Part-time or full-time study as an approved mutual obligation requirement for Youth Allowance (YA) 001-09070220

• For YA (job seekers) wanting to commence a full-time approved course which requires them to transfer to YA (student), see:
• Approved courses of study for Youth Allowance (YA), Austudy and Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) or
• Youth Allowance (YA) job seeker or Australian Apprentice returning to full-time study. Procedure ends here
• For YA job seekers who have commenced or are wanting to commence a part-time course; see Youth Allowance (YA) job seekers returning to part-time study
• For YA job seekers who have started or are wanting to start a full-time short course of less than 12 months, go to Step 2
• For YA job seekers transferring from Parenting Payment (PP) (non-grandfathered) or transitional Disability Support Pension (DSP) and still studying the same course they commenced while on PP or DSP, go to Step 6

For job seekers not already connected to a provider, go to Step 3.

Job seeker is already connected to a provider (provider managed)

Refer the job seeker to their Employment Services Provider for approval. If the full-time short course is approved by the provider, notification that the job seeker is undertaking a full-time short course will be sent to Services Australia automatically from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

Services Australia will receive this short course information and automatically update the Activity and Exemption Summary (AEX) screen with the short course approved requirement code 'SHD' (Short Course), start date and end date. These details can be viewed on the Short Course Details screen. A link to this screen is accessible via the Participation Summary screen.

Services Australia should not be approving and coding a short course for provider managed job seekers in accordance with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations Short Course Guidelines. The job seeker should be referred to their provider to discuss their participation and approval in any type of full-time or part-time study or training, including a short course. This is important because it may impact the level of servicing the provider can offer. If the provider approves the short course, they will code the course details in the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations system. However, if the customer is enrolled in a course of study that would make them eligible for a student payment, then this should be discussed with the customer and, where necessary, the job seeker should be transferred to another more appropriate income support payment.

However, the provider's decision of whether a job seeker can have their full-time study approved or not, does not determine their qualification for YA as a job seeker.

A job seeker can fail to qualify for YA due to their full-time study, only where:

• they have been advised (either at grant or at a later time) by their provider that their full-time study will not fully meet their mutual obligation requirements, and
• the job seeker is not willing to satisfy other mutual obligation requirements such as job search

Otherwise, it is the responsibility of the provider to negotiate appropriate activities for the job seeker, and instigate compliance action (where required) for failure to meet compulsory requirements.

Go to Step 9.

In very limited circumstances, Services Australia can approve full-time short course study for YA job seekers prior to their commencement in employment services.

YA job seekers in employment services who wish to study in a full-time short course are to approach their employment services provider for approval.

Only providers can approve the combination of paid work and study for YA job seekers who are participating for 70 hours or more per fortnight. These job seekers will:

• be either suspended or exited from employment services
• become Centrelink Managed, and
• require a Centrelink Job Plan to be negotiated

Services Australia can only approve full-time study for YA job seekers who are still Centrelink managed and meet one of the following conditions:

• the course is a full-time vocational short course of less than 12 months, which would improve their short term employment prospects, or
• if they have exceeded the allowable time for their course under YA (student), but still have less than 12 months of study remaining to complete their course

Full-time study definition

For a short course to be an approved requirement it must be full-time and less than 12 months.

For YA purposes, full-time study is defined as:

• if the course is a course of study within the meaning of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 - the equivalent for the period of the full-time study-load for that period as determined by the institution in accordance with the Administration Guidelines under that Act, or
• if the course is not such a course and the institution defines an amount of full-time study that a full-time student should typically undertake in respect of the course in the period - the amount so defined, or
• if the institution does not define an amount of full-time study that a full-time student should typically undertake for the course - an amount equivalent to the average amount of full-time study a person would have to undertake to complete the course in the minimum time, or
• if none of the above situations apply, a minimum of 20 contact hours per week, which consists of at least 15 hours in the classroom or other directed activities and up to five hours per week on private study, or courses classified as full-time by the education or training institution

Part-time study

For principal carers or job seekers with a PCW receiving YA (such as job seekers with part-time mutual obligation requirements), short courses are under the same guidelines as other YA job seekers. However, the study does not have to be considered 'full-time'. These job seekers can fully meet their requirements through approved study of at least 15 hours per week, or 30 hours per fortnight.

For other job seekers, if the requirement is less than 20 hours per week, job seekers do not need Services Australia's approval. However, the study will not count towards their mutual obligation requirements, and they must continue to look for and be willing and able to accept offers of suitable paid employment.

For Services Australia's approval of a short course, issue the 'Request for course approval (SS362)' form to the job seeker for completion.

Upon return of the SS362, go to Step 4.

