eligibility
all you need to know about the NEET eligibility
eligibility
To be eligible for the NEET service, a young person must:
- meet residency requirements
- be aged 16 or 17 years old (some 15 year olds)
- be NEET, or at risk of becoming NEET and have a High or Very High Service Level Intensity rating.
- not be receiving a main benefit from Work and Income
- not be receiving a similar service already funded by another agency, see below.
15-year-olds
15-year-olds are only eligible for the NEET service if:
- they have an Early Leaving Exemption from the Ministry of Education
- the school year has finished, the young person will turn 16 before the next school year starts, and they have no intention of returning to school when they are 16.
Find out more information about the early leaving exemption here.
18-year-olds
18-year-olds cannot enrol in the NEET service and can only continue beyond their 18th birthday if they are:
- attending secondary education
- When a young person reaches the age of 18 years and is attending secondary school they can remain enrolled in the NEET service until the following 31 March.
- attending tertiary education, training or work-based learning
- When a young person is attending tertiary education, training or work-based learning and they turn 18 they can remain enrolled in the NEET service until their course finishes, unless their course ends in December. If their course ends in December, they can remain enrolled in the NEET service until the following 31 March.
change in circumstances
Once a young person is enrolled, it is your responsibility to exit them from the service if a change in their circumstance makes them ineligible.
funding from another agency
Young people who are already funded for support to assist them with their education and training needs cannot participate in Youth Service NEET. This includes young people who are:
- assisted by Special Education - Ongoing and Reviewable Services funding
- participating in a non-community based Youth Justice programme
- under 18 years and under the care of Oranga Tamariki.
Note young people who are participating in a community based Youth Justice programme may enroll in the NEET service with the agreement of their Youth Justice social worker.
ART profile
When creating a profile, you need to ensure basic identifying information is accurately recorded
You should use the young person’s legal name, or the name that is recorded on their birth certificate as the main name on their profile. Any other names they use or have used should be recorded as aliases.
Also include their address and telephone numbers these can be matched in ART to check for existing records.
This will prevent other sources from creating duplicate records. For example, when a young person applies for a benefit or when information comes through from the Ministry of Education.
duplicate ART profile
You must notify YSSU if you identify a young person with more than one profile.
If they are enrolled in your service, then you can do this through the Duplicate Record task under the Issues Management category.
If they are not enrolled, then you need to email YSSU with the duplicate ART identifiers.
your responsibilities
You are responsible for:
- ensuring a young person meets the eligibility criteria before accepting an enrollment or requesting a referral
- exiting a young person from the NEET service if they become ineligible while enrolled.
If you are unsure if a young person is still eligible for the service you should contact YSSU who will advise if the young person is still eligible or needs to exit the service.
For further information on your role in the NEET service, refer to Roles and Responsibilities.