Eligibility for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Boarding Allowance (BBA/ABA) 010-03040010

Has the general AIC eligibility criteria been met for the applicant and student?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 7

A student is required to be living at an approved board arrangement while they live away from the principal family home for study.

Approved board arrangements include:

• boarding at a boarding school, hostel or special institution
• boarding in a private arrangement where the board is not provided by a natural or adoptive parent of the student or by an older dependent sibling who lives with the student in what could be regarded as the family's second home

Note: a board arrangement may be approved where the student does not board for the whole school week.

Is the student living away from home in an approved board arrangement during the school term?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 7

Care needs to be taken when determining a student's circumstances for BA or SHA.

For assistance in determining whether a living arrangement is boarding or a second home, see the Resources page.

If the student's circumstances are more aligned with:

• Basic Boarding Allowance (BBA), go to Step 4
• Second Home Allowance (SHA), see Eligibility for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Second Home Allowance (SHA)
• Neither of the above, go to Step 7

Is the student receiving DSP or PPS?

• Yes, and the student is studying at a:
• primary or ungraded level, the student may be eligible for AIC Pensioner Education Supplement (PES). Go to Step 5
• secondary or tertiary level, the student is not eligible for AIC but may be eligible for PES. Go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 5

Is the student in State authorised care?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 8

A foster care allowance or similar allowance is a payment made by a State/Territory Department to a nominated carer which is intended directly for the upkeep or personal use of the person under care. For example, regular Adolescent Community Placement or Placement Provider Reimbursement payments made directly or indirectly by the Victorian Government.

Is the applicant receiving a foster care allowance (or similar)?

• Yes, and the AIC applicant is:
• an individual, go to Step 8
• an organisation, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 8

Tell the applicant they are not eligible for AIC BBA for the student.

If general AIC eligibility criteria are met, check eligibility for other AIC allowances. See Eligibility for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) allowances.

Record the following details on a DOC on the applicant's record:

• Reason(s) the student and applicant are not eligible for AIC BBA
• Advice given to the applicant about ineligibility
• Any other relevant details (e.g. information provided by applicant)

Is a new claim or change of circumstances being assessed?

• Yes, go to Step 10
• No, procedure ends here

Tell the applicant they may be eligible for AIC BBA for the student.

While general advice based on information provided by the applicant can be given over the phone, encourage the applicant to test their eligibility in person.

Tell the applicant to lodge a claim. See Claiming Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC).

Record details on a DOC on the applicant's record.

Is a new claim or change of circumstances being assessed?

• Yes, go to Step 9
• No:
• and the applicant wishes to assess their eligibility for ABA (verbally or indicated on the SY040 form), see Table 2
• otherwise, procedure ends here

On the Living Arrangement Details (EILA) screen, update the following fields:

• Living Arrangement:
• SCH - Boarding at a school
• PRI - Private boarding
• HOS - Boarding in a hostel
• Living Arrangement Start Date: see Determining the entitlement start date for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC)
• End Date: when the student:
• has partial entitlement for the year or is a short term boarder, key the student's entitlement end date. See Determining the entitlement end date for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC)
• otherwise, leave blank
• Board Provider Relationship: (for private boarders only)
• OTH - Other
• PAR - Parent
• REL - Other relative
• Annual Boarding Fees: key $1
• Nights Boarding Per Week: key the nights the student is boarding per week
• Short Term Boarder: key Y/N

For short term boarders only

• ST Boarder Date of Receipt: key Date of Receipt of claim
• ST boarder Late Lodge Conc: key 'Y'

Does the applicant wish to assess their eligibility for ABA (verbally or indicated on the SY040 form)?

• Yes, see Table 2
• No, for:
• New claim assessments, continue to process the claim
• Change of circumstances, finalise the activity on the Assessments Results (AR) screen. Procedure ends here

On the Living Arrangement Details (EILA) screen, update the following fields:

• Living Arrangement: key NOP - Not approved
• Living Arrangement Start Date: key claim lodgement date

Leave all other fields blank.

Is a new claim being assessed?

• Yes, continue to process the claim
• No, finalise the activity on the Assessments Results (AR) screen. Procedure ends here

Where a student is in state authorised care or a foster care arrangement, the applicant may qualify for Additional Boarding Allowance (ABA), if they are not receiving a foster care allowance or similar allowance from a government authority.

Is the student in state or foster care and the applicant is receiving a foster care allowance (or similar)?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 2

Additional Boarding Allowance (ABA) rate is calculated using a combination of the Parental Income Test (PIT) and the amount of actual boarding charges being paid.

Where eligibility for Basic Boarding Allowance (BBA) has been established, and eligibility for Additional Boarding Allowance (ABA) is to be determined, the applicant will need to provide the following information:

• Boarding fees
• Any scholarships or subsidies received
• Parental Income Test (PIT) details

If boarding fees have not already been provided, make a genuine attempt to contact the applicant by phone to obtain this information verbally.

If required, send a request for the information. See Requesting information (CLK).

Is there enough information to assess ABA?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, ABA cannot be assessed until the above has been provided. Record details in a DOC. Procedure ends here

As Additional Boarding Allowance (ABA) is means tested, check the parents are linked on the student's record.

If a new link is required, the PIT link start date is the earliest date of:

• AIC start date, or
• Date of Receipt of the AIC claim or change of circumstances

Check and update the Household Income and Assets (NHI) screen to make sure the parent(s)/guardian(s) details are correctly recorded. For help with coding, including when an estimate is provided, see Assessing and coding parental income for ABSTUDY, Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) and Youth Allowance (YA).

After PIT details have been recorded, go to Step 4.

On the Living Arrangement Details (EILA) screen, update the Annual Boarding Fees field by keying the actual boarding fees.

Note: when completing an End of Year (EOY) review, if the next years boarding fees have not been provided, use the previous year's boarding fees.

Is a new claim being assessed?

• Yes, continue to process the claim
• No, go to Step 5

Go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen and check if ABA is paying.

Finalise the activity.

Was ABA paying on the AR screen?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 6

Tell the applicant AIC ABA is not payable for the student, based on the current circumstances.

Record details on a DOC on the student's record.

Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > AIC > AIC Updated/Reassessed > Confirm, include all relevant details.

Procedure ends here.

Tell the applicant AIC ABA is payable for the student, based on the current circumstances.

Record details on a Note on the student's record. Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > AIC > AIC Updated/Reassessed > Confirm, include all relevant details.

Procedure ends here.

Tell the applicant they are not eligible for AIC ABA for the student due to the applicant receiving foster care allowance (or other similar allowance).

Note: if the student's circumstances change and the applicant no longer receives foster care allowance (or other similar allowance), ABA can be reassessed.

Record details on a Note on the applicant's record:

• Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > AIC > AIC Updated/Reassessed > Confirm, include all relevant details
• Include:
• the reason the student and applicant are not eligible for AIC ABA
• advice given to the applicant about ineligibility
• any other relevant details (e.g. information provided by applicant)

Is a new claim being assessed?

• Yes, continue to process the claim
• No, procedure ends here