• Ensure the form is completed by the training institution or organisation conducting the training
• Ensure proof of enrolment is obtained

Does the course meet the guidelines as a suitable course that can be approved?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 10

To access the Short Course Details screen:

• from the More Options menu, select Participation Summary > Activity Type/Non-applied exemptions > Short Course Details
• the Short Course Details screen will display the history of all short courses that have been approved for the job seeker. To record a new short course, select the Add icon
• the Create Short Course Details modal will display. Complete the mandatory fields, including:
• Institution Name: the name of the Education Institution at which the customer is studying
• Course Name: the name of the course the customer is attending
• Course Level: the specific course level such as Certificate level
• Course ID: this is the course ID code
• Estimated study hours: estimated total number of hours of study per week
• Course Start Date: the date the job seeker actually started the short course
• Course Expected End Date: the date the customer is expected to finish the short course
• Course Actual End Date: the date the customer actually finished the short course and cannot be a future date. Note: either this or the Expected End Date is recorded, not both at the same time
• Course contact name: this is the contact person's name for short course information
• Course contact number: this displays the contact person's phone number for short course information
• Select Save
• Complete the Receipt Date and Channel fields, select Save
• Select Assess and address any errors/warnings
• Finalise the transaction by selecting Assess again > select Finish. Record details of the update on the Finalise screen
• Select Finalise to complete the transaction

The approved requirement code 'SHD' (Short Course) will be auto-populated on the Activity and Exemption Summary (AEX) screen.

In Customer First, issue Q133 letter (advising of approval to undertake course) and send to customer.

Go to Step 8.

Job seekers transferring from transitional DSP (granted between 11 May 2005 and 30 June 2006) to YA are able to continue their studies in the same course they were undertaking whilst on DSP if, at the time of transfer, they were studying and receiving PES, even if the remainder of the course is longer than 12 months.

Job seekers transferring from PP to YA are able to continue their studies in the same course they were undertaking whilst on PP, even if the remainder of the course is longer than 12 months. They do not have to still be a principal carer on YA.

Have the course details been recorded on the Customer Study Details (EDC) screen in Process Direct or on the Education Course Details (EDC)/Education Course History (EDCH) screen in Customer First?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, request job seeker to provide details and code study on job seeker's record. Go to Step 7

Access the Education Status (NES) screen by:

• coding 'NES' in the Nxt: field
• selecting the 'Educ Status' option from the NSS Task Selection (NTS) screen

Code the NES screen according to the status of the customer.

• DSP transfers - Part-time study: If a customer transfers from transitional DSP to YA, and is still studying the same course on a part-time basis (at least 50% of full-time course load), use the code 'SPT' (Student Part Time - Partial Capacity to Work)
• DSP transfer - Full-time study: If a customer transfers from transitional DSP and is still studying the same course on a full-time basis (at least 75% of full-time course load), use the code 'STF' (Student Full-Time - Principal Carer or Partial Capacity to Work)
• PP to YA transfers: If a customer transfers from PP to YA and is still studying the same course for at least 15 hours per week (or 30 hours per fortnight), use the code 'STF'

The codes 'SPT' or 'STF' will be displayed on the Activity and Exemption Summary (AEX) screen as an approved requirement for the remainder of the course.

If a customer was receiving PES while on DSP or PP as a single person, they will continue to receive PES for the remainder of the same course.

Go to Step 8.

When study is approved for a job seeker, the AEX screen must have the correct coding to reflect that this is the job seeker's only approved requirement, and that no job search or other activities, for example, provider appointments, are required.

An Action Item may display on the Participation Summary screen advising that the AEX screen has been updated to reflect the current requirement.

• Explain the purpose of the Job Plan
• Reiterate the job seeker's mutual obligation requirements and the consequences of non-compliance with the requirements
• The system will determine if a new Job Plan is to be negotiated
• If so, print the updated Job Plan, have the job seeker sign the Job Plan, and issue the job seeker with a copy of the Job Plan
• Explain the job seeker's rights and obligations including:
• The right to request a review of their requirements at any time
• The right of review and appeal
• The obligation to notify the agency of changes in their circumstances and to comply with the terms of their Job Plan
• For YA job seekers with full-time requirements, advise their obligations to attend suitable job interviews
• Answer any queries the job seeker may have

Job seekers who are provider managed (that is, their provider has approved a course of study) should advise their Employment Services Provider/Community Development Program (CDP) if their participation in an approved requirement ceases before the agreed end date.

Where a job seeker fails to attend, or satisfactorily participate, on scheduled days, their provider will manage their compliance with compulsory requirements.

Procedure ends here.

Record the decision on a DOC and send the job seeker a letter advising the rejection and their review and appeal rights.

Make at least 2 genuine attempts to contact the customer to advise the unfavourable decision.