change in circumstances
young people must tell you about changes in their circumstances
a change in circumstances can be
- reconciling with family and returning home
- moved to another area
- applying for financial support through StudyLink
- reason not known:
- young person is transient and uncontactable
- young person applies for a working age benefit on their own
- getting a job
and so on.
Or it can be as significant as
- starting a new relationship
- a new baby has come into their care
- caring for someone
and they want to transition over to a Work and Income working age benefit.
young person reconciles with family and returns home
If a young person tells you they have resolved things with their family and are returning back home, payments must stop.
Notifying YSSU
You will need to notify YSSU via ART task and include the date the young person returned home and any additional information that will help YSSU assess entitlement to payments.
Notifying the young person
You should monitor your notifications on your dashboard. Once you receive notification from YSSU, notify the young person of the outcome.
young person has moved to another area
Depending on the status of payments, e.g. before or after payments stop, if the young person tells you they have moved to another area, you must refer them onto their next destination as follows.
Before payments stop
The local Work and Income office can only provide some support with urgent or unexpected costs. Otherwise, the young person will need to be referred to the local Youth Service provider to discuss their exit options.
Payments have stopped
The local Work and Income office can provide full support to the young person, e.g. transition to a main benefit.
young person is transient and uncontactable
It can be difficult to make contact with young people who become transient and uncontactable, without a reason or as a result of a change in circumstance.
Start exiting
If after a period of time, payments stop and you've exhausted all avenues to contact the young person without success, you can start exiting them from your service.
ART actions
You shouldn't record your attempts as 'Contact' in ART if you haven't successfully made contact with the young person. This can be recorded as a normal note.
You will still need to complete a few actions as outlined in the exit reminders.
young person applies for a working age benefit on their own
Some young people, who are transient and uncontactable, make contact directly with Work and Income after their payments stop.
Auto-exit from art
Young people who apply for a main benefit through Work and Income will auto-exit from your service. Sometimes without notice.
Notifications
Work and Income will notify YSSU about the transfer to a working age benefit. YSSU will add a note on the young person's ART record to notify you.
If there is no note in ART, YSSU may not have been notified yet.
young person wants to transition to a working age benefit due to a significant change in their circumstances
These significant changes do not allow for a transfer over to a main benefit.
- a change in relationship status, e.g. separated, new relationship
- birth of a child or a child has come into their care
- caring for someone full-time
The young person will need to
- complete a new application for the new benefit type
- book an appointment through the Work and Income Contact Centre
- meet with Work and Income to finalise their application.