Nationals MP for Northern victoria Region, Damian Drum said that students living right across the region – from Sunbury to Maryborough and from Bendigo to Wodonga - would now find it easier to qualify for independent Youth Allowance.
Mr Drum said students living in what is classified as ‘Inner Regional’ areas of Victoria could now apply for independent Youth Allowance under the same rules that apply to students living in ‘Outer Regional’ areas such as Kerang, Swan Hill and Mildura.
Changes to eligibility criteria introduced by the Gillard Government in 2010 meant that many rural students were discriminated against under a bureaucratic definition of ‘inner regional’ and ‘outer regional’.
After another back-flip by the Gillard Government on Youth Allowance students in both ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ regions can now qualify by earning $19,500 over an 18 month period.
Mr Drum said the Gillard Government had finally recognised that students from regional areas experienced higher costs in relocating in order to continue their studies.
“The Federal Government would not have been forced into this back-flip if it had listened to the young people and the families of regional Australia a year ago.”
The Federal Government acted after many months months of fierce lobbying by both Nationals and Liberal State and Federal Members of Parliament, in particular Nationals Senator Fiona Nash.
The removal of eligibility distinctions for Youth Allowance will take effect from 1 January 2012 and will not be retrospective.
These changes will be offset by the wind-up of the Rural Tertiary Hardship Fund, deferral of the extension of Youth Allowance for Masters by Coursework students until January 2014, reduction of Start-Up Scholarships to $2050 from 1 January 2010 and reduction of Relocation Scholarships for non-regional students to $4000 in the first year living away and $1000 in subsequent years from 1 January 2012.
For more information regarding Youth Allowance go to Centrelink http://www.centrelink.gov.au or call 13 2490.
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