Australian Government Directory of Services for Older People 2012-2013
Financial assistance
Table of contents
ABSTUDY payment
ABSTUDY Living Allowance is available to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who are undertaking eligible full-time study or a full-time Australian Apprenticeship. Some supplementary benefits are available for part-time students.To be eligible for ABSTUDY, you must be:
- an Australian citizen
- an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (see definition below)
- enrolled in an approved course at an approved institution or undertaking a full-time Australian Apprenticeship
- not receiving, or will not receive, any other Australian Government study or training assistance including Community Development Employment Projects.
- are of Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent
- identify as an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
- are accepted as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander in the community in which you live or have lived.
Students and Australian Apprentices receiving ABSTUDY may be eligible for:
- a Low Income Health Care Card
- Rent Assistance
- Pharmaceutical Allowance
- Pension Supplement (if you are over the qualifying age for Age Pension)
- Remote Area Allowance
- Student Start-up Scholarship (for higher education students undertaking an approved scholarship course)
- Fares Allowance (not available to Australian Apprentices)
- other supplementary benefits and allowances.
Phone: 13 23 17 (ABSTUDY)
13 36 33 (Payments for Australian Apprentices)
Website: Department of Human Services at www.humanservices.gov.au/abstudy
Austudy payment
Austudy is available to people aged 25 and over who are studying or training full-time, or who are full-time Australian Apprentices. Some students undertaking a concessional study load may also be eligible. To be eligible for Austudy, you must be:- an Australian resident
- aged 25 years or over
- studying an approved full-time course at an approved institution or undertaking a full-time Australian Apprenticeship.
- a Low Income Health Care Card
- Rent Assistance
- Pharmaceutical Allowance
- Pension Supplement (if you are over the qualifying age for Age Pension)
- Remote Area Allowance
- Student Start-up Scholarship (for higher education students undertaking an approved scholarship course)
- Fares Allowance (for tertiary students only).
Austudy recipients have access to a Student Income Bank, which allows them to build up credits in any fortnight that their income does not exceed the income-free area. From 1 July 2012 Austudy students are able to accrue up to $10,000 in their Student Income Bank.
You can lodge a claim online or by calling the Department of Human Services.
Phone: 13 24 90 (Austudy)
13 36 33 (Payments for Australian Apprentices)
Website: Department of Human Services at www.humanservices.gov.au/austudy
Top of page
Education Entry Payment
The Education Entry Payment (EdEP) is designed to assist eligible recipients with the upfront costs of education and training. EdEP may be payable to recipients of:- Newstart Allowance
- Partner Allowance
- Widow Allowance
- Widow B Pension
- Wife Pension
- Parenting Payment
- Disability Support Pension
- Carer Payment
- Special Benefit (if you are a sole parent and not residentially qualified for Parenting Payment).
Phone: 13 28 50 (Centrelink services)
Website: Department of Human Services at www.humanservices.gov.au/educationentry
Indigenous Wage Subsidy
Indigenous Wage Subsidy provides a subsidy to Australian employers who give an ongoing job to eligible Indigenous job seekers.To be eligible for an Indigenous Wage Subsidy, you must be an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, currently unemployed and actively looking for work.
- If you are 21 or older, you must be receiving an eligible income support payment, or participating in a Community Development Employment Project (CDEP) and consequently receiving income support. (The job must be outside of CDEP grant funding).
- If you are under 21 and not receiving income support, you must be registered with the Department of Human Services (Centrelink services) or a Job Services Australia provider as looking for work.
- paid under an Award or Certified Agreement
- ongoing (that is, the employer knows no reason why the position will not continue indefinitely)
- a full-time position of 35 hours per week or more, full-time as specified in the relevant Award or Agreement OR a part-time position of at least 15 hours per week, every week for the 26-week subsidy period
- not receiving wage subsidy funding from any other government program.
Phone: 1802 102 (Indigenous Employment Line)
Website: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations at www.deewr.gov.au/iws
Newstart Allowance
You may be eligible for Newstart Allowance if you are unemployed and aged between 22 and age pension age.To qualify for Newstart Allowance you must be prepared to negotiate and enter into an Employment Pathway Plan. An Employment Pathway Plan sets out the activities you are required to undertake so you can receive payment.
