Assessing independence when a customer is self-supporting through full-time paid employment 001-04060040

For assessing independence through part-time work or earnings for YA or ABSTUDY students from regional and remote areas, see Assessing independence for full-time or concessional study load students from regional and remote areas under the self-supporting through employment criterion.

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

A YA or ABSTUDY customer is considered independent if they have supported themselves through full-time paid employment for at least 18 months within any 2 year period.

Full-time is deemed as having worked an average of 30 hours or more per week. This can be in one or more jobs and does not need to be consecutive or concurrent. Where the work has not consistently been 30 hours or more per week, the hours they have worked in the 18 month period must total at least 2,340. A customer does not have to wait until they cease secondary school to commence their 30 hours per week.

Paid employment includes periods:

• of overseas employment
• of paid leave, including receiving Pandemic Leave Disaster Payments (PLDP)
• of unpaid leave due to employer shut down that are outside the control of the young person (for example, mandatory Christmas shutdown)
• undertaking a full-time apprenticeship or traineeship
• receiving workers' compensation and the customer can demonstrate they are still connected to their employment

Where a YA or ABSTUDY customer has indicated in their online claim they are independent under the full-time self-supporting criterion, they will be asked to enter some of their employment details. This may include their employer name, hours worked and income earned. Based on that information, the system will determine if additional information or evidence is required.

New and existing customers applying for independence may be required to provide one or more of the following:

• Payslips
• Payroll reports
• Letter from an employer on company letterhead
• Receipt books or invoices for work done

The evidence must show the hours and dates worked, and must cover at least 18 months within a 2 year period.

If the customer provides evidence, service officers must check the evidence provided to determine if they meet the full-time self-supporting criteria or another self-supporting criterion.

Once a customer has been assessed as independent based on self-supporting through full-time paid work, they retain it. If the YA or ABSTUDY customer has been granted independence under this criterion and returns to the parental home, they:

• are still be considered independent, and
• will receive the at home rate as an accommodated independent person

There is no requirement for continuity of payment to retain their independence.

Depending on how the YA or ABSTUDY customer provides information, staff must check the:

• independence questions on the online claim
• independence questions on the paper claim for YA (SY001) or ABSTUDY (SY019)
• independence questions in an Assisted Customer Claim (ACC)
• Document List (DL) screen and documents scanned or uploaded to the customer's record
• ABSTUDY Claiming Tool for secondary school, or
• information in the slider of the Change of Circumstance (CoC) transaction from the Check independence through work history service

Staff will follow up as part of a change of circumstances notification when a customer contacts through:

• their online services
• face to face, or
• phone

There is also a safety net provision for young people claiming or receiving YA who have an education or employment disadvantage. To qualify as independent under these criteria, the person must meet all the following:

• be at least 18 years old
• have had full-time employment of at least 30 hours per week for a period of at least 12 months, or for periods that total at least 12 months
• not be living at the home of either or both of their parents
• be specially disadvantaged with respect to education or employment
  Note: see below for specially disadvantaged
• not be receiving financial support, whether directly or indirectly, from their parent(s) or from another person who is acting as their guardian on a long-term basis

Specially disadvantaged refers to:

• education:
  • for a student - a person who has not completed Year 12 or equivalent
  • for a job seeker - a person who has not completed Year 12 (or equivalent) or a Certificate III or higher
• employment:
  • a person whose personal circumstances and labour market skills make it difficult for them to find a job, for example, a person who is classified as 'at high risk' on the Job Seeker Snapshot is considered to be specially disadvantaged with respect to employment

This criterion is reviewable if the customer's circumstances change.

Note: the special safety net criterion does not apply to ABSTUDY.

An ABSTUDY customer may also be considered independent if they have participated in the workforce for 3 out of the last 4 years.

All customers can access the 'Check independence through work history' service from the Services Australia website. The online service asks a series of questions, including work details and creates a Receipt page telling the customer the potential outcome.

Authenticated customers can access the 'Check independence through work history' service using their online account. If the customer is deemed independent, a task will be created on their online account asking the customer to supply evidence.

The Independence calculator is located in Process Direct. Staff can use the calculator to help determine if a YA or ABSTUDY customer meets the full-time employment criterion of working an average of 30 hours per week for at least 18 months within a 2 year period.