Home schooling arrangements for Youth Allowance (YA) and Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) 010-06070090

Has a Youth Allowance (YA) or Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) customer contacted to advise they are undertaking or intending to undertake home-based schooling?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, this process does not apply. Procedure ends here

Check if the customer provided evidence in writing from the relevant State/Territory Government education authority indicating the following:

• specific approval has been given by the education authority to the student to undertake home study
• confirmation that the study is full-time, and
• in the case of YA or PES, the study will be credited towards the secondary qualification accredited by that authority, or
• that they are exempt from home schooling registration

Has the customer provided any of the above evidence?

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

The customer will need to provide evidence indicating that:

• they are formally registered at a secondary school recognised for YA or PES purposes, and
• they are studying accredited subjects, and
• they are undertaking a study load deemed to be full-time by the school, or
• a certificate of exemption from home schooling registration

The PES customer's proof of enrolment (POE) document would be considered suitable evidence as it provides information about which school the student is enrolled at and whether the school considers the study load to be full-time.

Note: if the school is recognised for the purposes of YA or PES, then for secondary students the subjects are automatically assumed to be accredited. For information on how to tell if the secondary school is recognised for YA or PES purposes, see Approved courses of study for Youth Allowance (YA), Austudy and Pensioner Education Supplement (PES).

Is there suitable evidence that the customer is undertaking a full-time study load at a secondary school recognised for YA or PES purposes?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 4

The customer does not satisfy the requirements as a full-time student.

• Consider whether the YA customer may satisfy the full-time study requirements in other ways, for example, if the customer is under 22 years of age, the course may be an approved activity

Note: care should be exercised in approving home-based schooling as an activity if the syllabus being used has not been accredited by the state or territory authority.

• The YA customer may also be required to combine the study with other activities
• If the YA customer is 22 years or older, consider qualification for alternate income support, for example JobSeeker Payment (JSP)
• If the YA customer has a disability, consider whether the reduced study load in an accredited course is the only activity required, (for example, if the customer does not have the capacity to make up a full-time load with other approved activities). If so, this must be part of the terms of an Activity Agreement

Note: students claiming YA who are considered to be part-time students are not eligible for student income bank or the higher income free area.

Record details including discussions with customer in relation to their full-time study requirements on a DOC. Procedure ends here.

The student satisfies the study requirements as a full-time student. Explain:

• the full-time study requirements to the student, and
• their obligation to notify Services Australia of any changes (for example, commencing a different course or decreasing study load)

Then:

• code the education details on the system
• record the details on a DOC