Initial contact with customers and completing a claim for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) 010-03010010

The person applying for AIC on behalf of the student is known as the applicant. A student cannot claim their own AIC. See Determining who can be the applicant for the Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC).

Does the applicant want help completing the Claim for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) (SY040) form?

• Yes, see Table 2
• No, go to Step 2

Do not give applicants verbal advice about individual eligibility for AIC, as the rules and conditions for AIC are complex.

General AIC eligibility advice can be given, and applicants should be encouraged to submit a new claim to test eligibility.

Difficult or complex cases may be referred to AIC Smart Centre Processing staff.

If the AIC enquiry is from:

• an individual, go to Step 3
• an organisation, go to Step 4

If an individual is seeking advice as an applicant for AIC:

• advise them of general AIC eligibility, and
• refer the applicant to the Services Australia website

See Identifying the most beneficial payment for students or Australian Apprentices and tell the applicant of all possible payment options, including but not limited to:

• Youth Allowance (YA)
• ABSTUDY
• Family Tax Benefit (FTB)

Does the applicant want to apply for AIC?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, record details of the contact on a DOC. Procedure ends here

Only non-government organisations with full responsibility for the upkeep of the student can be approved as an applicant for AIC. See Determining who can be the applicant for the Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC).

Tell organisations applying on the student's behalf to complete the:

• Claim for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) form (SY040), and
• Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) - Organisation details form (SY067)

Does the applicant want to apply for AIC?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, record details of the contact on a DOC. Procedure ends here

AIC can only be claimed through the Claim for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) form (SY040).

Issue the correct forms using the Mail Forms guided procedure on the applicant's record. If the applicant is an:

• individual, issue an SY040 for each potentially eligible student within the family
• organisation, issue an:
• SY040 form for each potentially eligible student within the organisation, and
• Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) - Organisation details form (SY067)

Note: if the applicant has contacted by phone, tell them they can also find the forms on the Services Australia website.

Go to Step 6.

Tell the applicant to:

• lodge the claim as soon as possible. Claims must be lodged by the closing date (by 1 March in the year following that for which assistance is sought)
• provide the required supporting documents as listed in the Notes section of the SY040 form
• notify of any changes in circumstances within 14 days

Applicants can lodge the form and any supporting documents:

• Online - using the upload documents service
• By post - using the reply paid address shown on the form
• In person - at a service centre, or in remote areas, with a Centrelink field officer or Agent

More details about these options are provided on the form.

AIC Smart Centre Processing staff will process the claim.

Record details on a DOC.

Procedure ends here.

Question 1

If the applicant:

• is an organisation, they also need to complete an Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) - Organisation details form (SY067)
• is a person other than the student's parent/guardian, the applicant should attach a statement:
• describing their relationship to the student, and
• explaining why the student's parent(s) cannot apply
• does not have primary care and responsibility for the student, the applicant should attach a statement explaining why the person with primary care for the student cannot apply

Questions 2-24

The applicant needs to provide their personal details (such as name, date of birth, and country of citizenship) to:

• allow identification, and
• check Australian residence qualification

Proof of residence

Applicants who are not Australian citizens are required to provide evidence of Australian permanent residence status.

New Zealand citizens are required to provide evidence of their last date of arrival.

See Residence requirements for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC).

Questions 25-42

Applicants need to provide student details (such as name, date of birth, and country of citizenship).

See Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) eligibility.

Other documents may be required, to support this section of the claim.

Proof of age is required if:

• it is the first time AIC is being claimed for this student, and
• family assistance has not previously been claimed for this child

This evidence must show the students date of birth, for example:

• their birth certificate or extract
• a valid Australian passport
• official citizenship or residency papers
• their registration of birth receipt

Evidence of permanent residency is required if the student is not an Australian citizen, such as:

• a passport or visa showing permanent resident status
• a New Zealand passport showing all Australian arrival and departure stamps over the past year
• a statement from the Department of Home Affairs

Question 42

Students who receive Disability Support Pension (DSP) or Parenting Payment Single (PPS) may qualify for an AIC Pensioner Education Supplement (PES).

Questions 43-46

Applicants need to provide the student's education details for the year they are claiming and the date they commenced.

Other documents may be required to support this section of the claim.

The applicant must provide a current registration certificate from the State or Territory education authority for approved home school arrangements.