An Employment Pathway Plan is negotiated between you and the Department of Human Services or an Employment Services Provider. It helps identify what activities you need to undertake to give yourself the best chance of employment.
To meet your activity test requirements you will be required to undertake the activities included in your Employment Pathway Plan. These could include actively looking for work, attending job interviews and undertaking training.
Newstart Allowance is subject to an income and assets test.
If you are temporarily incapacitated and unable to work while you are on Newstart Allowance, or have been on the income support payment for more than nine months and you are over 60, you may be eligible for a Pharmaceutical Allowance if you meet certain criteria.
If Newstart Allowance is payable, you may also be eligible for an Education Entry Payment, Training Supplement and/or Rent Assistance.
If you are participating in work experience activities such as Work for the Dole, Green Corps and Drought Force, you may be entitled to an additional payment.
Current rates of payments are available on the Department of Human Services website.
Phone: 13 28 50 (Centrelink services)
Website: Department of Human Services at www.humanservices.gov.au/newstart
Top of page
Pensioner Education Supplement
If you are enrolled in and undertaking an approved course of study you may be eligible for the Pensioner Education supplement (PES). It is available to those who are receiving a Carer Payment, Disability Support Pension, Newstart Allowance (in certain circumstances), Youth Allowance (Other) (in certain circumstances), Parenting Payment (Single), Parenting Payment (Partnered) (in certain circumstances), Special Benefit (if the person is a sole parent), Widow Allowance, Widow B Pension or a Wife Pension (if partner is on Disability Support Pension). Some Veterans’ Affairs pensioners are also eligible.In some cases customers may continue to receive the PES if they transfer from Disability Support Pension or Parenting Payment Single to a non-qualifying payment such as Newstart Allowance. If a person is eligible to continue to receive PES for the remainder of their current course, it will be discussed with them as part of claiming Newstart Allowance payment. Some Veterans’ Affairs pensioners are also eligible.
The amount of payment depends on your study load and how much you are receiving from the Department of Human Services or Veterans’ Affairs. PES is not taxed and you may also be eligible for an Education Entry Payment to help you with the up-front costs of taking up study.
Phone: 13 24 90 (Centrelink services)
Website: Department of Human Services at www.humanservices.gov.au/pensionereducation
Training Supplement
Training Supplement was a temporary additional payment for new and existing recipients of Newstart Allowance and Parenting Payment who had not completed Year 12 or equivalent, or who had a trade or vocational qualification that could be upgraded to better equip them to find employment.To be eligible for Training Supplement, people receiving Newstart Allowance or Parenting Payment were required to fully meet their activity test or participation requirements by commencing an approved course between 1 July 2009 and 30 June 2011.
Phone: 13 28 50 (Centrelink services)
Website: Department of Human Services Training Supplement at www.humanservices.gov.au/trainingsupplement
VET FEE-HELP
VET FEE-HELP is a student loan program for the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector that is part of the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP). VET FEE-HELP assists eligible students undertaking certain VET diploma level and higher courses (but not Certificate-level courses) by allowing them to borrow funds up to their FEE-HELP limit to pay for their VET tuition fees.For the 2012–13 income year, the general FEE-HELP limit is $93,204. A higher limit applies for certain medicine, dentistry and veterinary science courses. You are only required to make repayments towards your HELP debt when your income meets the repayment threshold, which is $49,095 in 2012–13.
You are eligible for VET FEE-HELP if you:
- are studying a diploma, advanced diploma, graduate certificate or graduate diploma level course (but not Certificates I–IV) at an approved VET FEE-HELP provider;
- are an Australian citizen or permanent humanitarian visa holder who will be resident in Aus-tralia for the duration of the unit;
- have not exceeded the FEE-HELP limit (this is a lifetime limit and is not reset or ‘topped up’ by any repayments you make); and
- meet the tax file number (TFN) requirements.
- You must give your provider your valid TFN.
- If you don’t have a TFN, you can give your provider a Certificate of application for a TFN. This certificate is available from the Australian Taxation Office after you have applied for a TFN.
You can find more information about VET FEE-HELP, including a list of approved VET FEE-HELP providers and eligible courses, on the Study Assist website.
Phone: 13 38 73 (Skilling Australia Info Line)
Website: Study Assist at www.studyassist.gov.au