New Apprentices are now able to apply for assistance under Youth Allowance, Austudy payment or ABSTUDY, subject to the application of parental and personal income tests. Under this initiative, New Apprentices may be eligible to receive extra support from the Government while their wages are at their lowest, reinforcing the importance of skills and trade training and providing another incentive for young people to enter into and to complete a New Apprenticeship.
Eligible New Apprentices may apply for a Low Income Health Care Card with Centrelink. This approach is consistent with arrangements for full-time students in receipt of a student allowance.
Only Centrelink can provide details on the rate of payment as individual circumstances must be taken into account. Assessing eligibility and rate of payment can be complex and must be left to Centrelink.
Centrelink call centres are open from 8:00am – 7:00pm Monday to Friday. The number is 133633. More information about the payments is available at
http://www.centrelink.gov.au
Claimants will not be able to receive LAFHA and Youth Allowance and must compare entitlements under each scheme to determine which payment will assist them better.
For more information you can also see our
brochure or
Fact Sheet on the extension of Youth Allowance, Austudy and ABSTUDY to full-time apprentices. You can also
contact a New Apprenticeships Centre in your region.