Initial contact with students claiming Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) and ABSTUDY PES 010-05010010

Types of PES:

• PES
• ABSTUDY PES
• Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme PES. This only affects a very small number of students. Unlike other AIC payments, the parent/guardian is normally the applicant

Students can claim:

• PES by submitting:
• an online claim, or
• a Claim for Pensioner Education Supplement (SY004) form
• ABSTUDY PES by contacting the Centrelink ABSTUDY line or by completing one of the following forms:
• Claim for ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (SY020), or
• Claim for ABSTUDY Allowances and Part-time Award (SY021)

Once a customer lodges a claim for ABSTUDY by the relevant closing date, they do not need to lodge another claim (even if they complete the wrong ABSTUDY claim or their circumstances change). The customer must supply the extra information relevant for the particular ABSTUDY Award or allowance to be assessed. See Claiming ABSTUDY for examples of whether or not a customer needs to lodge a new ABSTUDY claim.

Students claiming PES within 52 weeks of last receiving PES can submit:

• an online claim
• the SY004, or
• the Information required for continuation of Pensioner Education Supplement or ABSTUDY (SY075M) form as an abridged claim for PES

Students claiming ABSTUDY PES, who were previously in receipt of ABSTUDY in the past may not need to lodge a new claim. These claims follow the same lodgement rules as all ABSTUDY claims. See Claiming ABSTUDY.

Current ABSTUDY customers (including Incidentals and part-time students) do not need to lodge a claim for ABSTUDY PES. As the ABSTUDY customer is only changing allowances under the ABSTUDY Scheme, the information required to complete the transfer from ABY to EPA (ABSTUDY PES) is available on their qualifying payment record.

Indigenous students can choose whether to apply for PES or ABSTUDY PES. Take care when offering customers a choice between the 2 schemes, as there are some differences in the extra payments available:

• Education Entry Payment (EdEP) for PES customers
• Incidentals Allowance for ABSTUDY PES customers
• Additional Incidentals Allowance for ABSTUDY PES customers
• Away from Base Assistance for ABSTUDY PES customers
• Residential Cost Option for ABSTUDY PES customers

There are also differences in the duration of assistance payable between PES and ABSTUDY PES based on the amount of previous tertiary study undertaken, whether it was full-time or not and whether the student has a disability or not. Consider the individual student's circumstances and provide sufficient information to the customer so they can make an informed decision.

ABSTUDY PES customers are entitled to transfer between ABSTUDY PES and PES to receive the EdEP. Customers who choose this option, can transfer back to ABSTUDY PES once EdEP has been paid to maximise their entitlement to the extra payments available as part of ABSTUDY PES. They will not need to lodge a claim. See Processing transfers to ABSTUDY PES from Pensioner Education Supplement (PES).

The First Contact Service Offer (FCSO) workflow will automatically identify customers who may be eligible for PES. The FCSO workflow will prompt the Service Officer to issue an SY004 or SY020 form if the customer has identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

FCSO does not currently include the PES online claim as an option. If a customer is potentially eligible for PES, encourage them to claim online. If they cannot or do not want to claim online, encourage them to a claim verbally using Assisted Customer Claim (ACC).

Only if the customer cannot, or does not want to, use the online claim or ACC, issue the customer with a SY004 form.

To receive a PES or ABSTUDY PES payment, students must be receiving a qualifying income support payment. This must be verified before the PES assessment proceeds. Customers must also satisfy minimum age and residency requirements, and be undertaking or intend to undertake qualifying study.

Note: Australian Apprenticeship customers are not entitled to PES.

See the Resources page for historical information about PES eligibility.

Customers must satisfy minimum age and residency requirements. To qualify for:

• PES:
• students must be Australian citizens or permanent residents, and
• waiting periods apply to newly arrived residents, including New Zealand citizens
• ABSTUDY PES, students must be an Australian citizen

PES and ABSTUDY PES are not income or assets tested, and are not taxable or indexed. PES and ABSTUDY PES are paid at a flat fortnightly rate of:

• $62.40 for students who are:
• undertaking 50% or more of the full-time study load for the course and in receipt of a qualifying income support payment or having other qualifying circumstances
• receiving Disability Support Pension (DSP), JobSeeker Payment (JSP) or Youth Allowance (YA) with a partial capacity for work, an invalidity service pension or invalidity income support supplement under the Veterans' Entitlements Act who are undertaking more than 25% of the full-time study load for the course
• $31.20 for students who meet all of the following:
• receiving a PES qualifying income support payment
• have been granted a disability study load concession or a pensioner study load concession, and
• have undertaken between 25% and 49.9% of the full-time study load for the course