Gracie had been on Youth Allowance (Jobseeker) for a while when she was accepted into a university course interstate.
Not having a job in her hometown, Gracie decided to move to Queensland before starting her course to settle in and find work. Unfortunately the area Gracie had moved to for university had a higher rate of unemployment than where she was living previously, so Centrelink implemented a 26 week payment exclusion period. Gracie was struggling to manage.
By the time Gracie contacted us; she had received a negative review decision from the Authorised Review Officer (ARO) and had lodged with the Social Security Appeals Tribunal.
We contacted the ARO and asked them to reconsider their decision against the additional evidence we provided: evidence of Gracie’s existing qualifications, evidence there were more vacancies requiring these qualifications in the area she had moved to than where she was living before, plus evidence of a job interview and a job offer.
The ARO agreed the decision should be changed and Gracie should not be subject to a 26 week payment exclusion period. Gracie now had the certainty that she could afford her living expenses, enabling her to start paid employment and prepare for her university studies.
Our intervention also avoided the necessity of proceeding to the Social Security Appeals Tribunal.