassessment of CrP may be required. See Reviewing and reassessing Crisis Payment (CrP).