Rate of Youth Allowance (YA) when customer is in State care 010-06040020

A Youth Allowance (YA) customer who is currently in State care or is no longer in State care only due to age, should be able to provide a letter from the relevant State or Territory department confirming this.

Does the letter from the State or Territory department indicate the young person living with a natural or adoptive parent?

• Yes, the young person is not considered to be independent based on being in State care. Consider other grounds for independence. Go to Step 12
• No, go to Step 2

For a customer to be considered to be in State care they must:

• be in the guardianship, care or custody of a court, a Minister or a Department, of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory, or
• be under a current direction from a court, Minister or Department placing them in the guardianship, care or custody of someone who is not their natural or adoptive parent (this may include care from other family members, for example grandparents, aunts and uncles)

Note: this does not include young people in voluntary placements unless they have a direction from a court, Minister or Department or they are in the guardianship, care or custody of a court, Minister or Department.

Is the young person considered to be in State care?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 3

Has the young person stopped being in State care simply because of their age?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, the young person is not considered to be independent on these grounds. Consider other grounds for independence. End existing VRP code on Rate Component Override (RCO) screen (if applicable) from the date State care ceased. Go to Step 12

A young person who was previously in State care and has only ceased being in State care due to age is considered to be independent for YA purposes.

Go to Step 8.

The letter confirming the young person is currently in State care should also confirm whether an allowance is being paid for the support of the young person. This allowance may be paid directly to the young person, or it may be paid to a third party such as foster parents.

Note: the amount of the allowance that is being paid is not relevant to this assessment.

Is the State or Territory Government paying an allowance for the upkeep of the young person?

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

A young person in supported State care is paid the in supported State care rate, which is the equivalent of the at home rate of YA.

Go to Step 8.

A young person in unsupported State care is paid the unsupported State care rate which is the equivalent of the away from home rate of YA (regardless of whether or not they live with a foster parent or legal guardian).

See Resources for some known allowances for the upkeep of the young person.

If the customer receiving:

• NSW Independent Living Allowance, go to Step 9
• After Care Allowance, go to Step 9
• Western Australia (WA) Home Stretch Program, go to Step 10
• None of the above, go to Step 11

The amount of NSW Independent Living Allowance or After Care Allowance paid to a customer will be assessed as income. For coding information, see Assessment of income for Centrelink payments.

State care customers who are deemed independent due to age and are receiving the NSW Independent Living Allowance or After Care Allowance payments are assessed against the supported State care rate of YA. There are 2 rates of this payment:

• under 18, or
• 18 and over

Advise the customer they must tell us when they cease receiving these payments.

Go to Step 11.

The WA Home Stretch Program has a number of elements that maybe be assessed as income. For coding information, see Assessment of income for Centrelink payments.

Go to Step 11.

For coding information, see Assessing independence when a customer is in State care.

Record details on a DOC of all decisions and any advice given to the customer.