Dan Tehan, the Liberal Party candidate for Wannon, has welcomed the Coalition announcement that a relaxed work test for the independent youth allowance would apply to students in the inner regional areas.
MEDIA RELEASE
8 August 2010
WANNON STUDENTS WIN FROM COALITION YOUTH ALLOWANCE IMPROVEMENTS
Dan Tehan, the Liberal Party candidate for Wannon, has welcomed the Coalition announcement that a relaxed work test for the independent youth allowance would apply to students in the inner regional areas.
“This is great news for students in Wannon”, Dan Tehan said.
“We currently have the absurd situation where students from Cobden face different rules to those in Timboon, in Stawell different to those in Halls Gap, in Hamilton different to those in Coleraine and in Beaufort different to those in Lismore.”
For young people from rural areas who, because of the geographical location of their family home, are required to relocate for full-time study, more generous workforce participation criteria for independence will apply for Youth Allowance and ABSTUDY. This will be in addition to the option to qualify immediately through the parental income test.
From the beginning of academic year 2011, these young people will be able to qualify under any of the elements of the workforce participation criterion for independence, where: their family home is in a location categorised under the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (AGSC) as Inner Regional Australia, Outer Regional Australia, Remote Australia or Very Remote Australia; and their parents’ income is less than $150 000 per annum.
This means that students who elect to take a gap year and work between high school and starting tertiary studies will now again be able to qualify for the independent youth allowance.
Dan Tehan said Labor changed the rules for the Independent Youth Allowance leaving 20,000 students in inner regional areas disadvantaged.
“If the Coalition is elected to Government and in consultation with students, parents and school organisations, the Coalition will establish a new integrated program to support families with children forced to leave home for tertiary studies, especially from rural and regional areas,” Dan Tehan said.
“In the meantime these new arrangements will ensure that regional students get a fair go from the education system”.
ENDS Contact Dan Tehan: 0400 376 635
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