Payment of ABSTUDY when a student or Australian Apprentice becomes incapacitated 102-07020090

A current ABSTUDY customer advises they are no longer undertaking full-time studies or their Australian Apprenticeship because they are incapacitated.

Is the customer receiving ABSTUDY as an Australian Apprentice?

• Yes, see Table 3, Step 1
• No, go to Step 2

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 5

The customer may still be entitled to receive Living Allowance or ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) payments if they qualify for a study load concession and are studying a sufficient workload to meet the requirements of that concession.

Consider if any of the following workload concessions apply:

• Assessing the two-thirds study load concession
• Assessing the disability study load concession
• Assessing the pensioner study load concession for ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES)

Does the customer meet the requirements to continue receiving benefits under one of these study load concessions?

• Yes, follow the procedures in the appropriate study load concession file above
• No, go to Step 4

If the ABSTUDY customer is studying part-time, but unable to qualify for a study load concession, their eligibility for the ABSTUDY Part-time Award should be considered.

• If entitled to the Part-time Award, the Customer Study Details (EDC) screen in Process Direct or Education Course Details (EDC) screen in Customer First will need to be updated, ensuring the Participation Status field is coded as 'PTS' (part-time studies). See Changing study load from full-time to part-time or concessional study load for ABSTUDY or ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES). Note: the record will remain ABY/CUR, but only Incidentals Allowance is payable
• The ABSTUDY Part-time Award pays only a limited range of entitlements, and does not pay Living Allowance or ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) payments. Therefore, the customer's entitlement to other income support payments or benefits should also be investigated

Procedure ends here.

The appropriate procedure to follow will depend upon whether, because of their incapacity, the customer intends to only be temporarily absent, or is discontinuing studies.

• If the customer intends to only be temporarily absent from studies, go to Step 6
• If the customer is discontinuing studies, see Table 2, Step 8

The appropriate procedure to follow for customers who will be temporarily absent from studies because of incapacity depends upon the level of study.

• For secondary school students, go to Step 7
• For tertiary or secondary non-school students, see Table 2, Step 4

Advise the student that an absence from secondary school is an approved absence (and therefore has no effect on payment) if the absence is due to circumstances beyond the control of the student.

Go to Table 2, Step 1.

Advise the student they must provide evidence of their approved absence.

Evidence required is:

• a signed statement from the secondary school explaining the extended absence is approved

Note: an indication by the school in an attendance check that an absence was due to illness or other circumstances beyond the control of the student may generally be accepted as sufficient evidence of an approved absence.

• Yes, complete the following:
• Advise the student the absence is approved. There is no effect on payment, unless they discontinue study
• Record details of the student's medical condition on the Medical Conditions (MC) screen. This will need to be updated manually, see the How to access, view and update information table of Disability medical screens. This allows the system to generate Pharmaceutical Allowance (PhA) payments if appropriate
• Details of the approved absence (including details of the length of the absence and of the evidence supplied) should be recorded on a DOC
• Advise the customer to notify within 14 days if their circumstances change
• Procedure ends here
• No, advise the student the absence is not approved. See Determining Activity Test breaches for unapproved absences for ABSTUDY secondary school students

Go to Step 3.

Is the student:

• from age 16-19 years of age inclusive and,
• approved for the Away from Home rate and,
• boarding to attend school and,
• a Family Tax Benefit (FTB) child?
• Yes:
• An adjusted study load assessment is needed to determine if FTB can continue to be paid to the parent/guardian
• Complete a referral to an appropriately trained Service Officer
• Use Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Families > Updates > 16-19 Assessment Required
• Procedure ends here
• No, Procedure ends here

Advise the tertiary or secondary non-school student that they can remain eligible for payment for up to 8 weeks as long as they remain enrolled by the education institution and provide medical evidence.

Services Australia must be provided with a medical certificate which:

• states the nature of the condition leading to absence and confirms it prevents the student from studying their full-time or concessional study load study, and
• confirms the incapacity is temporary and states the date on which the period of incapacity started and the date the student is expected to be able to resume their full-time or concessional study load study

Has the student remained enrolled and provided the appropriate medical evidence?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, advise the student the absence cannot be approved. The customer is considered to have discontinued study from the date they last studied as a full-time student. Go to Step 8

• Advise the student the absence is approved. There is no effect on payment, unless the student discontinues study
• Code the medical certificate. See Assessment of a medical certificate to determine exemption from mutual obligation requirements for a temporary incapacity
• Details of the approved absence (including details of the length of the absence and of the evidence supplied) should be recorded on a DOC
• Advise the student to notify within 14 days if their circumstances change
• In Customer First, create a manual review on the Review Registration (RVR) screen and complete the fields as follows:
• Service Reason: ABY
• Review Reason: REV (Manual Review)
• Due Date: date on which the student is expected to resume study
• Source: INT
• Date of Receipt: today's date
• Notes: 'Absence due to incapacity approved. Customer expected to resume studies xx/xx/xxxx. Return to OB 102-07020090 for action.'
• Keywords: ABYSUP and ACTABY
• Workgroup: leave blank
• Position: leave blank
• Transfer to Region: leave blank
• The review will mature on the Due Date coded in the RVR activity. Workload Management will allocate the review for manual action

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, no further action is required. Details of contact with the customer should be recorded on a DOC. Procedure ends here

Advise the student they will be considered to have discontinued study at the end of the period as specified in the medical certificate unless they resume study or receive an extension as detailed below.

