The Government plans to remove two of the three work eligibility criteria from the Independence Test for Youth Allowance, effective from January 2010.
This impacts greatly on prospective university students who have deferred their studies, embarked upon a gap year and worked in good faith that they would qualify as Independent and be able to leave home to start university.
30,700 students are estimated to be affected by the removal of these work eligibility criteria, and despite the Government's assurances, we are yet to know how many of those 30,700 will be eligible for income support under the changes.
To the Honourable the President and Members of the Senate in Parliament assembled.The Petition of the undersigned draws to the attention of the Senate the potentially disastrous effect the proposed changes to the workforce participation criterion for early independence under Youth Allowance, as announced in the 2009/10 Budget.
Many students will now face an uncertain future and difficult choices about whether or not to delay their studies, or remain in a highly competitive job market for low skilled workers, in order to meet the existing full time criterion.
Your petitioners therefore request the Senate to urge the Government to reassess the proposed workforce criterion, to ensure both regional and suburban students are not unfairly disadvantaged by this policy change.
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