ABSTUDY - Teenagers - FAQs
- What has changed for ABSTUDY?
- Why would I bother changing payments?
- What will happen if I don’t respond to the letter?
- How do I stop my ABSTUDY if my family decides Family Tax Benefit is the best option?
- Can my parent/s or guardian/s stop my ABSTUDY payment without my permission?
- What will happen to my Health Care Card?
- What if I stop my ABSTUDY and my parent/s or guardian/s do not claim Family Tax Benefit?
- What if I stop my ABSTUDY Living Allowance and my parent/s or guardian/s claim Family Tax Benefit and decide that it was not the right decision, can I change back to ABSTUDY?
What has changed for ABSTUDY?
Nothing has changed to the ABSTUDY rules. However, if you are living at home and in full-time secondary study, depending on your family’s circumstances, your parent/s or guardian/s may be better off claiming Family Tax Benefit for you instead of you receiving ABSTUDY. You should discuss these changes with your family and use the Family Assistance - Youth Allowance Comparison Estimator to work out which payment best suits your family circumstances.
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Why would I bother changing payments?
The maximum rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A for 16-17 year old full-time secondary students is about the same as the maximum fortnightly rate of ABSTUDY Living Allowance for under 18 year old dependent students living at home. With Family Tax Benefit, your family may be entitled to extra payments such as Family Tax Benefit Part B, Rent Assistance and the Family Tax Benefit Supplement payments.
Note: any income you earn will not affect the rate of Family Tax Benefit while you are in full-time secondary study but may affect your ABSTUDY Living Allowance.
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What will happen if I don’t respond to the letter?
You do not need to respond to the letter unless you want to stop your ABSTUDY Living Allowance payment so your parent/s or guardian/s can claim Family Tax Benefit for you.
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How do I stop my ABSTUDY if my family decides Family Tax Benefit is the best option?
If you are already registered for Centrelink Online Services logon and go to Request to stop Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY and complete the notification.
If you are not registered for Centrelink Online Services, you can stop your student payment using the One Time Access Code included in your letter.
Go to the home page on this website, select Customer Online Services in the left menu, then select Request to stop Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY in the Features Panel on the right.
Enter your Customer Reference Number and use the One Time Access Code in your letter to complete the notification.
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Can my parent/s or guardian/s stop my ABSTUDY payment without my permission?
Only if they are a correspondence nominee for you. For more information on nominees, or to find out if you have a nominee contact us on 13 2317.
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What will happen to my Health Care Card?
A 16-18 year old in full-time secondary study can not receive a Health Care Card in their own name. However they may be included on the family’s Health Care Card if the family is eligible for one.
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What if I stop my ABSTUDY and my parent/s or guardian/s do not claim Family Tax Benefit?
If your parent/s or guardian/s have decided not to claim Family Tax Benefit you should contact us as soon as possible to have your ABSTUDY re-granted. Alternatively your parent/s or guardian/s has until June 2014 to claim Family Tax Benefit for you for the 2012 year.
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What if I stop my ABSTUDY Living Allowance and my parent/s or guardian/s claim Family Tax Benefit and decide that it was not the right decision, can I change back to ABSTUDY?
Yes. You can reclaim ABSTUDY at any time. However, you can only be paid ABSTUDY from the date after Family Tax Benefit payments stop. Your parent/s or guardian/s cannot receive Family Tax Benefit for you for any period that you receive ABSTUDY Living Allowance.
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