Cancellation of, or changes to qualifying payment for Pensioner Education Supplement (PES), ABSTUDY PES or Assistance for Isolated Children PES 102-10050000

The student who is in receipt of Pensioner Education Supplement (PES), ABSTUDY PES or AIC PES has had a change in their PES, ABSTUDY PES or AIC PES qualifying payment.

Is the student still in receipt of a payment which is one of the qualifying payments which would allow them to be paid PES or ABSTUDY PES for any type of PES?

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

For PES or ABSTUDY PES to be paid the student must be in receipt of 1 of the qualifying payments that attract Pensioner Education Supplement (PES), ABSTUDY PES or AIC PES.

• For Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) students update the qualifying payment details to cancel PES or ABSTUDY PES
• For students on Services Australia administered qualifying PES, ABSTUDY PES or AIC PES, payment will cancel automatically on the system when the qualifying payment cancels

Record details on a DOC.

Note: if the student is no longer in receipt of any type of income support consider claim for another payment type. A student previously eligible for AIC PES may be eligible for another AIC allowance.

Was the customer previously in receipt of ABSTUDY PES and now is intending to transfer to ABSTUDY Living Allowance?

• Yes, see Table 4, Step 4
• No, procedure ends here

Was the applicant in receipt of Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme PES?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, see Table 2

AIC PES is only payable for students receiving Parenting Payment Single (PPS) or Disability Support Pension (DSP).

See AIC PES qualifications for further information if required.

Is the student an AIC PES student who is no longer in receipt of PPS or DSP?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 6

A student no longer in receipt of PPS or DSP is not eligible for AIC PES.

• If the student is receiving a qualifying payment for PES or ABSTUDY PES and if undertaking secondary or tertiary study, they may be eligible for PES or ABSTUDY PES. The student should be asked to test their eligibility for one of those payments
• If the student is not receiving any income support payment or other Australian Government education or training assistance and still meets the AIC eligibility criteria, including being in one of the approved AIC living arrangements, they may be qualified for another AIC allowance

The only study for which AIC PES is paid is study at primary school or equivalent ungraded level. This is not study that is approved for either ABSTUDY PES or PES. This means an AIC PES student who is no longer in receipt of PPS or DSP cannot transfer to another type of PES (unless they also change their study details).

The customer no longer qualifies for AIC PES. This will automatically cancel on the system when the qualifying payment cancels.

Record details on a DOC.

Procedure ends here.

If the customer was in receipt of:

• PPS/DSP as a qualifying payment, go to Step 2
• JobSeeker Payment (JSP)/Youth Allowance (YA) (job seeker) as a qualifying payment, go to Step 7
• another qualifying payment, go to Step 8

Was the customer's Parenting Payment Single (PPS) or Disability Support Pension (DSP) cancelled because:

• for PPS, their youngest child turned 14 years of age, or
• for DSP, they have been assessed as having a partial capacity to work?
• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 8

• If the customer transferred to JSP as a single principal carer, they continue to attract PES where all other qualifications are met. Go to Step 4
• If the customer was receiving ABSTUDY PES before transferring to JSP or Youth Allowance (YA), go to Step 4
• If the customer was receiving PES before transferring to JSP or YA and has been assessed as having a partial capacity to work, go to Step 4

The customer will continue to be entitled to their PES or ABSTUDY PES payment until:

• they complete, cease or defer the course
• they run out of time under the minimum time rules, or
• their new qualifying payment is cancelled

The customer must make a claim for JSP/YA (job seeker) within 14 days of cancellation of their previous qualifying payment for PES or ABSTUDY PES payments to be restored.

Due to system limitations, customers transferring to YA (job seeker) or JSP, the Customer Study Details (EDC) screen in Process Direct or Educations Course History (EDCH) screen in Customer First must be updated before processing the YA or JSP claim.

This process cancels PES, to allow the transfer between qualifying payments. The PES must be restored after the YA or JSP is finalised.

To key these changes in:

• Process Direct, go to Step 5
• Customer First, go to Step 6

• Go to the Customer Study Details (EDC) screen
• Select Edit on the Education Details line that needs updates. In the Student End Date, key the date as the day before the date YA/JSP will be granted
• Select Save
• Key the Receipt Date and Channel. Select Save
• Select Assess
• This will cause the auto-cancellation from the Student End Date + 1 day
• Select Assess. Address any errors/warnings on the Errors (SWE) screen
• Select Assess
• The Entitlement (ELD) screen will display
• On the Entitlement (ELD) screen, inhibit any letters advising the customer of cancellation via the Assessment Consequences (ASC) screen
• Select Finish. Record details of the update on the Finalise screen
• Select Finalise

Continue assessing the YA or JSP claim, see:

• Transfer to JobSeeker Payment (JSP) from another payment or
• Transfer to Youth Allowance (YA) from another payment

Once finalised, the education details must be corrected and PES restored.

