Assessing independence when a student has undertaken approved agricultural work 010-21030206

For assessing independence through full-time work for Youth Allowance (YA), Disability Support Pension (DSP) or ABSTUDY, see Assessing independence when a customer is self-supporting through full-time paid employment.

For assessing independence through part time work or earnings for YA or ABSTUDY students from regional and remote areas, see Assessing independence for full time or concessional study load students from regional and remote areas under the self-supporting through employment criterion.

For assessing independence through workforce participation for ABSTUDY customers, see Assessing independence for ABSTUDY customers.

YA, ABSTUDY and SpB customers who are independent are not subject to assessment under The Parental Means Test.

From 1 March 2021, YA, ABSTUDY or SpB customers may be considered independent under this criteria where they:

• have been deemed to have claimed independence under this criteria prior to the claiming cut-off date of 2 March 2023
• earned at least $15,000 gross income from approved agricultural work anytime between 30 November 2020 and 31 December 2021 (inclusive)
• were undertaking full-time studies, or an approved concessional study load, in an approved course, and
• had a combined parental income below $160,000, plus $10,000 for each additional child included in the Family Unit Regional (FUR), for either the 2018/2019 or 2019/2020 tax years

As the agricultural work must be undertaken between 30 November 2020 and 31 December 2021, the COVID-19 concession period cannot be applied to this independence criterion.

The approved agricultural work independent criteria can only be applied from 1 March 2021. Customers had until the end of 1 March 2023 to lodge a claim for this independence criterion.

Claims could be lodged via:

• an online claim for YA, ABSTUDY and SpB students
• a paper claim form for YA, ABSTUDY and SpB
• an Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) for YA, ABSTUDY and SpB students
• the ABSTUDY Claiming Tool for secondary students
• the Check independence through work history online service, or
• a request from a current dependent YA, ABSTUDY or SpB customer

Intent to claim requirements for vulnerable customers can apply.

There may be cases where claims will continue to display the customer’s response to the approved agriculture work question for claims submitted after 1 March 2023. Customers need to have claimed and be assessed as eligible under this criterion for a date prior to 2 March 2023.

Approved agricultural work includes:

• picking or packing fruit or vegetable crops
• planting, pruning, irrigating and harvesting crops and packing them into boxes
• pruning and trimming vines and trees in order to cultivate and sell produce such as commercial fruit and nut crops
• work on a dairy farm including herding, feeding or milking cows, operating milking equipment, cleaning the milking plant and yards
• farmhand work including feeding livestock, herding livestock and cleaning pens, cages and yards
• work in a shearing shed such as shearing sheep

Unapproved agricultural work, even if performed on a farm, includes:

• working as a nanny on a farm
• wine-making, brewing, distilling, or giving wine tastings at a vineyard
• producing smallgoods
• producing dairy products such as yoghurt, condensed milk, flavoured milk or sour cream
• painting or maintaining barns, sheds or other property
• driving produce to a mill or market

See the Resources page for further examples of approved and unapproved agricultural work.

Where a customer has applied for independence under the approved agricultural work criterion, they must provide evidence to verify the:

• gross income amount earned
• period worked
• type of approved agricultural work undertaken, and
• proof of parental income, via an A2115 form

Evidence of the gross income amount earned and period worked may include 1 or more of the following:

• A letter from the employer on a company letterhead (where possible)
• Payroll report
• Payslips
• Payment summaries
• Profit and loss statement
• Tax Returns
• Receipts for work done

However, payslips, payroll reports or payment summaries alone may be deemed insufficient evidence. Although they would confirm the amount earned and period worked, they may not verify the type of the work the customer has undertaken.

Evidence of the type of approved agricultural work undertaken may include 1 or more of the following:

• A letter from the employer on a company letterhead (where possible)
• An Employment Agreement/Contract
• A Relocation Assistance to Take up a Job agreement

The Advise Parental Income (API) online service cannot be used to advise parental income for this independence criterion. An A2115 form may be required where parental income information is not already available on the customer's record.

Once a customer has been assessed as independent on the basis of undertaking approved agricultural work, it is a non-reviewable independence status. If the YA, ABSTUDY or SpB customer has been granted independence under this criteria and lives in the parental home, they will still be considered independent, but will receive the at home rate as an accommodated independent person.