Question 47

This question directs the applicant to complete further questions relevant to the student's circumstances to determine which AIC allowance is being claimed.

See Eligibility for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) allowances.

Questions 48-50

Applicants complete this question set if the student is living at home and studying by distance education or other approved education.

See Eligibility for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Distance Education Allowance (DED).

Questions 51-61

Applicants complete this question set if the student is living in a second home maintained by the family.

See Eligibility for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Second Home Allowance (SHA).

Questions 62-70

Applicants complete this question set if the student is boarding at a:

• school
• private residence, or
• hostel

See Eligibility for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Boarding Allowance (BA/ABA).

Additional Boarding Allowance

Questions 71-82

Applicants complete this question set if the student is boarding away from home and want to claim Additional Boarding Allowance (ABA) in addition to BA.

Steps 6 and 7 provide more assistance with specific questions to be completed by parents/guardians only.

Question 76

For parents/guardians only.

Applicants complete this question if they are applying for Additional Boarding Allowance (ABA) as this payment is subject to parental income and actual boarding costs.

The Parental Income Test (PIT) is applied to the parents/guardians of the student (usually the applicant and/or their partner) unless there is a circumstance when the PIT does not apply.

Applicants need to provide the following evidence of their combined parental income for the base tax year for each parent/guardian:

• their Tax Notice of Assessment (NOA) issued by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
• the amount of employer provided fringe benefits received as shown on their Payment Summary (formerly known as Group Certificate)

Tell the applicant to attach an Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) - Current Tax Year Assessment form (SY042) if in the current tax year, there has been:

• a substantial decrease in parental income, or
• an increase of more than 25% in parental income

Questions 77-82

For parents/guardians only.

Applicants complete these questions only if they are applying for Additional Boarding Allowance (ABA) for the student.

Details of other dependent children in the family (siblings of the student) are needed to determine who should be included in the Parental Income Test (PIT) family pool.

The inclusion of siblings receiving various student payments or Family Tax Benefit (FTB), along with the student, in the family pool maximises their entitlement to ABA.

Questions 83-96

Applicants must complete this section to provide details of the student's circumstances that requires them to board away from home, live in a second home or study by distance education or other approved education.

The student may be claiming AIC because they:

• are geographically isolated
• are unable to access school daily
• have a disability or other health related condition or has special education needs, which requires a special school program or special facilities
• have a parent/guardian whose work requires frequent moves

Other documents and/or evidence needed to support the reason the student is considered isolated may include, but is not limited to:

• details of the distance from the principal family home to the nearest appropriate state school, and any available transport services
• independent supporting evidence such as a statement from the operator of the local school bus service or shire/council
• statement from an employer about frequent moves for work
• documents confirming parent(s)/guardian(s) are unable to transport children to and from school
• statement/documents confirming special weather conditions regularly make road or waterways impassable
• Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Marginal Distance Confirmation form (SY069)
• Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) medical statement - Student special needs form (SY099)

See:

• Isolation conditions for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC), and
• Completing and Assessing the Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Marginal Distance Confirmation (SY069) form
• Completing and assessing the Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Medical Statement - Student Special Needs (SY099) form

Questions 97-98

Applicants must complete this section to provide details of who and where to make the payment to.

Payments may be directed to:

• the applicant
• the boarding institution
• the school, or
• another agent specified by the applicant

Questions 99-100

For parents/guardians only.

The applicant is required to provide their Tax File Number (TFN).

The applicant's partner is only required to provide their TFN if Additional Boarding Allowance (ABA) is being claimed.

If the applicant/partner does not have a TFN, they will need to apply to the ATO or a Services Australia Service Centre by completing the Tax file number - application or enquiry for individuals.

If the TFN application form is attached to the SY040, payment can commence before the TFN has been received.

The applicant may be exempt from providing a TFN. Exemptions are also listed in the Notes section of the SY040.

Questions 101-103

All applicants should complete the checklist and provide the requested documents with the completed form.

The applicant (parent/guardian or organisation) must accept the declaration by:

• ticking the digital declaration, or
• printing and signing the form by hand, and
• dating the declaration

Tell the applicant the SY040 form and any supporting documents can be returned:

• Online - using the upload documents service
• By post - using the reply paid address shown on the form
• In person - at a service centre, or in remote areas, with a Centrelink field officer or Agent