Youth Allownace

[reg]

Has anybody applied for it?

There's a section that asks your expenses for the year (or semester, can't remember), how exactly are we meant to guess that =\?

http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/payments/youth_allow.htm

[melodrama]

don't guess - calculate and answer truthfully or centrelink will come and take your children away.

which is partially why i didn't continue with my claim xD

[cara.mel]

I thought for youth allowance either your parents have to be earning not much, or you have to be earning >18k or so/year to be 'independent'. Bloody stupid system x_x

[reg]

I thought for youth allowance either your parents have to be earning not much, or you have to be earning >18k or so/year to be 'independent'.

Well I'm not sure about this either.

On their site:

You may get Youth Allowance if you are:

    * aged 16-24 and studying or undertaking a Australian Apprenticeship full time (or aged 15 if considered independent)

And no other requirements, on the requirements page.

I just assume that you get a higher payout if you're "independent"?

Has anybody actually completed a claim?

[cara.mel]

Their site is horrible, I have spent hours looking for stuff and end up coming back confused. I've found the best thing to do is to ask them in real life, even if it takes half an hour it sure beats having to pay back money.

Eg I have no idea if I will need to tell them I now have a job, even though I currently don't get anything off them. Spending half an hour in a queue vs spending an hour on the internet, hmm.

[bturville]

I'm currently filling out all the paper work. Its taken days, and its a real pain in the ass.

[RD]

I got all the forms and everything to fill out, but it's been lying on my desk for months, cannot be bothered filling all that junk out.

[bturville]

I think they make the questions absurdly complex to put people off filling them out, so they have to pay out less!

[ninwa]

Has anybody actually completed a claim?

Yeah, I completed one a couple of days ago .... it's not TOO difficult .... just go through their absurdly long questionnaire on the internet, get your parents to fill out those 3 booklets re: their income etc, and go to your closest centrelink and give them shitloads of ID.

.... I don't know whether I'll actually get any money, but yeah ....

[nak]

you need to bring a recent bank statement as well.. and just tell them you dont have assets if you live with parents, thats what i did

[Eriny]

I've done a claim, but I still need to give them my bank statement. I think I qualify for something like $10 a fortnight, so it's not much, but everything adds up. I'm glad my parents put money in a uni savings account for me though (but I'm not actually sure how much is in there), and I have a scholarship, otherwise I'd be completely screwed.

[squance]

I have been receiving Youth Allowance ever since I was in Year 10....

My parents forced me to fill out the paper work...anyways, I used to only get 5% of the allowance because it was paid into my mum's account and she used it for school fees...

Sometime this week my allowance should be going into my bank account so that I can use it for uni...except my mum now wants 25% of it so that she can use it to pay for my sister's tutoring...

I would be getting $233 per fornight if my parents did not take 25%

[Fitness]

I've done a claim..
It's not all that bad if you think about it. For me anyway.
A few forms to fill out ONCE = $355.40 per fortnight.
I mean, seriously. It is totally worth it.

[excal]

I have been receiving Youth Allowance ever since I was in Year 10....

My parents forced me to fill out the paper work...anyways, I used to only get 5% of the allowance because it was paid into my mum's account and she used it for school fees...

Sometime this week my allowance should be going into my bank account so that I can use it for uni...except my mum now wants 25% of it so that she can use it to pay for my sister's tutoring...

I would be getting $233 per fornight if my parents did not take 25%

Stop them then.

You have every right to - it is your money.

[maxleng]

I've done a claim..
It's not all that bad if you think about it. For me anyway.
A few forms to fill out ONCE = $355.40 per fortnight.
I mean, seriously. It is totally worth it.

what's easier: going in and getting relevant forms or doing it over the internet?