Transfers to Parenting Payment (PP) and effect on participation 102-17010060

Partnered parents who are principal carers who apply for income support will receive Parenting Payment Partnered (PPP) while their youngest child is less than 6 years. After the child is age 6 years, PPP parents will be required to test their eligibility for another appropriate income support payment, such as JobSeeker Payment (JSP) or Youth Allowance (YA) job seeker.

Partnered parents with a youngest child aged 6-16 years a who claim income support will be subject to mutual obligation requirements.

Single parents can apply for Parenting Payment Single (PPS) until their youngest PP child turns 14 years. They will have part-time mutual obligation requirements when their youngest child turns 6 years. When their child is 14 years, the customer must test their eligibility for another appropriate income support payment.

Single parents with a youngest child aged 6-16 years who claim income support will be subject to mutual obligation requirements.

When a customer transfers to PP single from another income support payment, the Service Officer needs to explain the mutual obligation requirements for the principal carer of a dependent child aged 6 years or more to the customer. This includes:

• the objectives of PP single
• the benefits of gaining and maximising employment
• Mutual obligation requirements for principal carers
• the importance of actively planning and preparing for future participation, if the customer does not yet have mutual obligation requirements
• a demonstration of Job search facilities
• information about incentives for work force participation, including Working Credit and the employment income nil rate period

The customer will need to complete an online claim for Parenting Payment.

If the customer cannot lodge an online claim, the Service Officer will need to:

• run the Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) workflow
• obtain identity confirmation documents as required

Customers with no major changes who are transferring from another payment will have fewer questions in their online claim.

Working Credit incentives include the ability to:

• use working credits to reduce the effect of employment income on the customer's income support payments
• maintain certain benefits during the employment income nil rate period for up to 12 consecutive fortnights
• resume payments within employment income nil rate period without the need to reclaim if income decreases

If the customer has unused working credits or a Student Income Bank (SIB), they may be eligible to restore these credits within 12 months.

Customers may already be participating in an approved activity, either voluntarily or as a requirement of the payment they have been receiving. Customers may be eligible for additional services/payments once they are receiving PP.

As part of the Online Participation Workflow, a customer's job readiness and capability to look for and accept work will be determined. This will result in appropriate registration and referral to Workforce Australia, such as Workforce Australia Online for Individuals or a Workforce Australia Provider, who will offer services according to the customer's job readiness or barriers to employment.