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The Post Care Education Financial Support allowance is a fortnightly allowance paid at standard Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) rates determined by the young person’s level of support need.
For statutory or supported carers to receive Post Care Education Financial Support:
Carers cannot receive Post Care Education Financial Support payments if they are receiving the Staying on Allowance, or the young person is receiving either the Aftercare Allowance or Independent Living Allowance. Only one of these allowances is payable at a time.
To be eligible for the payment, the young person in out-of-home care must be enrolled full-time in one of the following:
Note: full-time study for the purpose of this allowance is 15 hours or more per week and can take place at a high school, TAFE or equivalent setting. Part-time studies may be considered on a case by case basis where a young person has parental responsibilities or health issues that prevent them from undertaking full-time studies.
DCJ carers will receive a Post Care Education Financial Support application form in the mail or from their caseworker. These carers should complete the application form and return it to DCJ.
Carers with a non-government agency will need to apply through their agency. Further information about the application process will be provided to carers by their agency.
Post Care Education Financial Support should be applied for before the young person turns 18, however back payment may be provided for up to 13 weeks if the carer was eligible for that period.
No. Post Care Education Financial Support is paid to the carer to help cover a young person’s day to day living expenses and carers are not expected to keep receipts or show their agency how the money is spent.
The Post Care Education Financial Support payments stop when the young person:
A Staying On Allowance is available to carers who continue to support a young person aged 18 to 20 in their home after leaving care. A carer cannot receive both the Staying on and Post Care Education Financial Support allowances. If eligible for both, Post Care Education Financial Support should be paid as in many circumstances it will be at a higher rate. If the carer subsequently becomes ineligible for Post Care Education Financial Support, e.g., the young person completes their studies, the carer can be transferred to the Staying on Allowance if they still meet the criteria.
The Independent Living Allowance is available to young care leavers aged 18 to 20 to support them with accommodation needs and other essential needs, and the Aftercare Allowance is available to those aged 21 to 24 who are studying and would otherwise be at risk of homelessness.
Read the policy on provision of financial support (PDF, 250.2 KB) to foster and kinship carers of young people 18 years and older completing full-time studies.
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13 Dec 2024