Assessing improved employment prospects for Youth Allowance (YA) at the away from home rate 010-21102843

The away from home rate is a higher rate of payment available to YA job seekers who need to live away from home to improve their employment prospects.

Dependent YA job seekers can be paid at the away from home rate when they need to live away from home to:

• search for employment
• undertake approved activities to improve employment prospects, or
• increase employment opportunities

YA jobseekers must be able to demonstrate they are significantly more likely to get employment if they live away from home. At least one of the following conditions must be met:

• Travelling time is excessive
• The parental home is an inadequate place for job search
• The young person has a disability and the parental home is isolated from required special facilities

Living away from the parental home does not immediately qualify dependent YA job seekers for the away from home rate. YA job seekers must have an approved reason to live away from home and must actually be living away from the parental home. This means the YA job seeker must spend the majority of time away from the parental home.

To get the away from home rate, a dependent young person must demonstrate they can only undertake the approved activity (or more productively) in a region that requires them to live away from home.

Independent YA customers will receive the away from home rate when they are:

• living away from the parental home
• single, living with their parents but have previously been a member of a YA couple or have had a dependent YA child, or
• in state care, but not being supported by the state/territory, either by direct payments to themselves or indirect payments to other people or organisations

All other independent customers who live in the parental home receive the at home rate (known as an accommodated independent rate).

Independent customers who are currently a member of a YA couple will receive the member of a couple rate of YA. This rate is equivalent to the away from home rate of YA, regardless of where they live. Independent customers who currently have a dependent child are eligible for the partnered with child or single with child rate of payment. See Rates of Youth Allowance (YA).

Generally, independent job seekers who live in the parental home are accommodated independents. These customers will receive the at home rate of YA, unless they are exempt from the accommodated independent status.

Customers who are exempt from the accommodated independent status are entitled to a higher rate of YA. The higher rate is determined by the independent reason coded on the Independent/Homeless/Away From Home Details (NIH) screen.

Customers who are in unsupported state care are eligible for the away from home rate. See Assessing independence when a customer is in State care.

The following job seekers do not qualify for the away from home rate:

• Dependent YA customers living in the parental home
• Dependent YA customers who choose to live away from the parental home for an unapproved reason
• Independent YA customers who are considered to be an accommodated independent
• State care customers who receive support from their state/territory

Making a decision about whether a YA job seekers employment prospects are improved by them moving is a discretionary decision. As such, each case must be assessed individually on its merits. Services Officer's should consider:

• Does the YA job seekers job plan reference living away from home to undertake approved activities or job search requirements?
• Local knowledge regarding employment demands for local industries such as seasonal agricultural work like harvesting and fruit picking, or tourism and hospitality etc.
• Will a YA job seekers employment prospects be improved by the move, based on existing skills/qualifications?
• Is the parental home located in an area with limited access to facilities or services to access job vacancies or a low number of employment opportunities etc.?

If a Service Officer is unsure, or feels the case is beyond their current level of expertise, they should consider discussing the case with a Service Support Officer, Team Leader, or Manager.

Assessment of the away from home rate to improve employment prospects is based on the location of the parental home in relation to the away from home residence.

Relevant factors to the assessment of the away from home rate - improved employment prospects are:

• the parental home's suitability for job search
• access to suitable approved activities
• distance and travelling time using the customers usual mode of transport, and
• whether the parental home of a young person with a disability is isolated from required special facilities