Youth Allowance

Youth Allowance is a payment designed to assist full-time students and New Apprentices aged 16-24 years or temporarily incapacitated for study or undertaking New Apprenticeship.

Information about Youth Allowance and online application can be found on the Centrelink website.

Alternatively you can call at your local Centrelink office to collect an information booklet.

If you are claiming a benefit for the first time, your payments will commence from the date you lodge your claim for the payment or the date your course commences, whichever is later. It is important you lodge your application as soon as possible as there is no backdating of payments on late applications.

You can contact Centrelink (13 2490) and advise them of your "intent to lodge" your Youth Allowance application. You must lodge your Youth Allowance application within 14 days of your notification. Once your Youth Allowance application is processed and your application is successful, the date of your notification will be used as the first date that you receive your Youth Allowance benefits from.

Should you fail to submit your Youth Allowance application within the 14 day period, the actual date of your lodgement will be used as the start date of your Youth Allowance benefits.

Rent Assistance can also be paid in addition to the Youth Allowance.  Rent Assistance is deemed tax free.  Any board or lodge you pay can be included as 'rent'.  To claim, please provide details of what you pay as rent, board or lodging and to whom with your application.  Or, if you are in receipt of YA and haven't yet applied for Rent Assistance, please provide Centrelink with these details as you will not be back paid.  Please note that there is a minimum rental payable before rent assistance is payable.

Please Note: Some scholarship funds are treated as income by Centrelink. Thus, if you are in receipt of Centrelink benefits, it is important to advice Centrelink of any scholarship payments you may be awarded. Failure to do so may result in cancellation of your Centrelink benefits and/or penalties being applied by Centrelink.

For further information or answers to your questions, please contact Centrelink directly, visit ipoint or send an email to the Student Financial Aid Officer in Student Services.