• Go to the EDC screen
• Select Edit on the Education Details line that needs updates. In the Student End Date, key the customer's original student end date
• Select Save
• Key the Receipt Date and Channel. Select Save
• Go to the Benefit Action (BA) screen. Restore PES or ABSTUDY PES payment, see Restoration of PES and ABSTUDY PES
• Select Assess. Address any errors/warnings on the Errors (SWE) screen
• The Entitlement (ELD) screen will display. Inhibit any letters advising the customer of cancellation via the Assessment Consequences (ASC) screen
• Select Finish. record details of the update on the Finalise screen
• Select Finalise to complete the transaction

Procedure ends here.

To access the PES or AIC screens, code 'ISS' in the Sys: field and in the Next: field type SVPES or SVAIC and press [Enter].

• Go to the Education Course Details (EDC) screen
• Update the Student End Date: field as the day before the date YA/JSP will be granted
• Code 'C'orrect in the Action: field
• Press [Enter]
• Inhibit any letters advising the customer of cancellation via the Letter Display (LD) screen
• Finalise the activity on the Assessment Results (AR) screen
• This will cause the auto-cancellation from the Student End Date + 1 day
• Record details on a DOC

Continue assessing the YA or JSP claim, see:

• Transfer to JobSeeker Payment (JSP) from another payment or
• Transfer to Youth Allowance (YA) from another payment

Once finalised, the education details must be corrected and PES restored.

• Go to the EDC screen
• Update the Student End Date: field with the customers original student end date
• Code 'C'orrect in the Action: field
• Press [Enter]
• Go to the Benefits Action (BA) screen to restore PES or ABSTUDY PES payment, see Restoration of Pension Education Supplement (PES) and ABSTUDY PES
• Inhibit any letters advising the customer of cancellation via the LD screen
• Finalise the activity on the AR screen
• Record details on a DOC

Procedure ends here.

If the customer's qualifying payment was JSP or YA (job seeker), has the customer target category of either PC (single) or PCW changed?

Check the Customer Target Category Summary (CTCS) screen for the current category.

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, see Table 4

Their PES payment will automatically cease.

Record details on a DOC.

Procedure ends here.

Customers receiving PES and ABSTUDY PES will usually be expected to have a study load of at least 75% of full-time study load workload for their course. Students attracting AIC PES are required to have a full-time study load.

A study load concession may be granted, however, which allows payment of PES or ABSTUDY PES where the customer is undertaking as little as 25% of a full-time study load.

An AIC applicant can continue to receive AIC PES for a student who is considered by their educational institution to be undertaking full-time study. AIC PES students do not have access to 25% study load concession. However, an institution can consider a student with a reduced study load to be full-time if the student has a disability or other health-related condition.

If the customer has a study load concession this will be shown in the Participation Status: field on

• Process Direct - the Customer Study Details (EDC) screen
• Customer First - the Education Course Details (EDC) screen

Did the PES or ABSTUDY PES customer have a study load concession?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, see Table 4

Is the customer's new qualifying payment a payment for which a study load concession can be granted?

• Yes, see Table 4
• No, go to Step 3

Depending on the type of course being undertaken, it may be possible for the customer to increase their study load to a full-time level. For many courses, however, particularly semester-based courses, it is usually only possible to increase study load at the beginning of a study period or semester.

Can the customer immediately increase their study load to the full-time level?

• Yes, advise them to do so. See Table 4
• No, see Table 2, Step 2

If the customer's DVA qualifying payment has changed update the qualifying payment details.

Record details on a DOC.

Procedure ends here.

If the customer's DVA qualifying payment has changed update the qualifying payment details.

Cancel PES or ABSTUDY PES.

Record a DOC.

Note: for customers, who no longer qualify for ABSTUDY PES, consider their eligibility for benefits under the ABSTUDY Part-time Award.

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, procedure ends here

Customers who no longer qualify for ABSTUDY PES, who intend to apply for ABSTUDY Living Allowance, and who are studying between 25% and 74% of the normal full-time study load, can retain a 25% study load concession under ABSTUDY Living Allowance up to:

• The end of the vacation following the current enrolment period where the change occurs in the first semester or in a term other than the last term in a year, or
• The end of the current enrolment period where the change occurs in a short or late starting course, or
• 31 December, where the change occurs in the second semester, the last term in a year, or where the student is enrolled in a year-based course

For customers where the qualification for PES ceases outside an enrolment period (that is, during a midyear or long vacation), the above study load concession does not apply. These customers must study full-time or qualify for one of the following study load concessions in order to access ABSTUDY Living Allowance:

• Disability study load concession
• Two-thirds study load concession, or

ABSTUDY PES customers previously in receipt of Disability Support Pension (DSP), who apply for ABSTUDY Living Allowance, can retain eligibility for the disability study load concession for the remainder of the calendar year.