Only 1 period of extension of entitlement beyond the first absence may be granted if:

• the student continues to remain enrolled in the course
• a further medical certificate is provided containing the same information required for their first period of absence, and
• a statement is received from the institution's Academic Registrar, or equivalent officer, stating that, at the end of the expected period of incapacity, the student is allowed to resume their full-time or concessional study load study in the course

Students are considered to have stopped study on the last day of the period specified in the second medical certificate if they do not resume full-time or concessional study load study on the following day.

If an incapacity results in an approved absence that extends into an end of year vacation period, and the student intends to continue with full-time or concessional study education in the following year, Living Allowance can continue to be paid until the day before commencement of study in the following year. Subsequent year entitlement will be assessed on the student's circumstances in that year.

Has an extension to the period of approved absence been given?

• Yes, complete the following:
• Advise the student this absence is approved, but no further extensions can be approved. There is no effect on payment, unless the student discontinues study
• Record details of the approved absence (including details of the length of the absence and of the evidence supplied) on a DOC
• Record details of the student's medical condition on the Medical Conditions (MC) screen. This will need to be updated manually, see the How to access, view and update information table of Disability cluster screens. This allows the system to generate Pharmaceutical Allowance (PhA) payments if appropriate
• Advise the student to notify within 14 days if their circumstances change
• In Customer First, create a manual review on the Review Registration (RVR) screen and complete the fields as follows:
  Service Reason: ABY
  Review Reason: REV (Manual Review)
  Due Date: date on which the student is expected to resume study
  Source: INT
  Date of Receipt: today's date
  Notes: 'Extension of absence due to incapacity approved. Customer expected to resume studies xx/xx/xxxx. Return to OB 102-07020090 for action.'
  Keywords: ABYSUP and ACTABY
  Workgroup: leave blank
  Position: leave blank
  Transfer to Region: ABS
• The review will mature on the Due Date coded in the RVR activity. Workload Management will allocate the review for manual action
• Procedure ends here
• No, the customer is considered to have discontinued studies at the end of the period specified in the first medical certificate. Go to Step 8

Entitlement to ABSTUDY or ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) ceases from the date they were last considered to be a full-time student.

Complete the following:

• Advise the customer they are no longer entitled to ABSTUDY/ABSTUDY PES
• If the customer is a secondary school student approved for the Away from Home rate and their ABSTUDY Living Allowance is paid to their boarding institution, see Cessation of the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate for special coding requirements
• Update the Customer Study Details (EDC) screen in Process Direct or Education Course Details (EDC) screen in Customer First to reflect the change in study details. If the EDC screen reflects the customer is no longer a student, the system will automatically cancel ABSTUDY payments
• If necessary, manually cancel ABSTUDY
• Consider if the customer may be eligible for other income support payments or benefits
• Record any decision and/or discussion with the student on a DOC

Procedure ends here.

An ABSTUDY Australian Apprentice customer who is temporarily incapacitated and unable to continue their apprenticeship is eligible to receive ABSTUDY as long as their Commonwealth Registration Number remains current.

If the Commonwealth Registration Number is suspended or cancelled, there is no entitlement to ABSTUDY as an Australian Apprentice. The status of the registration number can be checked on the Apprenticeship Details (NAPD) screen.

Is there continuing entitlement?

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

Services Australia must be provided with an original valid medical certificate (that should be copied then returned to the customer as they may be required to provide a copy to their employer) which:

• states the nature of the condition leading to absence and confirms it prevents the customer from undertaking their full-time Australian Apprenticeship, and
• confirms the capacity is temporary and the date the period of incapacity started and the date the customer is expected to be able to resume their full-time Australian Apprenticeship. If the incapacity is permanent then investigate if the customer may be eligible for another income support payment, e.g. JobSeeker Payment or Disability Support Pension
• Code the medical certificate. See Assessment of a medical certificate to determine exemption from mutual obligation requirements for a temporary incapacity
• Update customer's employment income if required, e.g. if no longer being paid wages for period of incapacity
• If the customer is still being paid income while incapacitated, they must continue to report their employment income via self service
• Advise the customer to notify immediately if their Commonwealth Registration Number is suspended or cancelled to avoid an overpayment
• Record details on a DOC

Procedure ends here.

• Cancel ABSTUDY
• Check the Apprenticeship End Date field on the NAPD screen as the Department of Social Services (DSS) database should automatically transfer information to indicate the date the customer is no longer an Australian Apprentice (the date the Commonwealth Registration Number was cancelled or suspended). Investigate if the customer may be eligible for another Services Australia payment. Also see:
• For a temporary incapacity:
• Customers claiming JobSeeker Payment (JSP/Youth Allowance (YA) (Incapacitated) or
• Youth Allowance (YA) student or Australian Apprentice becomes incapacitated or impacted by unforeseen or extreme circumstances
• For a long term incapacity - Eligibility for Disability Support Pension (DSP)

Record details on a DOC.