Assessing the away from home rate of Youth Allowance (YA) when parents move out of the area 010-06040100

Dependent YA customers may be eligible for the away from home rate of YA when their parent/s move out of the area which results in excessive travelling time for the customer, the away from home rate of YA may be paid if moving with the parents would:

• prevent the customer from undertaking their Australian Apprenticeship
• reduce their employment prospects, or
• interrupt the customer's continuity of study at secondary school if they are in year 11 or 12

If the customer remains in the parental home and the parent/s will be moving out of the area for a temporary period (any period less than 12 months would be considered temporary) then the customer cannot qualify for the away from home rate under this criterion. This does not mean the customer needs to wait 12 months before they qualify for the away from home rate if the parents are moving permanently.

The continuity of study provisions for this criterion do not apply to tertiary students as they may study at whatever institution they choose. However, secondary students are normally expected to study at the closest school. Therefore, if the parents move, a high school student would normally be expected to move as well, recommencing study at a new school. Where this would cause major problems or disrupt the final years of study, that is, years 11 or 12, the student may be paid to live away from home to enable them to continue at the former school, if travelling from the new parental home to the former school involves excessive travel time.